Two members of the House of Lords, who have been trying to postpone the national rollout of the government’s Right to Rent scheme, have failed in their attempt.
Excessive Administration
Baroness Hamwee was concerned about the excessive administration burden faced by landlords. She pointed out that the government had pledged not to introduce too much red tape, but despite their promises, landlords are being forced to wear the hat of an immigration agent – and if they get it wrong, they face civil penalties and criminal sanctions.
As the scheme stands, landlords must check the immigration status of all adult tenants, and if they don’t, they face fines, as per the Immigration Act 2014. However, the new Immigration Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament, will impose criminal sanctions on landlords who fail to make appropriate checks.
As Baroness Hamwee points out:
“Landlords have to make reasonable inquiries as to the immigration status of all the occupants before letting a property. Well, it is not actually that easy. I have been through the material on the Home Office website. The user guide is 39 pages long and there are 12 hyperlinks – there may be more, I may have miscounted – plus a code of practice, plus a short guide. There are 25 types of document which may show immigration status, more if there has been a name change.”
Scheme is Confusing
The whole system is confusing to landlords and tenants, which is causing honest tenants to be discriminated against and forcing desperate tenants into the arms of unscrupulous landlords.
