The need for private landlords in the UK to carry out immigration test on their new tenants should be removed as it favours those with a British passport, a new research shows.
Almost 50% of landlords are less likely to rent their home to tenants without a British passport as a result of the immigration test they have to carry out under the Government’s Right to Rent rules, a new research by the Residential Landlord Association (RLA) has revealed.
The research also says that this is not only affecting foreign passport holders as around 17% of British citizen don’t own a passport.
Of all respondents, 51% of landlords said they would be less likely the let their property to people outside the UK and with the added uncertainty surrounding the status of citizens of the European Union about 22% of participants said they are less likely to rent property to nationals from the EU or the European Economic Area.
Furthermore, the research also suggests that ever since introducing criminal sanctions late last year for landlords found to know or have reasonable cause to believe that a tenant does not have the right to rent property in the UK, landlords are even more concerned about renting their property to someone who is unable to prove their identity easily.
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Wth a growing concern amongst landlords about the potential if they make a mistake, the RLA is now supporting an application for a judicial review of the Right to Rent policy by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants. The application explains that the policy discriminates against those who cannot easily prove their status, even if they have the right to rent property.
“These figures show the damage that the right to rent scheme is causing for those who might have the right to rent property, but cannot easily prove their identity. The added threat of criminal sanctions is clearly leading many landlords to become even more cautious about who they rent to,” said RLA policy director, David Smith.
“This is a dangerous and divisive policy that is causing discrimination. It must be scrapped.”
