Since 1 May 2026, a landlord in England can no longer take six months' rent up front from a newcomer with no UK credit history. The Renters' Rights Act rules allow "a maximum of 1 month's rent in advance", and only after the tenancy agreement is signed. With cash no longer able to smooth things over, documents carry more weight.
The document that decides whether you can rent at all is the right to rent check, and its rules changed again on 1 October 2026, when a new landlord's guide and two new codes of practice took effect.
Below: what changed, which check applies to whom, and what a translation can and cannot do, as of October 2026.
What changed in right to rent checks on 1 October 2026?
The Home Office replaced its guidance. The seventh version of the code of practice for landlords and agents, published on 30 June 2026, came into force on 1 October 2026, with a new code on avoiding discrimination and a rewritten landlord's guide. The main changes:
- Registered digital checks only. Landlords need not check digitally, but if they use a digital verification service provider, it must be one registered with the Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (an "RtR DVSP").
- Digital versions of listed documents are now accepted where the issuing authority provides them.
- No more visa vignettes. "From 1 July 2026, visa vignettes are no longer issued as evidence of immigration permission"; eVisas are the norm.
- One set of rules for everyone. The separate annex on Ukrainian nationals was removed "as right to rent checks now apply consistently across nationalities".
Does right to rent apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
No. GOV.UK tells tenants: "You do not need to prove your right to rent in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland." The scheme covers residential tenancies in England first entered into on or after 1 February 2016, or 1 December 2014 in Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall. Right to work checks, by contrast, apply across the UK; see our right to work guide.
In England, the landlord or agent must check every adult who will live in the property as their only or main home, "regardless of their nationality", British citizens included, and whether or not they are named on the tenancy. Halls of residence, social housing, hostels and refuges, tied accommodation and leases of seven years or more are excluded.
Which right to rent check should a landlord use?
One of three, completed before the tenancy is entered into: a manual check of original documents, the Home Office online check, or a check through a registered RtR DVSP. Which one depends on the tenant:
| Tenant | Check | How long the statutory excuse lasts |
|---|---|---|
| British or Irish citizen | Passport (current or expired) or naturalisation certificate, two documents from List A Group 2, or a RtR DVSP check of a valid passport or one up to 6 months past expiry | Continuous; British and Irish citizens cannot get a share code |
| eVisa holder, including EU Settlement Scheme status | Online check with an "R" share code and date of birth | Continuous for settled status; otherwise until the date the service gives |
| Former BRP holder | Online check only: "A manual check of an original, expired BRP is not acceptable" | As shown online |
| Visitor from an EEA country, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea or the USA | Passport plus evidence of arrival in the last six months, such as a boarding pass or ticket | 12 months |
| New arrival with a still-valid short validity vignette, issued before 1 July 2026, but no eVisa access yet | Manual check of the vignette | Time-limited; at least 12 months |
| Pending in-time application the online check cannot confirm, asylum seeker, Permission to Rent, or an eVisa that cannot be accessed | Landlord Checking Service, which answers within two working days | 12 months from a Positive Right to Rent Notice |
For a tenant with time-limited permission, the check must be made no earlier than 28 days before the tenancy agreement is entered into, and repeated before the excuse expires. A share code lasts 90 days; codes beginning with "W" or "S" are for other services.
What documents are on the Home Office lists?
Only originals listed in Annex A of the landlord's guide count for a manual check, or their official digital versions.
- List A Group 1 (one document): a British passport, current or expired; an Irish passport or passport card; a passport endorsed with indefinite leave, no time limit or the right of abode; a Home Office immigration status document showing indefinite leave; a certificate of registration or naturalisation.
- List A Group 2 (any two): a birth or adoption certificate "issued in the UK", or in the Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Ireland; a UK driving licence; a UK university acceptance letter; letters issued within three months by a government department, council or employer, or by a British passport holder of good standing who has known you for at least three months; and a few others.
- List B (time-limited): a current passport or Home Office document showing time-limited permission, certain EU Settlement Scheme documents with a Home Office notice, and the visitors' passport-and-arrival combination.
Apart from passports and Irish documents, nothing issued outside the UK and Crown Dependencies appears. A birth certificate from Lagos or Lahore and a licence from Lisbon fail, translated or not.
Can a tenant use a foreign document or a translation?
Not to prove the right to rent itself. Landlords must be "in physical possession of the original documents" and may not rely on "a faxed, scanned or copied version". A translation is a new document made from the original, so it cannot stand in for a listed original.
