Failure to Comply with Right to Rent will be Criminal Offence from December

Yesterday, the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, announced at the Conservative Party Conference that failure to comply with the Right to Rent scheme will become a criminal offence from December.

As of 1^st February this year, all landlords and letting agents in England have been legally required to conduct immigration status checks on all prospective tenants under the Right to Rent scheme. Those that do not comply with the new law can currently face civil penalties, such as fines of up to £3,000.

However, for many months now, the criminalisation of the Right to Rent scheme has been in discussion in the House of Commons.

Rudd has now confirmed that failure to comply with Right to Rent law will become a criminal offence as of December 2016.

All landlords and letting agents must be aware of their duties, to avoid facing criminal sanctions. The Home Office has compiled information for landlords on how to conduct the immigration checks: /home-office-reinforces-landlord-responsibilities-right-rent/

Reacting to the news, the Managing Director of the Deposit Protection Service, Julian Foster, says: “Although landlords will always want to operate within the law, ever changes in the regulatory environment can mean that many fall foul of legislation without realising it.

“Pressures on landlords can be significant, particularly those who are also in full-time work, so it’s vital that they receive sufficient information and support whenever the rules change.”

He insists: “Anyone letting out property must fully understand regulations that affect them, as well as their obligations as a landlord to both their tenants and the authorities.”

We remind all landlords of their responsibilities under Right to Rent and to stick to the law at all times.

To keep up to date with your obligations as a landlord, remember to check back to Landlord News regularly for daily advice and updates.