Government approves measures to protect landlords when evicting illegal immigrants

Posted: 05/05/2016

Changes to the Immigration Bill proposed by the Government to give greater protection to landlords seeking to evict illegal immigrants under the Right to Rent regulations have been approved by MPs.

These changes will relax the previous threat of ‘immediate criminality’ for agents or landlords who take reasonable steps to terminate the tenancies of tenants who are residing in the country illegally in an appropriate time frame.

Previously, under the rulings set out in the Right to Rent regulations introduced in the Immigration Act 2014 as part of the Government’s reforms to build a fairer and more effective immigration system, landlords who failed to ensure their tenants had the right to rent in the UK would be liable for prosecution before having the chance to evict them. The changes give landlords more of an opportunity to correct a situation before facing immediate criminal sanctions.

Commenting on the changes, Martin Codd, head of the property entrepreneurs group at Penningtons Manches, said: “It's very encouraging that the Government has listened to the responses to the consultation and has ameliorated its original strict requirements."

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