Right to Rent legal challenge nears funding target

A crowdfunding campaign for a legal challenge against the rollout of the Right to Rent scheme is nearing its funding target.

With just two days to go, the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) has raised £4,615 against a target of £5,000.

The funding has been made up by 95 separate donations.

An outspoken critic of the Right to Rent scheme, the JCWI wants the Home Office to re-evaluate the effectiveness of the initiative before rolling it out in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Right to Rent scheme – which has been operational in England since February 2016 – requires letting agents and landlords to check the immigration status of prospective tenants.

The campaigning charity argues that there is 'mounting evidence' that the scheme causes discrimination against British ethnic minorities and foreign nationals with legal status in the UK.

Should JWCI reach its funding target by 7am on June 15, it says it will use the £5,000 to fund the gathering of more evidence for a legal challenge and protect against the risk of paying the government’s legal costs.

The organisation says it is working with Philippa Kaufman QC and Chris Butler of Matrix Chambers to prepare a legal challenge that will be mounted as soon as the government announces the further rollout of the Right to Rent scheme.

It has been reported that during the first year of the Right to Rent scheme 91 landlords were handed civil penalties for non-compliance.

You can see details of JWCI's crowdfunding campaign here.