What is a Right to Rent share code?
A Right to Rent share code is a free 9-digit code you generate online to prove you are legally allowed to rent a home in England. Instead of handing physical documents to a landlord, you give them the code and your date of birth, and they confirm your immigration status through the government website in seconds.
Right to Rent checks were introduced in 2016 so landlords could verify that new tenants have the legal status to live in the UK before a tenancy begins. Since 1 July 2021, in the wake of Brexit, the online share-code route also applies to citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. If your status is held digitally by the Home Office, the share code is how you prove it.
Right to Rent checks apply in England only
If you are renting in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, your landlord does not have to carry out a Right to Rent check. The scheme is an England-only requirement, although you still need valid UK-wide documentation to prove your status.
How to get a Right to Rent share code (step by step)
You generate your share code on the official government service. The process is free, takes a few minutes, and gives you the code on screen straight away. Here is exactly what to do.
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1
Go to the government service at gov.uk/prove-right-to-rent and choose to prove your Right to Rent to someone.
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Enter one form of identification: your biometric residence permit (BRP) number, your passport or national identity card number, or sign in to your UKVI account.
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3
Enter your date of birth and confirm your details so the service can find your record.
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4
Receive your 9-digit share code on screen. You can also have it sent to your email.
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Give the share code and your date of birth to your landlord before you sign the tenancy agreement. They use it to run the check.
Your share code lasts 90 days A Right to Rent share code is valid for 90 days from the moment you create it. If it expires before your landlord runs the check, just generate a fresh one at no cost.
What documents do I need for a Right to Rent check?
The check can be done in two ways depending on your status. People whose status is held digitally by the Home Office prove their Right to Rent online with a share code. British and Irish citizens prove it by showing original documents, which a landlord checks manually or through a certified digital identity provider.
Documents for the online share-code check
To generate a share code, you need your date of birth and one of the following:
- a biometric residence permit (BRP) number;
- a valid passport or national identity card number;
- pre-settled or settled status in the EU Settlement Scheme (via your UKVI account).
Documents for the manual check
If you are a UK or Irish citizen, you do not need a share code. You prove your Right to Rent by showing an original document such as:
- a valid UK or Irish passport;
- an Irish passport card;
- a certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen.
What is a biometric residence permit? A biometric residence permit (BRP) proves your right to live, work and study in the UK. If you have a visa, you were issued a BRP, and you can use its number to prove both your Right to Rent and your right to work.
How the landlord checks your share code
Once you have handed over your share code, the landlord enters it along with your date of birth on the government service at gov.uk/view-right-to-rent. The result appears instantly and includes a profile photo, so the landlord can confirm the code belongs to you.
The check tells the landlord whether you can rent and, if your status is time-limited, the date it ends. The landlord keeps a dated copy of the result. If your visa is due to expire, they will need to run a follow-up check later in the tenancy.
| Feature | Online check (share code) | Manual check (documents) |
|---|---|---|
| Who uses it | Anyone whose status is held online by the Home Office, including EU, EEA and Swiss citizens | British and Irish citizens |
| What you provide | A 9-digit share code plus your date of birth | Original documents, such as a valid passport |
| Speed | Instant result on screen | Checked in person or via a digital identity provider |
| Cost | Free | Free (a digital identity provider may charge) |
Right to Rent checks are a legal requirement A landlord who lets to someone without the Right to Rent in England can be fined per illegal occupier, so checks must be completed before the tenancy starts. This is why a landlord may ask for your share code early in the process.
Who has the Right to Rent in the UK?
The Right to Rent is granted to any legal resident in the UK. Even a temporary status gives you the Right to Rent, as long as your residency is valid and you hold the correct UK visa. Every adult aged 18 or over who will live in the property must be checked, even if they are not named on the tenancy agreement.
You have the Right to Rent if you have any of the following:
- UK or Irish citizenship;
- indefinite leave to remain;
- pre-settled or settled status in the EU Settlement Scheme;
- a valid UK work or student visa;
- refugee status or humanitarian protection;
- a time-limited (temporary) Right to Rent.
EU citizens and the Right to Rent
Since 1 July 2021, EU citizens can no longer prove their Right to Rent by showing an EU passport or national ID card alone. Instead, you prove it online with a share code generated from your pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme. If you have not yet applied, you should do so before renting privately in England.
Do UK citizens need to prove their Right to Rent?
Yes. UK and Irish citizens still need to prove their Right to Rent, but they do it by showing original documents rather than generating a share code. Make sure your passport and other paperwork are valid and up to date before viewing properties, as a landlord must see them before granting a tenancy.
Can a landlord refuse to rent to me?
In England, both private and social landlords must refuse a tenancy to anyone who does not have the Right to Rent, even before you reach the stage of seeing an inventory checklist.
If you do have the Right to Rent, a landlord cannot discriminate against you on the basis of race, ethnicity, English language skills or nationality. Landlords must treat every applicant equally and cannot make assumptions about your status. If you think you have been treated unfairly, this would breach the Equality Act.
Students are protected too. If you are coming to the UK to study, your student visa gives you the Right to Rent. If you are worried about being able to cover the rent, consider appointing a guarantor. Note that most students cannot claim housing benefit.
What if I have lost my documents?
If you have the Right to Rent but cannot produce the right documents, your landlord can ask the Home Office to confirm your status using the Landlord Checking Service. A response usually arrives within a couple of working days, after which the tenancy can go ahead.
What if my visa expires while renting?
It is your responsibility to keep your visa valid while you rent. If your status lapses, your landlord may be required to report this to the Home Office, and you could be asked to leave the property. Renew or extend your visa in good time to avoid disrupting your tenancy.
Right to Rent share code: frequently asked questions
Go to the government service at gov.uk/prove-right-to-rent, enter your date of birth and one form of ID (your biometric residence permit number, passport, national identity card or UKVI account details), then select that you want to prove your Right to Rent. You receive a 9-digit share code on screen that you pass to your landlord.
Yes. Getting a share code through the official gov.uk service is completely free, and so is the landlord check that uses it. You should never pay a third-party website to generate a share code for you.
A Right to Rent share code is valid for 90 days from the moment you generate it. If it expires before your landlord runs the check, simply generate a new one. Give it to your landlord before you sign the tenancy agreement.
The landlord enters your share code and your date of birth into the government service at gov.uk/view-right-to-rent. The check is instant and returns a profile photo plus confirmation of whether you can rent and for how long. The landlord keeps a copy of the result.
Yes. Since 1 July 2021, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens prove their Right to Rent online with a share code rather than showing an EU passport or ID card. You generate the code using your pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
No. British and Irish citizens prove their Right to Rent by showing original documents such as a valid passport, which the landlord checks manually or through a certified digital identity provider. A share code is only for people whose status is held online by the Home Office.