Landlords Immigration Obligations by Heather Hilder on October 30, 2018 “Immigration Regulations” Landlords Obligations The latest immigration regulations have a significant impact on private residential Landlords and their agents. Landlords now have a legal duty to ensure that they do not rent their property to a Tenant who does not have the right to live in the UK. We set out Landlords Immigration Obligations in the following article. As ever, ignorance of the law is no excuse for non-compliance. Additionally, this is just one of hundreds of regulations affecting landlords in this increasingly regulated field. According to government research, 85% of illegal immigrants use private rented accommodation within a year of arrival here in the UK. Landlords need to take serious notice of the implications. The Government has introduced legislation to make it much harder for illegal immigrants to secure private housing, thereby deterring them in future. Similarly, the legislation is designed to tackle rogue Landlords who exploit illegal migrants, in other words, by housing them in “beds in sheds” or other unhealthy living conditions. Immigration Status Landlords’ and Letting Agents’ immigration obligations mean they must ‘vet’ Tenants. This is in the same vein that employers have to verify the legitimacy of prospective staff. As a result it means taking steps to check the lawful immigration status of individuals before allowing them to rent or occupy a property. Landlords who fail to comply will receive financial penalties. As fully qualified letting and property management specialists, we embrace these regulations. Firstly, we are fully informed about any new regulations to ensure that our Landlords sleep easy at night. Secondly, not only do our Landlords know that they have great Tenants, but also that a reliable rental flow and well maintained properties follow. Thirdly, our Landlords are also legally compliant. Our Tenants like it that way too. That’s why they tend to stay. Callaways’ lettings specialists on 01273 735237 or enquiries@callaways.co.uk make sure you stay on the right side of the law. You’ll also maximise your return on investment.
