West Midlands announced as first landlord ‘right to rent’ check area

The UK Government has announced that the new landlord "right to rent" measures will be launched in Birmingham, Walsall, Sandwell, Dudley and Wolverhampton as part of a phased introduction across the country.

The new immigration law will impose upon private landlords an obligation to check the right of prospective tenants to be in the country if they want to avoid potentially being fined up to £3,000.

The Immigration and Security Minister James Brokenshire said that the new obligations "will make it more difficult for immigration offenders to stay in the country" and will "also act as a new line of attack against unscrupulous landlords who exploit people by renting out substandard, overcrowded and unsafe accommodation".

UK landlords will need to request evidence of a person’s identity and citizenship (a passport, biometric residence permit etc). Copies of the documentation will also have to be taken by landlords in order to prove that they have carried out the checks have been carried out. Copies of documentation will need to be retained for one year after the tenancy ends.