The government's new rules obliging letting agents and landlords to check the migrant status of tenants are already leading to some foreigners being discriminated against, according to a campaign group.
The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants has joined forces with the National Union of Students, Chartered Institute of Housing and Shelter in conducting a survey of the so-called Right To Rent checks, piloted in the West Midlands since the start of December.
Under this scheme letting agents or landlords now need to see documentation, typically a passport or a biometric residence permit approved by the Home Office, to ensure that the tenant is legally entitled to reside in the UK.
Failure to check such documentation could result in a £3,000 fine.
The Birmingham, Walsall, Sandwell, Dudley and Wolverhampton areas are involved in their trial, which many believe will pave the way to a roll out across the UK later this year.
However, an article by Hannah Fearn in The Independent claims that the JCWI survey reveals that tenants are now being charged an extra £100 in administration fees, and landlords admit they are less likely to offer a viewing to anyone needing time to produce their paperwork.
An American tenant is cited as saying her British husband could secure viewings for the properties that she had previously been told were no longer available.
One of the surveys undertaken by the campaign groups is aimed specifically at agents and landlords and is available here.
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Comments
May be it would help agents if they realised they have to do the paperwork checks on all tenants, regardless of nationality!!
What a shocker!
The government bully landlords and agents with more legislation and threats of fines if they rent to foreign tenants and people are then surprised when nobody wants to rent to them.