Translations matter in two places.
Names that differ. The guide tells landlords to check "that any differences in names across documents can be explained by supporting evidence, for example an original marriage certificate, divorce decree absolute or deed poll", and to keep copies. When that marriage or divorce happened abroad, the landlord can only accept it if it can read it, so bring the original with a certified English translation. See marriage certificate translation and divorce document translation. A share code that shows an old name needs fixing in your UKVI account instead.
Referencing. Credit, income and previous-landlord checks are separate, and the guide says checks made for referencing give no statutory excuse unless they follow its rules. Landlords and agents set their own requirements and may ask for an employer's letter, payslips, bank statements, a previous landlord's reference or "a suitable rent guarantor". If those documents are not in English, a certified translation lets the agent use them; see payslips and employment letters and bank statement translation.
Our certified translations are dated and signed, confirm accuracy and give the certifying official's full name, our contact details and our membership of the Association of Translation Companies (ATC).
Renting from abroad, as a student or as a visitor
A landlord "may agree a tenancy in principle before the person travels to the UK", but must complete the check before you move in. Students with an eVisa can give the share code while still overseas, and the online check can be done by live video call.
Students who cannot yet access their eVisa may use a short validity vignette issued before 1 July 2026, while it remains valid, for a manual check, giving the landlord 12 months. Short-stay visitors from the seven listed countries and the EEA show their passport and a boarding pass or ticket from the last six months.
What are the penalties, and what counts as discrimination?
A civil penalty under the 1 October 2026 code:
| Disqualified person | First breach | Repeat breach within 3 years |
|---|---|---|
| Lodger | £5,000 | £10,000 |
| Occupier | £10,000 | £20,000 |
A first penalty paid within 21 days is reduced by 30%. Knowingly renting to a disqualified person can also be a criminal offence under measures added by the Immigration Act 2016.
Over-checking is unlawful too. The discrimination code gives "refusing to consider any international tenants" as an example of direct discrimination, and warns that requiring more than five years' UK residence may be indirect discrimination. The landlord's guide adds that compensation for discrimination contrary to the Equality Act 2010 "is not subject to an upper limit".
Why right to rent checks fail
- A translated foreign ID card, birth certificate or driving licence accepted instead of a listed document.
- An expired BRP checked by hand instead of an online check.
- A share code beginning with "W" or "S", or one older than 90 days.
- A scan or photo of a document the landlord never held.
- A check made more than 28 days before a time-limited tenancy was entered into.
- A name difference left unexplained, or explained by a foreign certificate nobody could read.
- Checking only tenants who seem foreign, which breaches the discrimination code.
Checklist: right to rent for tenants arriving from abroad
Questions people ask
Can a landlord accept a translated foreign ID card or birth certificate for a right to rent check?
No. Manual checks may use only original documents from the Home Office's Lists A and B, and foreign ID cards, birth certificates and driving licences are not on them, translated or not. Most non-British tenants prove their right to rent online with a share code instead.
Do right to rent checks apply in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland?
No, only in England. GOV.UK says tenants do not need to prove their right to rent in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, although landlords there may still run their own referencing checks.
What share code do I need for right to rent?
A right to rent share code, which begins with "R". You generate it in your UKVI account, it lasts 90 days, and the landlord enters it with your date of birth on GOV.UK. Codes beginning with "W" or "S" are for other services and will not work.
Can I rent a flat in England before I arrive in the UK?
You can agree a tenancy in principle, but the landlord must complete the right to rent check before you move in. With an eVisa, the online check can be done by live video call while you are abroad, within 28 days before the agreement if your permission is time-limited.
What if my name is different on my documents?
Bring evidence that explains the difference, such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree or deed poll. The landlord keeps a copy, so a document in another language needs a certified English translation. If your eVisa shows an old name, update your UKVI account.
Can a landlord ask for six months' rent in advance?
Not in England since 1 May 2026. A landlord can ask for a maximum of one month's rent in advance, after the tenancy agreement is signed, plus a holding deposit of up to one week's rent and a tenancy deposit of up to five weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000.
How much does it cost to translate a marriage certificate or reference letter for renting?
Official Translations charges £29.95 per page, a page being up to 300 words. Most single-page documents arrive as a signed PDF by email within 24 hours, and a printed copy by post costs £14.95 more.
