Right to Rent checks: what records a landlord must keep

If you let a home in England, you have to check that every adult living there has the right to rent before the tenancy starts, and keep proof that you did. This guide is about the proof, because that is the part that protects you.

Keeping these checks and follow-up dates straight is exactly the kind of thing Beige is built to take off your plate.

What to keep

For each adult occupier, keep a clear copy of the evidence you checked and a record of the date you checked it. If you used physical documents, copy them in full, including both sides where it matters, in a format that cannot be altered afterwards. If you used the online service, keep the result. Store it all securely, on paper or digitally, so you can produce it if you are ever asked.

How long to keep it

Keep the records for the whole length of the tenancy, and for at least one year after it ends. Binning them too early is a common and avoidable mistake.

The three ways to check

Most checks now happen one of three ways. A tenant with an immigration status can give you a share code, which you enter on the government's checking service along with their date of birth. A share code for right to rent starts with the letter R and is valid for 90 days. British and Irish citizens can prove their status with a passport, or through an identity service provider using digital identity checks. If none of that applies, you fall back to checking original documents from the official list in person.

Follow-up checks

If someone's right to rent is time-limited, you have to do a follow-up check when it is due. Getting the initial check and any follow-ups right is what gives you a "statutory excuse", which is the legal protection that matters if the Home Office ever comes asking.

Why it is worth getting right

For a first breach, the civil penalty is up to £5,000 for a lodger and up to £10,000 for an occupier, and repeat breaches are double that. Good records are the difference between a quick, clean answer and a real problem.

For the wider set of landlord deadlines, see our UK landlord compliance deadlines guide, or let the Beige Landlord Renewal Dashboard keep the dates, including right to rent, for you.

Last reviewed: July 2026. Applies to England. General information, not legal advice.