Free up time by automating Right To Rent checks, agents urged

There’s a call for agents to free up valuable time by ensuring Right To Rent checks are automated rather than performed manually.

Blinc UK, an anti-money laundering consultancy that also operates Right to Rent verification services, says that Right To Rent has become even more complicated in recent months thanks to Covid-related changes and the con sequences of Brexit.

“Right to Rent checks might not be very well-liked, but they are a necessary evil and something that doesn’t have to be as painful as it’s made out to be if you have the right processes in place to automate these checks” says Daniel Leeson, Blinc UK director. 

“By automating the process, and taking the stress and hassle away from landlords and agents, it means they don’t even have to think about compliance – this is done automatically for them. This means they can get on with the other important work that helps a tenancy run smoothly and don’t need to have that niggling feeling that they haven’t carried out Right to Rent correctly.”

The consultancy says Right to Rent - which has been operating for five years in some parts of the UK - has been given additional prominence because of the pandemic.

Until the end of August agents are able to carry out the checks via video call rather than in-person; some property professionals say the Covid measures have operated so efficiently, they could be adopted permanently. 

Simultaneously, the end of the Brexit grace period on June 30 has meant further Right To Rent affecting EU, EEA and Swiss nationals. 

“From this point, if someone is an EEA, EU, or Swiss national, you will need to see evidence of their UK immigration status rather than their national identification” ARLA Propertymark advises agents. 

The organisation said that those EEA citizens resident in the UK who have made an application for settled status will have been provided with digital evidence of their UK immigration status. They can now evidence their Right to Rent by sharing their immigration status digitally, using the Home Office’s online Right to Rent service. 

“The terms of the Brexit divorce bill were quite clear in saying that EU citizens already living in the UK by the end of 2020 can remain with guaranteed rights, with the right to apply for permanent residence after five years, assuming they apply to the EU Settlement Scheme” Leeson adds.

“But, since July 1, those who didn’t apply, or still haven’t had their application processed, face losing essential rights they have taken for granted up until now, including the right to live in rental accommodation in the UK.”

Blinc UK says that faced with such complexity - and possible future changes - agents should ensure they have automated the process as fully as possible.

“Not all software providers include Right to Rent checks as part of their package, so it’s vital that agents partner with a company that does to ensure full compliance and peace of mind for their landlords.”