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Right to Rent roll-out going ahead after pilot scheme branded a failure
The pilot Right to Rent scheme has been branded a failure – according to the Government’s own data.
The scheme, which involves the mandatory checking of tenants’ immigration status, is due to be rolled out shortly – possibly from as early as this autumn.
The national roll-out has been announced even though the pilot scheme running in the west midlands since last December has yet to be officially evaluated.
However, a Freedom of Information request has shown that in the pilot area, just seven landlords have been penalised, in relation to 11 tenants.
In the pilot scheme, there are civil – not criminal – penalties of up to £3,000.
However, the seven so far fined in the west midlands paid fines averaging just £782. Of the money owed, totalling £5,480, just £1,720 has so far been paid.
A further two landlords are “currently under consideration for a civil penalty”, according to the Home Office.
In the impending national roll-out, the penalties become criminalised, with jail sentences of up to five years.
Landlords or their agents would also be expected to evict tenants abruptly on notification by the Home Office that the tenant no longer has the right to be in the UK.
In further concerns about the success, or otherwise, of the west midlands trial, other research has claimed that only half of prospective tenants were asked by a landlord or their agent if they had permission to be in the UK.
A mystery shopping exercise suggested that landlords and agents in the region have taken the easy way out, with non-Britons blocked from renting properties on 11 out of 27 occasions.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The evaluation of Right to Rent is currently being completed, but there are no indications so far to suggest landlord checks are being carried out unfairly.
“Right to Rent is not designed to be a money-making scheme or to catch out honest landlords. Instead, we want to help landlords carry out the proper checks so that those who do not have the right to be in the UK cannot access rented accommodation.
“We do not recognise figures suggesting only half of landlords checked potential tenants’ right to rent.”
