Identity checks
26th Oct 2010

Identity checks

Checking that a prospective tenant is who they say they are can help landlords reduce the risk of letting a property to someone who is:

  • Seeking to commit fraud
  • Intending to use the property for illegal purposes
  • Living in the UK illegally

Landlords can check a UK citizen’s identity by following up references and carrying out a credit report. Many will also ask to see one form of photo ID and a copy of a council tax or utility bill dated within the past three months and showing the tenant’s name and the property where they previously lived.

Checking that a prospective tenant is who they say they are can help landlords reduce the risk of letting a property to someone who is:

  • Seeking to commit fraud
  • Intending to use the property for illegal purposes
  • Living in the UK illegally

Landlords can check a UK citizen’s identity by following up references and carrying out a credit report. Many will also ask to see one form of photo ID and a copy of a council tax or utility bill dated within the past three months and showing the tenant’s name and the property where they previously lived.

In October 2013 the Government announced that carrying out checks could soon become obligatory; following the Government’s crackdown on illegal immigration, checking the immigration status of new tenants is likely to become mandatory, with fines of up to £3,000 for landlords who provide accommodation to illegal immigrants from outside the European Economic Area without making the correct checks.

The proposals will involve landlords taking reasonable steps, before the rental arrangement starts, to find out who is actually going to be living in the accommodation rather than only inquiring about the person who pays the rent or signs the tenancy agreement.

As a minimum, it is strongly advisable to ask for written references from a current employer or accountant, copies of recent bank statements as well as two pieces of identification of which at least one should be photo identification such as a driving licence or passport.

The identity of people from overseas can be checked by asking to see their passport and taking UK based references. If a landlord is unsure what a passport should look like they can say they intend to get it checked by the authorities. This can deter those with less than honest intentions.