Right to rent checks: what to show your landlord, and how to get a share code

By Sam Kane · Last checked 9 October 2026 · Covers England only

Before you can rent a home in England, your landlord must check that you have the legal right to rent in the UK. This is called a right to rent check. British and Irish citizens usually show a passport. Other renters usually prove it with a share code, a 9-character code you get online from GOV.UK.

Right to rent checks apply in England only. You do not need one in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

The short version

• Every adult tenant is checked, not only people who may not be British. Checking only some people is against the law.
• British and Irish citizens usually show a passport. An expired one is fine.
• Other renters can use a share code or original immigration documents. If your status is an eVisa, you need a share code.
• A share code lasts 90 days. You can get a new one at any time.
• Physical biometric residence permits (BRPs) are no longer accepted on their own. Use them to get a share code instead.
• If the Home Office has your documents, your landlord can ask the Home Office to check. The answer comes within 2 working days.
• Some homes are exempt, such as social housing and student halls.

What is a right to rent check?

A right to rent check is a legal check that a tenant is allowed to live in the UK and rent a home. The Home Office runs the scheme. Your landlord, or their letting agent, must do the check before your tenancy starts.

Landlords take it seriously. A landlord can be fined up to £10,000 for each adult for a first breach, and up to £20,000 for a repeat.

The check is one of several your landlord may do when you apply for a home. Our step-by-step how to rent guide shows where it fits, alongside tenant referencing and credit checks.

Who has to be checked?

Your landlord must check every adult aged 18 or over who will live in the home as their main home. This includes adults who are not named on the tenancy agreement.

A landlord must not check only the people they think are not British. They must check everyone and must not treat you differently because of where you are from. That would be discrimination.

Homes that do not need a check

You do not need a right to rent check if you live in:

• social housing, or housing from the council
• student accommodation, such as halls of residence
• a hostel or refuge
• a care home, hospital or hospice
• housing that comes with your job
• a home with a lease of 7 years or more
• a mobile home, unless you rent it from the owner

How do I prove my right to rent?

If you are a British or Irish citizen

Show your landlord one of these:

• a British passport, current or expired
• an Irish passport or passport card, current or expired
• a certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen

Your landlord may use a digital check instead, through a registered Digital Verification Service. If so, you upload a photo of your passport to a secure website. Your landlord will tell you how. A digital check works with a passport that expired up to 6 months ago. If yours is older, ask for a check in person.

British and Irish citizens cannot get a share code.

If you are British or Irish and have no passport

You may be able to use 2 documents together instead. Examples include:

• a current UK driving licence, full or provisional
• a full UK birth or adoption certificate
• a letter from your employer, dated in the last 3 months
• a letter from your school, college or university showing you study there
• proof that you get benefits, dated in the last 3 months
• a letter from a UK government department or your council, dated in the last 3 months

Each document has its own rules about what it must show. Check the full list on GOV.UK before you go to your landlord.

If you are not a British or Irish citizen

You can prove your right to rent with either:

• a share code from GOV.UK, or
• your original immigration documents, such as a passport with a Home Office stamp or visa sticker that shows your permission to stay

You can choose which one to use. A landlord cannot turn you down because you gave them a valid document instead of a share code.

If your immigration status is held as an eVisa, which is a digital record with no physical card, you need a share code. Visa stickers (vignettes) are no longer issued from 1 July 2026, so most new arrivals will use a share code.

How do I get a right to rent share code?

1. Go to the GOV.UK service “Prove your right to rent in England”.
2. Sign in to your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account, or enter your BRP details.
3. Choose that you want to prove your right to rent.
4. You get a 9-character share code. Right to rent share codes start with the letter R.
5. Give the code to your landlord, with your date of birth.

Your landlord then checks your details online and keeps a record.

Who can get one? You can get a share code if you have a UKVI account or a biometric residence permit. You have a UKVI account if you applied to the EU Settlement Scheme, used the “UK Immigration: ID Check” app when you applied for a visa, or set one up to see your eVisa. You can use a BRP to get a share code for up to 18 months after the expiry date on the card.

How long does it last? A share code is valid for 90 days. Your landlord can use it as many times as needed in that time. If it runs out before the check, get a new one.

When does the check happen?

The check must be done before your tenancy starts. If your permission to stay in the UK has a time limit, the landlord must do the check in the 28 days before the tenancy starts.

Once the checks are done, the next step is usually signing your tenancy agreement. After you move in, your rent can count on your credit file, which can help if you are new to UK credit.

Follow-up checks

If your permission to stay has a time limit, your landlord must check again later. They do this just before your permission ends, or 12 months after the last check, whichever is later. There are no follow-up checks for British or Irish citizens, or for people with no time limit on their stay.

What your landlord does with your documents

Your landlord must:

• check the original documents with you there, or use a share code or digital check
• make copies, or save the online check, and record the date
• give your original documents back
• keep the copies while you rent from them and for one year after, in line with data protection law

What if I cannot prove my right to rent?

• If the Home Office has your documents, for example because you have an open application or appeal, give your landlord your Home Office reference number. Your landlord can then ask the Home Office to check, through its Landlord Checking Service. They should get an answer within 2 working days.
• If you are waiting for an EU Settlement Scheme decision, you can get a share code, or show a certificate of application.
• If you are a Commonwealth citizen, you may be able to get documents through the Windrush Scheme.

If you fail a right to rent check, your landlord can keep your holding deposit, as long as they could not have known before taking it. So if you are unsure about your documents, sort them out before you pay.

Common questions

Do British citizens need a right to rent check?

Yes. Every adult tenant in England is checked, including British citizens. You usually just show your passport, and it can be expired.

How long is a right to rent share code valid?

90 days from when you get it. Your landlord can use it as many times as they need in that time. You can get a new one if it runs out.

Can I use my biometric residence permit (BRP)?

Not as a physical card. Landlords can no longer accept a BRP itself. You can use your BRP details to get a share code, for up to 18 months after the expiry date on the card.

Do I need a right to rent check in Scotland or Wales?

No. Right to rent checks only apply in England.

Can a landlord charge me for a right to rent check?

No. Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, landlords and agents cannot charge you for checks.

Can a landlord refuse me because I am not British?

A landlord must not discriminate because of your nationality or where you are from. If you have the right to rent and can prove it, they must treat you like any other applicant. If you think you have been treated unfairly, get advice from Citizens Advice.

Where to get free help

• Citizens Advice: free advice on renting and discrimination
• Shelter: free housing advice
• The Home Office: for help with your UKVI account or share code

Sources

• GOV.UK, Prove your right to rent in England
• GOV.UK, Checking your tenant’s right to rent
• GOV.UK, Private renting: document checks
• Home Office, Landlord’s guide to right to rent checks, 1 October 2026, read 9 October 2026
• GOV.UK, Tenant Fees Act 2019: guidance for tenants
• legislation.gov.uk, Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 2

This guide is general information, not legal advice.