Right to Rent Check Record
A dated record of an immigration status check on a prospective tenant, with the follow-up date.
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A record of the check carried out before granting a right to occupy the property named below. Keep it for the whole of the occupation and for at least one year after it ends.
| Property | [property] |
| Checked by | [landlord or agent] |
| Person checked | [full name] |
| Date of birth | — |
| Date of check | [date] |
1. How the check was carried out
Manual check of original documents, with the person present.
The original documents were seen in the presence of the person named above. Each was checked to be genuine and unaltered, the photograph and date of birth were compared with the person, and a clear copy of every document was taken and kept with this record.
2. Documents seen
| Document | Number | Expiry |
|---|---|---|
| [one document per line — type | number | expiry] |
3. Outcome
Continuous right to rent — no follow-up check needed.
4. Declaration
I confirm that I carried out the check described above on the date shown, that copies of the evidence have been retained, and that the check was carried out on every adult who will occupy the property as their only or main home — not only on the person named on the agreement.
What is a Right to Rent Check Record?
A right to rent check record is the landlord's or agent's evidence that they checked an adult occupier's immigration status before letting to them, and that they did it properly. The record is what establishes the statutory excuse if the occupier turns out not to have the right to rent. Carrying out the check and failing to record it is, for practical purposes, the same as not carrying it out at all.
The scheme applies to residential lettings in England and requires a check on every adult who will occupy the property as their only or main home — not only the person named on the agreement, and not only people who look or sound as though they might be foreign nationals. Checking selectively by nationality, ethnicity or accent is unlawful discrimination in itself, and it is the aspect of the scheme that generates the most complaints against agents.
There are three routes. A manual check means seeing original documents in the person's physical presence, checking them against the person, and taking clear copies. An online check uses a share code the occupier generates, and the landlord compares the profile photograph with the person, either face to face or over a live video call. A digital identity check is carried out through a certified identity service provider for British and Irish citizens holding a valid passport. The acceptable document lists and the code of practice are updated periodically, most recently with a code taking effect in October 2026.
The record fixes the date and the method, which is what the statutory excuse depends on. It does not last forever: where someone has a time-limited right to rent, a follow-up check falls due, and missing it removes the protection the first check gave. The record also carries copies of identity documents, so it is personal data — keep it securely, keep it only for as long as the scheme requires, and do not leave copies of passports sitting in a shared inbox.
What to put in a Right to Rent Check Record
These are the details this template asks for. Anything left blank is marked in red on the preview so you can see what is still missing.
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Landlord or agent carrying out the check | For example: Bellhouse Lettings, as agent for H. Okafor |
| Property | For example: Flat 2, 118 Crookes Valley Road, Sheffield S10 1BE |
| Person checked — full name | For example: Aisha Rahman |
| Date of birth optional | Free text |
| Date the check was carried out | Free text |
| How the check was done | Free text |
| Documents seen — type | number | expiry, one per line | For example: UK passport | 543982211 | expires 14 June 2031 |
| Share code, if an online check optional | For example: W12 3ZY 456 |
| Outcome | Free text |
| Follow-up check due optional | Free text |
| Checked by — name and role | For example: Priya Nandakumar, Lettings Manager |
How to write a Right to Rent Check Record
Check everyone, before the tenancy starts
Every adult who will live at the property as their main home, whether or not they are named on the agreement, and before the agreement takes effect rather than after the keys are handed over. Ask every applicant in the same way, in the same order, with the same documents requested. Consistency is what protects you from a discrimination complaint as well as from an immigration penalty.
See the original, with the person in front of you
On a manual check, hold the document yourself while the holder is present. Check that photographs and dates of birth are consistent with the person and with each other, that the document is unaltered, and that any permission to be in the country has not expired. A photograph of a passport emailed to you is not a manual check, however convincing it looks.
Take clear copies and date them
Copy the whole of each document you rely on — for a passport that means the pages showing the photograph, the personal details and any endorsement about the right to be in the country. Record the date the copy was made on the copy itself. Store copies securely, and do not keep them longer than the scheme requires, because they are exactly the kind of data that should not accumulate in a filing system.
Record the method and the outcome
Say whether the check was manual, an online share code check or a certified digital identity check, and note the share code or provider reference. Then record the outcome: a continuous right to rent, a time-limited one, or none established. The method matters because each route establishes the statutory excuse in a different way and each has its own evidence to retain.
Diarise the follow-up before you file it
Where the right to rent is time limited, a follow-up check falls due, and the whole value of the first check depends on the second one happening. Put the date in a calendar with a reminder, not in a note at the bottom of a file. A landlord who does the first check properly and then forgets the follow-up ends up in exactly the position the scheme is designed to catch.
Common mistakes
- Checking only the tenant who signs the agreement, leaving the other adults in the property unchecked.
- Asking for extra documents from applicants with foreign-sounding names, which is discrimination regardless of intention.
- Accepting a photograph or scan of a passport as a manual check instead of seeing the original with the person present.
- Copying only the photograph page of a passport and not the pages showing any permission to be in the country.
- Filing a time-limited case with no follow-up date diarised, which quietly removes the protection the check gave.
Frequently asked questions
Who has to be checked under right to rent?
Every adult aged eighteen or over who will occupy the property as their only or main home, whether or not they are named on the tenancy agreement and whether or not they pay rent. That includes a partner moving in with a named tenant. The check must be done before the tenancy begins, and it must be done in the same way for every applicant.
Does right to rent apply outside England?
The scheme currently applies to residential lettings in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not covered on the same basis, and the position has changed over time, so confirm the current scope on GOV.UK rather than assuming. If you let across more than one nation, do not run a single process on the assumption that the requirement is identical.
Can I do a right to rent check over video call?
For an online share code check, yes — the comparison of the online photograph with the person may be done over a live video call. A manual check of original documents requires the person to be physically present with the documents. A certified digital identity check follows the provider's own process. Match the method to the route rather than mixing them.
How long do I have to keep the record?
Keep it for the duration of the occupation and for a period afterwards, and check the current retention period on GOV.UK because it is specified rather than open-ended. Holding copies of identity documents for longer than the scheme requires creates a data protection problem of its own, so set a deletion date at the same time you create the record.
What if a tenant's permission to stay expires during the tenancy?
That is what the follow-up check is for. Where the first check showed a time-limited right to rent, a further check falls due, and the outcome may need to be reported. Do not simply let the tenancy continue on the strength of the original check. Diarise the date, carry out the follow-up in the same way, and record it as a separate entry rather than amending the first one.
This page explains general practice and is not legal advice. Requirements differ between countries and, in some cases, between states — check what applies where the document will be used.