Form library · Housing and property
Right to rent check form
A record of right to rent checks for landlords and letting agents in England. Record the type of check and the tenancy start date, then each adult occupier: how they were checked (original documents with the person present, an online share code, a Digital Verification Service or the Home Office Landlord Checking Service), the documents, code, provider or reference, whether the photo matches, the result, and for time-limited permission the end date and follow-up check date. Confirm a copy was kept, and sign the record. Every question is listed below, and you can fill the live form in on this page.
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Who needs a right to rent check?
In England, landlords must check every adult aged 18 or over who will live in the property as their only or main home, before the tenancy starts, even if they are not named on the tenancy agreement. Check everyone, not only people you think are not British citizens. Keep copies for the tenancy and one year after, and do follow-up checks for anyone with a time-limited right to rent.
Last updated . Facts checked by the SiteSurvey team on 17 October 2026 against GOV.UK: check your tenant's right to rent, Home Office code of practice for landlords: the right to rent scheme (in force 1 October 2026) and Home Office landlord's guide to right to rent checks (1 October 2026).
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Every question in the right to rent check template
A right to rent check record for landlords and agents in England: each adult occupier, how they were checked, documents seen, share code, DVSP or Landlord Checking Service result, copies kept and follow-up check dates. 3 sections and 26 questions. Follow-up questions and guidance appear only when an answer calls for them, so the person on site never sees the ones that do not apply.
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Add this form to a project in SiteSurvey and it fills in what the project already knows, so nobody on site retypes it and every form on the job uses the same names. Anything filled in can still be changed.
- Project: the project name
- Client: the project's customer
- Site: the site, when the form is opened for a space or a product
- Site address: the site address, from the space or the project
Tenancy
- ProjectShort answerFills in from the project name
- ClientShort answerFills in from the project's customer
- Site*Short answerFills in from the site, when the form is opened for a space or a product
- Site addressShort answerFills in from the site address, from the space or the project
- Date of the checks*Date
- TimeTime
- Checked by*Short answer
- Type of checkChoose one
- Initial check before a new tenancy
- New adult occupier joining a tenancy
- Follow-up check
- Tenancy start date*Date
- GuidanceHome Office guidance: before a new tenancy starts in England, check every adult aged 18 or over who will live in the property as their only or main home, even if they are not named on the tenancy agreement or the agreement is not in writing. Check everyone, not only people you think are not British citizens.
- GuidanceRight to rent checks follow the Home Office code of practice for landlords that came into force on 1 October 2026. The separate Renters' Rights Act changes to private renting took effect on 1 May 2026.
- WarningThe check date is after the tenancy start date. An initial check must be done before the tenancy agreement is entered into to give a statutory excuse.Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
Occupiers
- Adult occupiersRepeat for each occupier. Each one asks:
- Full name*Short answer
- How checked*Choose one
- Original documents, with the person present (in person or by live video call)
- Online check with a share code
- Digital Verification Service (DVS)
- Home Office Landlord Checking Service (LCS)
- Documents seenShort answerShown when “How checked” is “Original documents, with the person present”
- Share code (right to rent codes start with R)Short answerShown when “How checked” is “Online check with a share code”
- Provider used (registered for right to rent checks)Short answerShown when “How checked” is “Digital Verification Service (DVS)”
- Landlord Checking Service reference numberShort answerShown when “How checked” is “Home Office Landlord Checking Service (LCS)”
- Photo and date of birth match the person?Yes or No
- Result*Choose one
- Unlimited right to rent
- Time-limited right to rent
- No right to rent
- Permission endsDateShown when “Result” is “Time-limited right to rent”
- Follow-up check dueDateShown when “Result” is “Time-limited right to rent”
- Days to the follow-up checkWorked out by the formShown when “Date of the checks” is answered and “Follow-up check due” is answered and “Result” is “Time-limited right to rent”
- CheckDo the follow-up check before the time-limited statutory excuse runs out: the latest of 12 months after this check, the end of the person's permission to stay, or the expiry of the document checked. For an online check, the service gives the date. If the occupier no longer has the right to rent, report it to the Home Office.Shown when “Result” is “Time-limited right to rent”
- WarningNo right to rent. On an initial check, do not let the property to this person. On a follow-up check, report it to the Home Office as soon as reasonably practicable.Shown when “Result” is “No right to rent”
- Home Office report reference numberShort answerShown when “Result” is “No right to rent” and “Type of check” is “Follow-up check”
- Copy kept that cannot be changed (photocopy, good photo or saved profile), with the date?Yes or No
- Occupiers with a time-limited rightWorked out by the form
- Days to the earliest follow-up checkWorked out by the formShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- WarningA check on someone with a time-limited right to rent must be done no earlier than 28 days before the tenancy starts. Check again nearer the start date.Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
Records
- GuidanceKeep the copies, with the date of the check, for the whole tenancy and for one year after it ends, then destroy them securely. Handle them in line with data protection law. For passports, copy every page with the expiry date or the holder's details.
- WarningHome Office code of practice: the civil penalty for renting to someone without the right to rent is up to £10,000 per occupier for a first breach (£5,000 for a lodger) and up to £20,000 per occupier for a repeat breach within 3 years.
- Completed by*Short answer
- SignatureSignature
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A completed right to rent check report, made by SiteSurvey from a fictional site visit: every answer, the photos, the guidance that applied and the sign-off, ready to send as a PDF.
Right to rent check FAQs
How can I check someone's right to rent?
Check their original documents with them present (in person or by live video call), use their online share code, or use a registered Digital Verification Service. If they cannot show their right to rent, for example because of an outstanding Home Office application, use the Home Office Landlord Checking Service. British and Irish citizens cannot get a share code.
When do I check?
Before the tenancy starts. If the person's right to rent is time-limited, do the check no earlier than 28 days before the tenancy starts. The form warns if a time-limited check is too early.
What does a right to rent share code look like?
It is a 9-character code the tenant creates on GOV.UK, and right to rent codes begin with R. Codes beginning with W or S are for other services, so ask for a new code. You enter it with the tenant's date of birth on the Home Office checking service.
When is a follow-up check due?
Before the time-limited statutory excuse runs out: the latest of 12 months after your check, the end of the person's permission to stay, or the expiry of the document checked. If the occupier no longer has the right to rent, you must report it to the Home Office.
What are the penalties?
Under the Home Office code of practice in force from 1 October 2026, the civil penalty is up to £10,000 per occupier for a first breach (£5,000 for a lodger) and up to £20,000 per occupier for a repeat breach within 3 years.
What copies must I keep?
Copies that cannot be changed, such as a photocopy, a good-quality photo or a saved online profile, with the date of the check. Keep them for the tenancy and one year after it ends, in line with data protection law.
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