Landlords in England have a fresh Right to Rent update to put on their compliance calendar after the Home Office added new versions of its codes of practice that come into force on 1 October 2026.
The GOV.UK publication was updated on 30 June with two 1 October 2026 documents: one covering the Right to Rent scheme for landlords and agents, and one covering how to avoid unlawful discrimination when carrying out those checks. The existing 13 February 2024 and 6 April 2022 versions remain listed, but the new documents are the ones landlords should be preparing to use from October.
This is not a reason to make rushed decisions about applicants. It is a prompt to check that the people, templates and records involved in a letting are ready for the updated code before it takes effect.
What the code covers
Right to Rent checks apply to residential landlords in England. The Home Office says landlords must carry out prescribed checks before letting a property, and the code explains whether a property is affected, whether exemptions apply, how checks should be carried out, what documents may be shown, when a Home Office check may be needed, how the civil penalty scheme works, and how landlords can avoid unlawful discrimination.
For many small landlords, the practical issue is not remembering that checks exist. It is making sure the process is current, consistent and recorded. A landlord who uses an old saved checklist, relies on informal messages, or assumes an agent has handled everything may miss a change in the accepted process or fail to keep evidence in the right way.
The discrimination code also matters. Right to Rent checks should be applied in a fair and consistent way. Landlords should avoid using appearance, accent, nationality, name or assumptions about immigration status as a reason to treat one applicant differently from another.
Why October matters
The 1 October 2026 date gives landlords time to update their process before the new codes are in force. That preparation window is useful because Right to Rent checks often sit across several parts of the letting journey: advertising, applicant enquiries, referencing, viewing arrangements, document checks, agent instructions and stored tenancy records.
If a letting agent handles checks, landlords should still know what is being done on their behalf. It is sensible to ask whether the agent has reviewed the 1 October code, whether staff guidance will be updated, and what evidence the landlord will receive once a check has been completed.
Self-managing landlords should check the official Home Office material directly rather than relying on screenshots, old PDFs or advice copied between forums. GOV.UK also points landlords to the online service for checking whether a tenant or lodger can legally rent a residential property, and to the broader collection of Right to Rent guidance.
What landlords can check now
Start with the written process. If you have a saved Right to Rent checklist, template email, applicant pack or handover note for an agent, mark it for review against the 1 October 2026 code. The aim is to make sure the same process is used for every adult occupier who needs to be checked, and that the process reflects the current official route.
Next, look at records. Landlords should be able to show what check was carried out, when it was completed, who completed it and what evidence was kept. A simple file note can be valuable, especially where several people are involved in arranging a tenancy.
It is also worth reviewing applicant-facing wording. Adverts, pre-application forms and viewing emails should not suggest that certain groups of people will be excluded or asked for extra evidence because of assumptions about immigration status. The safer approach is to explain that Right to Rent checks are carried out as part of the letting process and are applied consistently.
Where an applicant has a time-limited right to rent, landlords should make sure their diary system is able to flag any follow-up check. Missing a follow-up can create avoidable risk, particularly where a landlord manages several properties and relies on memory rather than a dated reminder.
How this links with wider compliance
The update sits alongside a broader move towards more formal landlord records. Recent rental reforms and enforcement changes have put more weight on being able to show what was checked, when and why. That is why Right to Rent should be treated as part of the same compliance file as tenancy paperwork, safety certificates and repair records, not as a one-off admin task.
Landlords preparing for other changes may find it useful to review their wider paperwork at the same time. For example, Here4 Landlords has previously covered the Renters’ Rights information sheet and new tenancy forms, where the same theme applies: current documents and clear records reduce avoidable confusion.
The key point is to stay factual and consistent. Right to Rent is an official check, not a judgement about whether someone would be a good tenant. Landlords should use the prescribed process, keep clear evidence and avoid adding informal extra hurdles.
If there is uncertainty about a particular applicant, exemption, document or follow-up check, use the current Home Office guidance or take appropriate professional advice. The October update is a good opportunity to tidy the process before it is needed under time pressure.
