Agents and landlords set to be given new responsibilities for policing immigration post-Brexit

The private rented sector will take on much of the ‘heavy lifting’ in terms of immigration control after Brexit.

Private landlords – and/or almost certainly their agents – are likely to be given major responsibilities in terms of policing whatever new immigration policies are put in place.

There will also be tough sanctions for those who knowingly let to tenants who do not have the right to live in the UK post-Brexit.

The proposed regime, which builds on the existing Right to Rent rules, is set to be spelled out in a White Paper likely to be published in the next few months.

Under Right to Rent, landlords can by agreement hand their legal responsibilities over to agents. Breaches result in both civil penalties and criminal sanctions, with a maximum five-year jail term.

There is speculation that this could increase, reports The Times, “as part of efforts to make them [landlords] shoulder the burden of a new migration system”.

Employers will also be given new responsibilities to help police immigration post-Brexit.

A senior minister told The Times: “We will be making landlords and employers do a lot of the heavy lifting on the enforcement. That’s the direction of travel.”

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6 Comments

  1. AgentAJ

    So basically the Government are taking away a large section of our income by banning tenant fees and then getting us to do more work. Yeah, right!

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  2. Will

    Perhaps we should receive a salary for the work they want us to undertake.

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    1. mrharvey

      Or you should be allowed to charge them for it… like a fee.

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  3. Cardies

    Hopefully you all have your professional bodies on the case ready for the consultation!

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  4. Woodentop

    Totally wrong. Asking the inexperienced public (landlords & agents) to take on specialised work and for nothing is only going to scratch the service. This is nothing more than Government finding a way to pass on the expense of policing immigration within the rental sector which has limited and ineffective resources and ability as it with the experts!

     

    All that the rental market should be asked to do, is register ALL immigrants on a central Government data base, period. It should be then be for the professionals to do the leg work on who is who and right to stay. Their expense, not ours.

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  5. PeeWee

    Ban letting fees and then later soften that blow by allowing you to charge a fee for doing the jobs they don’t want.

    They get eager beaver agents now delving into their dirty work in order to secure a fee.  Every body is happy.

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