A ‘Right to Rent’ scheme trialled in Wolverhampton has this week been rolled out nationwide. The new law was first introduced in the city and other parts of the West Midlands in December 2014, and under the legislation landlords could face fines if they rent homes to illegal immigrants without first checking their ‘Right to Rent’. Private landlords have to check the right of prospective tenants to be in the country if they want to avoid potentially being fined up to £3,000 by the Government.

Councillor Peter Bilson, City of Wolverhampton Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for City Assets, said: “As one of the forerunners of the ‘Right to Rent’ scheme, I am pleased to say it has worked well in Wolverhampton.

“Landlords have familiarised themselves with the requirements of this legislation, and the steps they must take to ensure their tenants have the right to rent their properties.

“Responsible landlords have been making the necessary checks as a matter of course.”

Landlords need to check identity documents for all new tenants and take copies. A wide range of documents can be used for the checks, and the Government has worked closely with housing and homelessness charities to design a document list which can accommodate different individual circumstances. This includes where people do not have traditional identity documents such as a passport.