Right to Rent checks: digital share codes vs the manual route

Since the Immigration Act 2014 (extended to all of England in 2016), landlords must verify that adult occupiers have the right to rent in the UK. Get it wrong and the civil penalty is up to £20,000 per occupier.

When to check

Before the start of every new tenancy (and follow-up checks where time-limited).

What you can accept

The Home Office groups documents into List A (unlimited right to rent) and List B (time-limited). You verify by:

1. Digital check via the Home Office service (uses the tenant's share code). Fastest, gives you a statutory excuse for 12 months.
2. Manual check (passport, BRP) in person. You must see the original, take a copy, sign and date the copy with "the document was checked in the presence of the holder".
3. Identity Service Provider (IDSP) for British and Irish citizens (a paid third party).

The follow-up obligation

For List B documents, repeat the check before expiry (or after 12 months, whichever comes first).

What havelo does

The Applicants module (/dashboard/applicants) collects the right to rent status, the share code, and the expiry date as part of the standard application form. The compliance tracker reminds you when a follow-up is due.

What havelo doesn't do

We don't verify the documents for you. The legal duty stays with the landlord. We just make the paperwork tidy and the dates impossible to forget.