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Mon 18 Jan 2016

The new legislation is being put into place in order to make it more difficult for people to live in the UK illegally. Under the new scheme, all private landlords or their agents – including those subletting or taking lodgers – will have to make the checks to see if their tenants have the right to be in UK before renting their property, so make sure you read up on all of the information and find out what you need to know to avoid any inconveniences.

Clearer information on the Right to Rent scheme, including tenancy renewals, is still yet to emerge, but the identity documents that are to be included in the checks are:

• a UK passport
• a European Economic Area passport or identity card
• a permanent residence card or travel document showing indefinite leave to remain
• a Home Office immigration status document
• a certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen

The tightening of the immigration system is something many are welcoming but landlords are concerned the new scheme will add to the administrative burdens placed on them, as well as the possibility of facing criminal prosecution if they fail to identify an illegal tenant.

To take some of the weight off your shoulders Brown & Cockerill will take care of initial tenant checks on their landlords’ behalf. Furthermore, if you opt for the Fully Managed Service the day-to-day management of your property is looked after by the lettings team, including; thorough tenant checks following the latest legislation, rent collection, organising and recommending contractors if anything needs to be fixed, and looking out for maintenance issues before they become serious.

“Ensuring landlords are keeping on top of their property management is one of the most time consuming elements of letting a property and something that many new landlords are not aware of. Brown & Cockerill’s property managers take this time burden away for our landlords” comments Matthew Sweet, Lettings Director of Brown & Cockerill.

With the new checks coming into place early next year, now is the time to talk to your lettings agency to ensure your property is in keeping with the latest legislation and that your tenants will have a Right to Rent in the UK.”

To find out more about Brown & Cockerill’s lettings service contact the team at our town centre office, call 01788 551111 or visit www.brownandcockerill.co.uk