How Do You Get a Right to Rent Share Code in London?

If you are not a British or Irish citizen, you can get a right to rent share code on GOV.UK with your date of birth and your passport, national identity card or biometric residence permit details. You give the code and your date of birth to the landlord or letting agent, who checks it on GOV.UK. A share code lasts 90 days. British and Irish citizens cannot get a share code and show documents instead, such as a passport.

Right to Rent is an English rule, so it covers flats in London. GOV.UK says you do not need to prove your right to rent in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

General information, not legal advice. Your case depends on your immigration status and your facts. Check GOV.UK or Shelter before you act. Checked on 27 October 2026.

What you show, by situation

The rules come from Part 3 of the Immigration Act 2014. The Home Office landlord's guide of 1 October 2026 explains the checks.

How to get a share code on GOV.UK

You can get a share code online if you are not a British or Irish citizen, or if you have a digital certificate of entitlement to the right of abode. You need a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account or a BRP.

1. Go to Prove your right to rent in England and select Start now.
2. Enter your date of birth and the details of your BRP, passport or national identity card.
3. Choose to prove your right to rent. The landlord's guide says this gives a 9-character code that starts with "R".
4. Give the code and your date of birth to the landlord or agent, or send it to them through the service.

Codes that start with "W" or "S" are for other services, so the landlord should ask you for a new one.

How long it lasts. GOV.UK says a share code lasts for 90 days. You can use it as many times as you need before it expires, and you can get a new one at any time.

eVisas replaced BRPs

GOV.UK says eVisas have replaced physical immigration documents. The landlord's guide says BRPs stopped being issued on 31 October 2024. A landlord cannot accept a hand check of an expired BRP. If you have one, get a share code instead.

To see your eVisa, you need a UKVI account. GOV.UK says you can use an expired BRP to create a UKVI account for 24 months after the expiry date on the card, or until 31 December 2026, whichever comes first. Setting up an account and viewing your eVisa are free.

The landlord's guide says visa vignettes stopped being issued from 1 July 2026. If you must sign before you can reach your eVisa, a valid short validity vignette in your passport may work for a hand check.

What British and Irish citizens show

You cannot get a share code. Show one of these documents:

• a British passport (current or expired);
• an Irish passport or passport card (current or expired); or
• a certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen.

No passport? You may be able to use 2 other documents together, such as a UK driving licence and a full UK birth certificate. Letters usually must be dated within the last 3 months.

Some landlords use an online identity service. The landlord's guide says that if you do not want a digital check, the landlord should check your documents by hand.

What a landlord or letting agent can and cannot ask

The landlord must check every adult aged 18 or over who will live in the flat, even if they are not named on the agreement. A landlord can ask an agent to do the check.

They can:

• ask you for a share code and your date of birth, or for original documents;
• check that the photo on the online result or your documents is you, in person or by live video call; and
• keep a copy for the tenancy and for at least one year after it ends.

They cannot:

• check only people they think are not British;
• insist on the online service if you have an accepted original document;
• treat you less well because your right to rent is time-limited, or because of how you prove it (landlord's guide);
• rely on a scan, a fax or a copy of your documents; or
• charge you a fee for an immigration check.

If your only proof is an eVisa, the check must use the share code service. Landlords face fines of up to £20,000 per tenant.

When the check happens

The check must happen before the tenancy starts.

• Unlimited right to rent (for example British, Irish, settled status): any time before the tenancy agreement is made.
• Time-limited right to rent (for example a work or student visa): no earlier than 28 days before the tenancy agreement is made. The landlord's guide says this is usually the date you sign, not the date you move in.
• Still abroad: the guide says a tenancy can be agreed in principle, with the check done before you move in.

Have your share code ready before you pay a holding deposit. GOV.UK says a landlord or agent can keep a holding deposit if you fail a right to rent check.

Time-limited right to rent and follow-up checks

If your permission to stay has a time limit, expect a follow-up check. The landlord does it just before the later of the end of your permission or 12 months after the last check. The online service shows the landlord the date. If you extend your visa, a new share code shows it.

If you fail a follow-up check, the landlord must tell the Home Office. Shelter says the Home Office then asks you for proof in case there has been a mistake. Get immigration advice if this happens.

