According to a report by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) the requirement for landlords to carry out checks on adult tenants and occupiers (as introduced by the Right to Rent scheme) is having a negative impact on foreign nationals and is not fulfilling its aims.
The report states that it has been found that since the countrywide introduction of the Right to Rent scheme in the private housing market in 2016, foreign nationals and British citizens without passports are being discriminated against. The findings show that 48% of landlords stated they were less likely to rent to someone without a British passport as a result of the scheme – this view was reinforced by the criminal sanctions which now apply.
51% of landlords surveyed report that the Right to Rent Scheme is making them less likely to consider letting to foreign nationals and that they are willing to discriminate against those with a complicated immigration status.
The JCWI’s survey suggests that the government needs to do more to adequately monitor whether the scheme is working as intended or whether it is causing discrimination.