25^th Dec 2017

An industry trade body is calling for the government to put a stop to the Right to Rent scheme quickly as evidence shows that 42% of landlords will not rent their properties to anyone who does not have a British passport.


The organisation is telling the government that it has grave concerns over the impact of the scheme on 17% of UK residents that do not have a British passport.

The research also highlights that 49% of landlords are uncertain as to whether they would rent out their properties to anyone who has been granted a time limited permission to stay in the UK.

The overseas born population living in the UK are three times more likely than UK born nationals to be private renters and it is becoming increasingly difficult them to find 'homes'.

The BBC has recently carried out an investigation about criminal gangs who are selling illegal immigrants fake identity documents, this is causing landlords not to risk fines by refusing to rent out their properties to anyone who does not have a British passport.

Landlords and agents must under the Right to Rent scheme, check prospective tenant's immigration status or face prosecution and fines if they are aware or suspect that their property is rented out to a person who does not have the right to rent in the UK.

In October the Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration called for an imminent review of the Right to Rent as he is concerned that it “will not examine any unintended consequences of Right to Rent, for example discrimination against would-be tenants, increased homelessness, or displacement.”

It was also said that it “does not have the capacity to conduct a meaningful examination of the unintended consequences of Right to Rent at this time.”

The Policy director for the trade organisation has always stressed that the Right to Rent scheme will cause major problems to legitimate tenants who are unable to provide the correct documentation to prove who they are.

The director said: “Faced with the fear of criminal sanctions many landlords are understandably playing it safe.

“Given the scale of the housing crisis, any policy that makes it harder for those legally able to access the homes they need is a travesty. It is absurd to conduct a review of the scheme without looking at all the consequences. That is why it is vital that the Home Office suspends the scheme pending a full and detailed assessment of its impact on tenants and prospective tenants.”

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