Landlord Checking Service: How to Request a Right to Rent Verification

Your prospective tenant can't produce a passport, can't generate a share code, and tells you their visa application is "still being processed." You need to verify their Right to Rent before the tenancy can start, but the standard routes — manual document check and GOV.UK share code — aren't available. This is exactly what the Landlord Checking Service exists for.

When You Must Use the LCS

The Landlord Checking Service (LCS) is the Home Office's official verification route for tenants whose immigration status can't be confirmed through normal channels. You're required to use it when:

• The tenant has a pending Home Office application, administrative review, or appeal and cannot evidence their right to rent through the standard documents or online service
• The tenant's original documents are held by the Home Office — physically retained as part of an ongoing case
• The tenant holds a digital or paper Certificate of Application under the EU Settlement Scheme that needs confirmation
• The tenant has been granted discretionary Permission to Rent by the Secretary of State

In these situations, a standard document or online check cannot establish the tenant's right to rent. The LCS asks the Home Office to verify their status and establish a statutory excuse where applicable.

How to Submit a Request

Requests go through the official GOV.UK portal. You'll need:

• The tenant's full name, date of birth, nationality, and current home address
• Their Home Office reference number — this could be an Application Registration Card (ARC) number, appeal reference, or unique ID from their correspondence
• The property address where they intend to live
• The tenant's explicit consent to the enquiry

Submit the request at the GOV.UK Landlord Checking Service portal. If you need help with the submission or can't find the right reference numbers, call the Home Office Landlords' Helpline on 0300 790 6268 (Monday–Thursday 9:00–16:45, Friday 9:00–16:30).

Response Times and What to Expect

The LCS responds within 2 working days (excluding weekends and English bank holidays). In normal cases, the response comes as one of two formal notices:

Positive Right to Rent Notice (PRRN): Confirms the tenant has a right to rent. This establishes your statutory excuse for 12 calendar months from the date specified on the notice. Treat it as a time-limited check: set a calendar reminder to conduct a follow-up before the 12 months expire.

Negative Right to Rent Notice (NRRN): Confirms the tenant does not have a right to rent. Granting them occupation after receiving this notice leaves you without a statutory excuse and may make you liable for a civil penalty or a criminal offence. The tenancy cannot proceed.

What the LCS Does Not Do

A few critical points that trip landlords up:

Submitting a request does not create a temporary right to rent. Merely having an LCS request in the system, or holding the automated submission confirmation email, does not give you a statutory excuse. Wait for a Positive Right to Rent Notice, or, if the LCS has not considered your request within 2 working days, the official automatic response confirming you can let the property.

A delayed response alone doesn't imply approval. If the LCS has not considered the request within 2 working days, it sends an automatic response informing you that you can let the property. Retain that response: it establishes a statutory excuse for 12 months. Do not treat silence by itself as approval.

The LCS doesn't replace standard checks. If a tenant can provide a share code or acceptable physical documents, you should use those standard routes. The LCS is specifically for cases where those routes are blocked by pending immigration proceedings or withheld documents.

After Receiving a PRRN

Once you have a Positive Right to Rent Notice:

1. Save the notice securely — it's your statutory excuse documentation
2. Endorse it with the date you conducted the check: "Date of check: [DD/MM/YYYY]"
3. Set a follow-up reminder for 12 months from the notice date — you'll need to re-verify the tenant's status before the excuse expires
4. Proceed with the tenancy — the tenant has confirmed permission to rent

At the follow-up point, check whether the tenant has received a decision on their pending application. If they've been granted leave to remain and can now generate a standard share code, use that route. If their application is still pending, submit another LCS request to obtain a fresh PRRN and another 12-month window.

For a complete verification framework covering all four checking routes — manual, share code, IDVT, and Landlord Checking Service — with decision maps and tracking tools, see the Right to Rent Checks guide.

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