Before you can rent in England, you need to prove your right to rent to your landlord.
How you prove your right to rent depends on your nationality and your immigration status.
You do not need to prove your right to rent in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
If you’re a British or Irish citizen
If you’re a British or Irish citizen, you can prove your right to rent in England by showing your landlord one of the following:
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a British passport (current or expired)
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an Irish passport or passport card (current or expired)
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a certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen
If you do not have a passport, passport card or citizenship certificate, you may be able to use other documents to prove your right to rent.
You may be able to use an online identity service provider (IDSP) to prove your right to rent instead of giving your landlord your documents to check. Ask your landlord if they offer this.
If you’re not a British or Irish citizen
If you’re not a British or Irish citizen, you can prove your right to rent in England with:
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a share code - you can apply for a share code online
If you cannot use a share code or immigration documents, you may be able to use other documents to prove your right to rent.
You can choose which option you use. Your landlord cannot reject your application because you gave them an eligible immigration document instead of a share code, for example.
If you cannot prove your right to rent
If you’re not a British or Irish citizen, your landlord can ask for a Home Office right to rent check to see if you can rent in England.
If you’re a Commonwealth citizen, you may be able to get documents to show that you can rent in the UK through the Windrush Scheme.
