Monday 1 February 2016 sees the commencement of the ‘Right to Rent’ regulations in all of England. All new private tenancies, sub-tenancies, lodgings, and licences (including property guardians) will be caught if it is the occupant’s main residence. Landlords must check the immigration status of all adults who will be or are occupying the property. We have written at length about why this is a very bad law, and it will get worse when the Immigration Bill 2015 comes into force, complete with eviction without any court proceedings in some circumstances. A very clear explanation of the ‘right to rent’ requirements is here.
Simultaneously, there will be a new edition of the DCLG ‘How to rent’ booklet, which I will be adding here. This is important because for tenancies started on or after 1 October 2015, the booklet must be served on any new tenants, and if updated, on any renewal tenancies in order for a s.21 notice to be valid. See details here.