If you’re renting a home in England and you’re not a British or Irish citizen, your landlord will ask you to prove your “right to rent” — and these days that usually means a share code. Here’s how the right to rent share code works in 2026: how tenants generate one, how landlords check it, and the important point that it only applies in England.
What is the right to rent share code?
Right to Rent is a legal check landlords (and letting agents) in England must carry out before renting out a property. For most people whose UK status is held digitally, you prove it with a 9-character share code generated from your UKVI account — the landlord enters it online and gets a live result from the Home Office. It’s the renting equivalent of the right to work share code; a rent code starts with R, a work code with W, and they are not interchangeable.
Who needs a share code (and who doesn’t)
You’ll use a share code if your status is digital — for example holders of EU Settlement Scheme status and visas under the UK’s digital (eVisa) system. British and Irish citizens cannot get a right to rent share code — they prove their right to rent with original documents such as a passport.
How tenants get a share code
- Go to gov.uk/prove-right-to-rent and sign in to your UKVI account.
- Choose the reason “renting property”.
- The service generates your 9-character code (valid for 90 days).
- Give the code and your date of birth to your landlord or agent.
How landlords check it
The landlord enters your share code and date of birth at gov.uk/view-right-to-rent. The Home Office returns a live result showing one of three outcomes: unlimited right to rent, time-limited right to rent, or no right to rent. Doing this check correctly gives the landlord a “statutory excuse” against penalties.
Time-limited vs unlimited
If your right to rent is time-limited (because your visa has an expiry date), the landlord must do a follow-up check later. People with settled status or ILR usually have an unlimited right to rent, so no repeat check is needed.
England only
Right to Rent checks apply only in England. There are no right-to-rent checks for tenancies in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Frequently asked questions
What is a right to rent share code?
A 9-character code from your UKVI account that lets a landlord in England check your right to rent a property online.
How do I get a right to rent share code?
At gov.uk/prove-right-to-rent, sign in, choose “renting property”, and the service generates your code, valid for 90 days.
How does a landlord check a right to rent share code?
They enter your share code and date of birth at gov.uk/view-right-to-rent for a live Home Office result.
Do British or Irish citizens need a share code to rent?
No — they prove their right to rent with original documents such as a passport, not a share code.
Does right to rent apply across the whole UK?
No — only in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland do not have right-to-rent checks.
What is the difference between a right to work and right to rent share code?
They are purpose-specific: a right-to-rent code (for landlords) starts with R; a right-to-work code (for employers) starts with W. Generate the correct one.