If the online service shows the wrong details

• Wrong eVisa details, such as date of birth or status, or you cannot get a share code: report an error with your eVisa. UKVI aims to fix most issues within 5 working days, and up to 15 working days if complex.
• New name, nationality or an old photo: update your UKVI account before you get a share code.
• Cannot see your eVisa: it can take up to 24 hours after you link it. Report an error if it still does not show.

Tell the landlord or agent early. If you cannot access your eVisa, or it has an error, they may use the Landlord Checking Service.

The Home Office Landlord Checking Service

If you cannot prove your status online or with documents, the landlord or agent can request a Home Office right to rent check. Examples: your documents are with the Home Office, you have an outstanding application or appeal, or the Home Office gave you "permission to rent". Only landlords and agents can use it. They need your Home Office reference number, and GOV.UK says they get an answer within 2 working days. A "yes" lets the landlord rent to you for 12 months before another check. Commonwealth citizens without documents may be able to get proof through the Windrush Scheme.

Get your code ready while you search

RentReboot can email you new London flats that match your budget, neighbourhoods and size. Have your share code or documents ready, so the check does not slow you down.

Right to rent FAQs

How long does a right to rent share code last?

Ninety days. You can reuse it in that time and get a new one whenever you need it.

Can a British citizen get a share code?

No. British and Irish citizens show a passport (current or expired), a citizenship certificate, or 2 documents from the GOV.UK list.

Can my landlord refuse my passport and demand a share code?

Not if you have an accepted original document. GOV.UK says the landlord cannot insist that you use the online service. If your only proof is an eVisa, the share code is the way to prove it.

Can I still use my BRP to prove my right to rent?

Not the card itself. You can use an expired BRP to set up a UKVI account, then get a share code.

Does Right to Rent apply in Scotland or Wales?

No. It applies in England only, which includes London. GOV.UK says you do not need to prove it in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Can a letting agent charge me for the check?

No. Shelter lists immigration checks among the fees that are banned for tenants in England.

More London renter guides

• What Changed for London Renters on 1 May 2026?
• How Much Deposit Can a London Landlord Ask For?
• Finding a London flat from overseas
• Renting in London with no UK credit history or guarantor
• New flats to rent in London by neighbourhood

Sources

Checked on 27 October 2026. The law and official guidance can change. Recheck these sources before you rely on them.

1. GOV.UK: Prove your right to rent in England: British and Irish documents, share code or original documents, England only, Home Office check if you cannot prove it.
2. GOV.UK: Get a share code online: who can get a code, UKVI account or BRP, details needed.
3. GOV.UK: Using immigration documents: accepted documents, physical BRPs no longer accepted.
4. GOV.UK: Using other documents: 2 documents for British and Irish citizens, 3-month dating rule.
5. GOV.UK: Checking your tenant's right to rent, who to check: all adults, before the tenancy, no checking only some people, 28-day rule.
6. GOV.UK: Checking your tenant's right to rent, how to check: share codes, BRPs not accepted, no insisting on the online service, Landlord Checking Service, 2 working days, fines up to £20,000.
7. GOV.UK: Checking your tenant's right to rent, follow-up checks: timing of follow-up checks and reporting to the Home Office.
8. GOV.UK: Check a tenant's right to rent, use their share code: the landlord's side of the share code service.
9. GOV.UK: Landlord's guide to right to rent checks, 1 October 2026: 9-character "R" codes, eVisa-only holders, BRPs and vignettes, discrimination, timing, overseas renters, Landlord Checking Service, 12-month notice.
10. GOV.UK: eVisas: eVisas replaced physical immigration documents.
11. GOV.UK: Set up a UKVI account: expired BRP use until 24 months after expiry or 31 December 2026, free account.
12. GOV.UK: View your eVisa and get a share code: 90-day share codes, reuse, new codes.
13. GOV.UK: Report an error with your eVisa: when to report, 24-hour wait, 5 and 15 working days.
14. GOV.UK: Update your details in your UKVI account: name, nationality, date of birth and photo changes.
15. GOV.UK: Tenant Fees Act 2019 statutory guidance: holding deposit kept if you fail a right to rent check.
16. Shelter England: Right to rent immigration checks: failed follow-up checks and immigration advice.
17. Shelter England: Letting agent and tenancy fees: immigration check fees are banned.
18. legislation.gov.uk: Immigration Act 2014, Part 3: the law behind the Right to Rent scheme.
19. GOV.UK: Windrush Scheme: proof of status for some Commonwealth citizens.