Landlords in the firing line
Whilst many of us would support the tightening of controls over illegal immigration I'm concerned that landlords will have yet another administrative responsibility during the letting process. As always the devil of this new proposal will be in the detail. However, the talk that landlords could be fined raises worrying thoughts of landlords being held financially responsible for very credible illegal immigrants posing as British citizens. After all we are only landlords not fully trained members of the Border Agency! It would be interesting to see what other landlords think on this one.
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I am would be worried that if I asked my prospective tenants their immigration status it might be considered racial discrimination. Also if born in UK and have right to be here, they may not have a passport so how else do we check. I don't think many of us are qualified to check such matters
ReplyDeletethe law is bound to be worded as "take reasonable steps" - that means getting a photocopy of their birth certificate for UK tenants or their passport for overseas.
ReplyDeleteIf the documents are forged, unless they are drawn in crayon the landlord would be unlikely to be held at fault.
If the tenant is from outside the EU it is more problematic since they could be here on a now expired visa. The simplest solution would be an online check (enter the passport number and it gives you an authority number, or they ask you to provide the address so the border agency can pick them up!)
Is this a step to taking responsibility off of the powers that be and putting it on somebody else because it is cheaper than proper border control?. Are landlords going to be compensated for this extra work?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure (if it happens) the market will provide a solution, probably as an add on to a credit check (which we all already do, right?)
ReplyDeleteI don't like it, don't think it's our job but am not unduly worried.
I don't credit check as I let to students. A credit check on an 18 year old may be meaningless. I ask for guarantors. The more outside agencies I have to use at an average of £50-£150 the more rent I have to charge or else I put it all in the hands of an agent and include the fee in the rent. I probably shouldn't but I try to keep the rent as low as possible to enable the students to keep their debt lower.
ReplyDeletesurely it is not that difficult to request looking at and taking a copy of ID such as passport and if required a current visa. How much extra work is that? The problem is that so many people over stay their Visas and it is almost impossible to find these people unless they get caught by the authorities by chance, in some way.
ReplyDeleteDo you take a scanner around with you when you meet prospective tenants at a rental property Adam?
ReplyDeleteOr will tenants not mind when you ask if you can take their passport away to copy it back at your house.
It may not be quite as simple as you think.