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UK Right to Rent Checks Guidance Updated: COVID-19 Information Removed

🇬🇧 United KingdomEntry Rules1 recorded versionLast change 10 Aug 2026
ConfidenceVery high · 100%

Current rules

The updated guide removes the COVID-19 material and reflects the current Right to Rent system. Manual checks continue to require the appropriate original documents, while people proving status digitally must use the Home Office online service. eVisa holders generate a 9-character share code beginning with “R” for Right to Rent purposes; the code is valid for 90 days.

Overview

The UK Visas and Immigration and Home Office have updated the 'Right to rent document checks: a user guide' on 10 August 2026. This update primarily removes information regarding COVID-19 related temporary adjustments to right to rent checks, indicating these provisions are now obsolete. Landlords should ensure they are following the current guidance for document verification.

Who is affected by the latest change

  • Landlords in England
  • Letting agents in England
  • Tenants with time-limited immigration status
  • Tenants using eVisas
  • Tenants proving their status through Home Office online services

What changed in the latest version

Before

During COVID-19, landlords could use temporary, changed ways to check documents. These included remote checks. These arrangements finished on 30 September 2022.

After

The updated guide removes the COVID-19 information. It now shows the current Right to Rent system. Manual checks still need the correct original documents. People who prove their status digitally must use the Home Office online service. People with an eVisa generate a 9-character share code. This code starts with "R" for Right to Rent checks. The code is valid for 90 days.

This update confirms the full removal of temporary changes to right to rent checks. These changes were put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. For landlords, this means there are no longer special rules for checks related to the pandemic. Standard rules are now the only rules to follow. Tenants must also meet the pre-pandemic rules to show their right to rent. The change makes the guide clearer. It makes the guidance match the current, permanent rules.

Explained simply

Imagine you have a rulebook for renting out a house, especially about checking who can legally live there. For a while, because of COVID, there were some temporary ways to do these checks, like checking documents online. Now, those temporary ways are long gone, so the rulebook has been cleaned up to remove all mention of them. It's just making sure everyone knows to follow the normal, current rules for checking documents.

Frequently asked

Version history

  1. v3Effective 10 Aug 2026EffectiveMedium impact
    UK Right to Rent Checks Guidance Updated: COVID-19 Information Removed

    The UK's 'Right to rent document checks: a user guide' changed on 10 August 2026. This guide no longer includes information about COVID-19 checks. This specific guidance told landlords and tenants how to do right to rent checks. The previous rules described temporary changes to checks because of the pandemic. These rules are now old. They have been removed. This means Great Britain has returned to standard ways of checking for all people covered by the rules.

Timeline

  1. Announced

    10 Aug 2026

    The UK Visas and Immigration and Home Office have updated the 'Right to rent document checks: a user guide' on 10 August 2026. This update primarily removes information regarding COVID-19 related temporary adjustments to right to rent checks, indicating these provisions are now obsolete. Landlords should ensure they are following the current guidance for document verification.

  2. Takes effect

    10 Aug 2026

    Information about COVID-19 checks has been removed from the guidance as it is out of date.

Other routes in this country

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