Landlords in the UK (or their agents) will effectively be working for UK Border Control from next year. They will be helping enforce the new Immigration Act by checking that their tenant applicants are allowed to be in the country.
As well as undertaking the usual credit checking and referencing, they will also need to check original ID documents in the tenants' presence. Landlords will have to keep on file copies of all documentation.
However, don't expect to be earning any money while you do the government's work for them - you won't even be on minimum wage. Instead, you'll be doing it for free, with the threat of a fine of up to £3,000 for NOT doing it.
Certainly ID checks should be something which responsible landlords do as a matter of course, but we don't think they should be burdened with yet more legislation - this time with the aim of offloading government responsibility to the private sector.
You might think this legislation amounts to an admission by government that their immigration controls are a total shambles - we couldn't possibly comment.
