TradedocRight to Rent check record
A blank check record you can print and fill by hand. Or the faster option, fill it on the phone before handing keys over, document copies attached, signed acknowledgement in the tenant's inbox before move-in. Tracks Immigration Act 2014 Part 3 and the 2024 Civil Penalty Code of Practice.
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What it is
The record landlords must keep proving they checked every adult occupier's right to rent before granting a tenancy. Required under Immigration Act 2014 Part 3, in force in England since 1 February 2016. The duty applies to anyone aged 18 or over who will live in the property as their only or main home, including occupiers who are not named on the tenancy agreement. The check has three parts: obtain original documents (or use the Home Office online service), check them in the presence of the holder, retain a clear copy and a contemporaneous record for the duration of the tenancy plus 12 months.
UK legal requirement
Immigration Act 2014 ss.20-37 (right to rent), updated by the Immigration Act 2016 and the Civil Penalty Code of Practice 2024. Three check methods: original document check (List A or List B), Home Office online service (for biometric residence permit holders or eVisa holders), Identity Service Provider IDSP check (digital identity verification, optional). Time-limited statuses (List B) require a follow-up check before the earlier of the document expiry or 12 months. Civil penalty: up to £20,000 per illegal occupier for a first breach (raised from £3,000 by the 2024 Code of Practice). Knowingly renting to a person without right to rent is a separate criminal offence with up to 5 years' imprisonment.
Compliance status
This template tracks Immigration Act 2014 Part 3 — Right to Rent checks (Civil Penalty Code of Practice 2024, up to £20,000 first breach). Our compliance radar crawls the publishing bodies every six hours — see the standards we build to today or the radar of what's coming next.
Engineer remains responsible for verifying compliance with the version applicable to their work. TradeDoc is a tool, not a regulator.
Who needs it
- ·Every private landlord granting a tenancy of residential property in England (the duty has not been extended to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland)
- ·Letting agents acting for the landlord, where the agent has accepted responsibility for checks in writing
- ·Owner-occupiers taking in a lodger or sub-letting a room
- ·Build-to-rent operators, student accommodation, and HMO landlords
What goes on it
Every mandatory field, in the order the inspector or auditor will check them.
Property and tenancy
Property address, tenancy start date, tenancy reference, named tenant(s) and any other adult occupiers.
Adult occupiers
Full name of every person aged 18 or over who will occupy as their only or main home, relationship to the named tenant(s), date of birth.
Document check
List of documents inspected (List A or List B), document type, document number, date of issue, date of expiry, country of issue, copy retained with the record.
Online check (where used)
Home Office share code, date of check, response received, profile photo verified against the holder, screenshot retained.
Check date and method
Date the check was carried out, in-person or video-call, method (original docs, online service, IDSP), name of the person who performed the check.
Follow-up schedule (List B occupiers)
Date of next required follow-up check, basis (document expiry or 12-month rolling), reminder triggered.
Acknowledgement
Occupier signature confirming documents were inspected, statement that the documents are genuine, landlord signature, date.
Common mistakes on a hand-filled one
The small things that get picked up on audit, insurance review, or when the next engineer reads it.
- ✗Checking only the named tenant and skipping unnamed adult occupiers, the duty extends to every adult living in the property as their main home
- ✗Accepting a photocopy as the original document, the Act requires inspection of the original or use of the online service, copies are retained but not used as the check itself
- ✗Forgetting the follow-up check on a List B occupier with a time-limited visa, the 12-month or expiry trigger lapses silently and the right to rent ceases at expiry
- ✗Performing the check after the tenant has moved in, the check must be completed before granting the tenancy or the right of occupation
- ✗Relying on a passport-only check where a visa stamp is required, some passports require the entry-clearance vignette to be present and current
- ✗Skipping checks on UK passport holders or applying checks selectively, the statutory and Code of Practice position is to check every adult equally, selective checking is the discrimination risk, not universal checking
The faster option
Fill one on your phone in 2 minutes
Pick the template. Answer the fields. Customer signs from their inbox. PDF saved in the vault with a unique number. Free forever on your first 100 docs a month. Pro £15/month adds custom branding and one-tap customer email. No card at sign-up.
Frequently asked questions
Does the duty apply outside England?+
No. Right to Rent has not been extended to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland and the Welsh Government has indicated it has no plans to do so. The duty applies only to tenancies of residential property in England.
What is List A and List B?+
List A documents establish a continuous, ongoing right to rent (UK passport, Irish passport, ILR Biometric Residence Permit). List B documents establish a time-limited right (work visa, student visa, time-limited BRP). List A occupiers do not need follow-up checks. List B occupiers require a follow-up before the earlier of expiry or 12 months.
How long do I keep the records?+
For the duration of the tenancy plus 12 months after it ends. The record should include a copy of the documents, the date of check, who carried out the check, and the basis of the right to rent (which list).
Do I need to use the Home Office online service?+
Optional but increasingly common. eVisa holders (and most BRP holders post-2025) generate a share code via gov.uk; the landlord enters the code at gov.uk/check-tenant-right-to-rent and gets a status response. The record is a print or screenshot of the response.
What's the penalty if I get it wrong?+
Civil penalty up to £20,000 per illegal occupier on a first breach (raised from £3,000 in February 2024). Persistent breaches escalate. Knowingly renting to a person without right to rent is a separate criminal offence with up to 5 years' imprisonment.
Can I delegate to my letting agent?+
Yes, but the agent must accept responsibility in writing. Without a written acceptance, the duty (and the penalty) sits with the landlord. The agent agreement should record who is responsible for initial checks, follow-up checks, and record retention.