The right to rent scheme (Immigration Act 2014) requires private residential landlords in England to check that all adult tenants and occupants aged 18 or over have the legal right to rent property. For most non-UK and non-Irish nationals, this check is now done online using a share code — a 9-character alphanumeric code the tenant generates from their UK Visas and Immigration account. The share code is paired with the tenant's date of birth to reveal their immigration status and right to rent on the gov.uk Landlord Checking Service.
A correctly conducted share code check gives the landlord a statutory excuse — a complete defence against a civil penalty of up to £20,000 per tenant if the tenant is later found to have no right to rent. An incorrect or missed check removes that defence entirely. This guide explains exactly how to perform the check, what the result means, and how to handle follow-up obligations for tenants with time-limited leave.
What is a right to rent share code?
A share code is a 9-character code generated by a non-UK/Irish national through the Home Office's UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) online account system:
- Who generates it: The tenant — not the landlord. The tenant logs into their UKVI account (previously the 'EU Exit' account, now a unified system) and selects 'prove your right to rent in England'
- Format: A 9-character alphanumeric code — three groups of three characters (e.g. A1B-C2D-E3F). Codes are case-insensitive
- Validity period: 90 days from the date generated — if you do not use it within 90 days, the tenant must generate a new one
- What it proves: Current immigration status, including the type of leave, whether it is indefinite or time-limited, and when any time-limited leave expires
- Who needs to use one: EU, EEA, Swiss, and most non-UK/Irish nationals with eVisas or digital status under the EU Settlement Scheme, points-based system, or other leave
How to check a right to rent share code — step by step
Perform the check at gov.uk/landlords-online-right-to-rent-checks before the tenancy starts:
- Step 1 — Receive the share code from the tenant: Ask the tenant to generate their share code from their UKVI account. They can share it verbally, in writing, or via the automated sharing feature
- Step 2 — Go to the Landlord Checking Service: Visit gov.uk/landlords-online-right-to-rent-checks. Select 'Check a tenant's right to rent in England'
- Step 3 — Enter the share code and date of birth: Enter the 9-character share code exactly and the tenant's date of birth. Both must match the Home Office record exactly
- Step 4 — Record the result: The service returns one of three responses: (a) the tenant has a right to rent; (b) the tenant has a time-limited right to rent with an expiry date; or (c) the check cannot confirm a right to rent — contact the Landlord Helpline
- Step 5 — Save evidence: Print or screenshot the result page, note the date of the check, and keep the evidence for the entire tenancy and at least 1 year after the tenancy ends
What the share code result means for landlords
The three possible outcomes from the Landlord Checking Service each require different action:
- Result A — 'Right to rent confirmed, no time limit': The tenant has indefinite leave to remain, settled status (ILR/ILE), or British/Irish citizenship. No follow-up check required. This is the cleanest result
- Result B — 'Right to rent confirmed until [date]': The tenant has time-limited leave. You must carry out a follow-up check before the expiry date shown. If the tenant does not provide evidence of extended leave, you must notify the Home Office
- Result C — 'We cannot confirm this person has a right to rent': This can mean the status has lapsed, the code has expired, or there is a data mismatch. Do not let until the position is clarified. Contact the Landlord Helpline (0300 069 9799) for a manual check — this also grants statutory excuse while the Helpline outcome is awaited
- Result D — Pending applications: If the tenant has a pending immigration application, the online service may not confirm right to rent. Contact the Landlord Helpline — letting during a pending application can be covered by a Landlord Helpline certificate
Time-limited leave: follow-up checks
If the share code shows a time-limited right to rent expiry, you must carry out a follow-up check:
- Diarise the follow-up check for at least one month before the leave expiry date shown in the original result
- Ask the tenant to generate a new share code showing extended leave before their existing leave expires
- If the tenant cannot confirm extended leave, use the Landlord Helpline before the expiry date — a Helpline check grants statutory excuse for a further 12 months while status is resolved
- If the tenant's leave has expired and the Helpline does not grant an excuse, you must notify the Home Office — there is no obligation to evict but you cannot obtain statutory excuse without notifying
- Document every follow-up check with date, share code used, result obtained, and any Helpline reference number
Which tenants need a share code check?
The online share code check is required (and is the only available method) for these groups:
- EU/EEA/Swiss nationals with EU Settlement Scheme status: Pre-settled or settled status — their right to rent is entirely digital, no physical document exists
- eVisa holders: Points-based system workers, students, family visas, and other leave now issued digitally — the BRP (biometric residence permit) is being phased out; eVisa share codes replace it
- BNO (British National Overseas) holders with UK leave: Hong Kong BNO 5+1 scheme status is digital — use a share code
- Nationals whose BRP has expired: Even if a physical BRP was issued, if it has expired and new leave is digital, only a share code can verify current status
- UK/Irish citizens: Do NOT use a share code. UK and Irish citizens prove right to rent with physical documents: UK or Irish passport, or the right-to-rent document list at gov.uk. Asking a UK national for a share code may constitute racial discrimination
Record-keeping obligations for share code checks
GDPR and right to rent legislation require specific record-keeping:
- Keep the share code check result (screenshot or printout) for the entire tenancy and for one year after the tenancy ends
- Record the date of the check, the share code used, and the tenant's date of birth entered — not the share code answer from the tenant, but the date of your check
- Do not share the check result with third parties — it contains immigration status information that is sensitive personal data under UK GDPR
- Do not retain the original share code beyond what is needed to perform the check — the result printout/screenshot is sufficient evidence
- Right to rent records are exempt from normal subject access request obligations but must still be processed lawfully — include right to rent checking in your privacy notice to prospective tenants
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a share code for a British tenant?+
No. British (UK) and Irish citizens prove their right to rent with physical documents — a UK or Irish passport, a UK birth or adoption certificate with a National Insurance number, or other documents from the statutory list at gov.uk. Asking a British citizen for a share code could constitute discrimination. Share codes are only for non-UK/Irish nationals whose immigration status is held digitally.
What if the tenant's share code has expired?+
Share codes are valid for 90 days from the date of generation. If it has expired, ask the tenant to log into their UKVI account and generate a new share code. Do not attempt to use an expired code — it will not return a valid result. The tenant can generate a new code immediately at no cost.
What does 'statutory excuse' mean for right to rent?+
A statutory excuse is a complete legal defence against a civil penalty if a tenant is later found to have no right to rent. You obtain statutory excuse by correctly performing a share code check (or manual document check for UK/Irish nationals) before the tenancy starts. Without statutory excuse, civil penalties of up to £20,000 per tenant can be imposed. The check must be done before — not after — the tenancy commences.
What do I do if the share code check says 'cannot confirm right to rent'?+
Call the Home Office Landlord Helpline on 0300 069 9799. Explain that the online check returned a negative result. The Helpline will conduct a manual check and provide a written response. If the Helpline confirms right to rent, you have statutory excuse. Do not let the property until you have a positive result from either the online service or the Helpline.
How long do I keep share code check records?+
For the duration of the tenancy and for at least one year after the tenancy ends. Keep the date of the check, the result (screenshot or printout), and the date you entered into your records. These records may be inspected by the Home Office under civil penalty enforcement.