What Is A Right to Rent Share Code?

If you’re taking on a new tenant in England, you’ll need to conduct a share code check as part of the right to rent process. 

A share code is a nine-character code that a non-British, non-Irish tenant receives from the Home Office service allowing you to easily view their immigration status online. 

You use the share code and their date of birth to complete the right to rent check before the tenancy starts. 

It’s worth noting that British and Irish citizens can’t use share codes, so you’ll check their physical documents or use an IDSP instead. 

How the share code works

So, how does the right to rent share code work? Tenants create the code via the official service under “Prove your right to rent”. The code is valid for 90 days, and you can use it multiple times during that window. 

Importantly, share codes are purpose-specific: codes that begin with “R” are for Right to Rent. If someone sends you a code for another purpose (for example, work, which may start with a different letter) or an expired code, you’ll need to ask them to generate a fresh Right to Rent code.

This all sounds simple and straigh-forward, but, as outlined in the post below from r/UKLandlords REddit thread, there are potential issues you’ll run into such as a time-limited permission versus your tenancy length. The right to rent check only confirms the person’s current status and any time limit. 

If the tenant has a time-limited right, you must schedule a follow-up check before it expires to maintain your statutory excuse. We’ll cover how to handle that later on. 

“I carried out right to rent share code checks and found they have right to rent until mid-January 2025. However, the rental lease does not expire until August 2025.” Source, Reddit

Share code check, right to rent: step-by-step

When it comes to completing the share code check for a right to rent check, keep it simple and consistent. Just remember you’re verifying who is moving in, that they’re allowed to rent, and that you’ve kept the right paper trail if anyone ever asks. 

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown you can follow:

1. Collect details

Ask every adult occupier for either documents (British/Irish) or a share code plus date of birth (others). Don’t discriminate based on nationality. 

2. Use the official viewer

Go to the Home Office “View a tenant’s right to rent” page and enter the code and DOB. Confirm the photo matches the person and note any time limits or letting restrictions shown.

3. Record-keeping for your statutory excuse

Save a PDF or screenshot of the result page, note the check date, and store it securely with the tenancy file. If the result shows a time limit, set a reminder for the follow-up check before the permission ends.

Using Landlord Studio, you can keep the right to rent result, passport copy, and check dates in the tenant record, then create automated reminders for any follow-up checks alongside your usual compliance tasks and rent tracking. 

That way, your right to rent check cadence lives in the same place as your income, expenses, and lease documents. 

Problems Landlords Face When Completing Right to Rent Checks 

Right to rent checks are known to occasionally trip up landlords. Here are the main mistakes to avoid. 

Using the wrong code

A common snag is tenants sending a work or general immigration code. When completing a share code check, you should be looking for an ‘R’ code. If you see a code starting with W or S, ask them to regenerate one specifically for renting. Codes are service-specific and not interchangeable. 

Expired codes

Share codes last 90 days. If it has lapsed, the viewer will not show a valid result. Again if you run up against this issue, ask the tenant to generate a new code so you can re-run your right to rent check.

Checking too early

If a tenant has a time-limited right, you must carry out the right to rent check no earlier than 28 days before the tenancy agreement is entered into. That window matters for your statutory excuse. If they have an unlimited right, you can check any time before the tenancy starts. 

Not keeping proper records

To keep your statutory excuse, save the tenant’s Home Office profile result, record the date of the check, and retain it for the tenancy plus one year. If the status is time-limited, set a follow-up reminder before it lapses.

Assuming it is a one-and-done

Where permission is time-limited, you must do a follow-up check before your initial excuse expires. If the person no longer has a right to rent, you must report this to the Home Office to maintain your excuse.

What To Do If Things Don’t Match 

If the photo or biographical details on the online profile do not match the prospective tenant, do not proceed, even if you’re tempted.  It’s not worth it. 

Ask the tenant to resolve their digital status via UKVI Resolution Centre or report an eVisa error, or, where relevant, use the Landlord Checking Service for a manual decision. And make sure to keep a note of the steps you took. 

Time-limited Right vs Tenancy Length 

If someone’s permission runs out before your proposed tenancy end date, that is fine to start with, but you will need to plan a follow-up right to rent check by the date set out in the initial result or PRRN. 

If the tenant cannot prove continued permission at that point, you are obliged to report the case to the Home Office. This preserves your defence as well. 

As one UK landlord put it, “You have to prove you have the right to be in the UK for the period of the rental agreement.” - Reddit

That means you may need to re-check during the tenancy when permission is time-limited. 

Penalties

There are some pretty serious penalties for renting to someone who doesn’t have the ‘right to rent’. 

Current guidance states that breaches can reach £10,000 per occupier, and £20,000 for repeat breaches. Anyone who knowingly lets to a tenant without the right to rent can see hefty fines and even up to 5 years in prison. 

The best way to avoid any form of penalty will always be by completing thorough right to rent checks and keeping clear and comprehensive records throughout the process.

Keep It Simple

Share code checks don’t need to be a drama. Run the share code check close to move-in, match the photo to the person you met, save the result, and set a reminder if their permission is time-limited. 

If anything doesn’t line up, pause and get clarity before proceeding with the tenancy. Do that every time, and your right to rent checks will always be clean and defensible. 

If you want a simple way to keep it all tidy, you can use Landlord Studio to store share code results and ID against the tenant record, log check dates, and set follow-up reminders alongside your rent tracking and compliance documents. Doing this keeps all of your admin in one place so you can focus on running your property portfolio without needless stress. 

Create your free Landlord Studio account today to get started.