Summary: From 1 October 2026, landlords in England who choose to conduct Right to Rent checks electronically must use a registered digital verification provider (RtR DVSP). This new legislation aims to support the government’s move towards a fully digital immigration system, incorporating technologies such as facial recognition to verify tenants’ identities.
New Digital Verification Rules for Right to Rent Checks
The government has introduced secondary legislation making it mandatory for landlords who carry out Right to Rent checks electronically to use a registered digital verification provider (RtR DVSP) from 1 October 2026. This update forms part of the ongoing efforts to digitise immigration verification processes.
Right to Rent Checks: Background and Options
Right to Rent rules, established under the Immigration Act 2014, require landlords in England to verify the immigration status of prospective tenants before a tenancy begins. This ensures tenants have the legal right to rent property in the UK.
The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) notes that landlords have several options for conducting these checks. They may perform manual checks using physical documents, use the Home Office online Right to Rent service, or carry out virtual checks via a registered digital verification provider.
The government has been encouraging a shift towards a fully digital immigration system, having introduced eVisas in 2018. Tenants holding eVisas can have their right to rent verified through the Home Office online service.
Use of Facial Recognition Technology
According to the government’s Code of Practice for Landlords and Agents, RtR DVSPs can verify documents including valid British or Irish passports (including Irish passport cards, provided they expired no more than six months ago) and acceptable documents from List A and List B, if provided digitally by the issuing authority.
The code also permits the use of facial recognition technology to confirm that the individual occupying the property matches the person whose Right to Rent check has been completed. If landlords choose to use this technology, it must be done through a RtR DVSP, which will provide a comparison between the document image and the individual.
Landlords are required to securely retain a copy of this comparison alongside the checked document for the duration of the tenancy and for one year after it ends. If the technology cannot verify the images, landlords must give the occupier a reasonable opportunity to verify their identity by other means.
Calls for Simplified Guidance
Industry bodies such as Propertymark have urged the Home Office to simplify the Right to Rent guidance for landlords and letting agents, describing the current guidance as “too long”.
Keeping your rental properties compliant
With the introduction of mandatory digital verification for electronic Right to Rent checks, landlords must ensure their processes and record-keeping meet the new requirements. TLA membership offers access to practical compliance resources and guidance tailored to evolving landlord obligations.
TLA is currently BETA testing ORBIT™, its new property management and compliance platform designed to help landlords organise property records, manage important documents, and retain evidence of compliance activity in one place. This can be particularly useful for securely storing Right to Rent check records and facial recognition comparisons as required by the new legislation.
Members can also benefit from up-to-date landlord guidance and document support relevant to Right to Rent checks and other regulatory changes. Exploring TLA membership or learning more about ORBIT™ BETA access may assist landlords in adapting to these digital verification requirements.
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