This bit looks like it could be problematic. How many Landlords will be savy enough to get this right? Though I guess this will be left to the estate agent to deal with in most cases but will no doubt push the price up and extend the pre-leasing checks already in place. Queen's Speech: Immigration rules 'to be tougher' "After the government's repeated setbacks in its efforts to deport the radical cleric Abu Qatada, an immigration bill will be announced, allowing foreign criminals to be deported more easily, as well as people who are in the UK illegally. If passed, it would also ensure illegal immigrants cannot get driving licences, and change the rules so private landlords have to check their tenants' immigration status." http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22437884
But we don't know yet in what form these checks will be. Will it be a simple case the agent/landlord just checks the passport, takes a copy and then keep this copy ready to be shown if so required by law-enforcement? Or if it would go down the route of some kind of disclosure system similair to that used in the care industry?
I can foresee endless "fun" with this. It will provide a pretext for landlords to refuse to let properties to people who look different. What happens if a landlord suspects a prospective tenant is an immigrant when that tenant is in fact British? (by way of example, and there are a couple of million people whom this could apply to, my elder boy looks very Pinoy) Will a landlord be entitled to demand to see the passport of a coloured Briton? Nasty. This is a knee jerk reaction to UKIP; expect things to get nastier. a suitable case for writing to your MP NOW. This is what I have just sent (my local MP is a Tory, hence my emphasis on the disagreeble burden on estate agents...) Wednesday 8 May 2013 Dear Dr Coffey, I note from today's BBC news website that the Speech from the Throne will include a measure requiring private landlords to verify the immigration status of prospective tenants. This seems to me to be an ill judged proposal, possibly one put forward in a hurry, after last week's local election results. It will impose on estate agents, as the agents of landlords, the disagreeable task of assessing whether a prospective tenant is a British subject or not. That assessement can only be on the basis of the prospective tenant's appearance. I am sure that you see the difficulty... Yours sincerely, ......
Interestingly, my landlords and / or their agent have taken photocopies of my UK passport as I am not Manx and my wife's passport. But she was never asked for a copy of her visa. My impression that thus far, these folk won't know enough to make an appropriate or thorough check. Training would need to be carried out and then the costs will be passed on to guess who!
Yes, maybe a case of signing to state you are not illegal and making it a criminal offence to lie about it - maybe?
Call me a silly old cynic if you will, but really just what checks are going to be effective? There's already a raft of checks to be carried out by employers. Only civil penalities though so it does keep UKBA busy. (see the UKBA enforcement thread here) There's also the checks to be carried out to eliminate sham marriages. Incidents appear to be on the increase. Plenty of criminal gangs involved in this one with lots of money to be made. Threats of voilence also involved. I can imagine crimal gangs getting involved with accommodation too. It offers a step up from the sheds in the garden schemes. More money and decreased detection.
We are too polite for that. Just jesting. There never ever seems to be anything much that is legislated for that doesn't end up being water tight in the way that it ought to be....
"Migrants will pay for some NHS services and landlords will have to check the immigration status of tenants." http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22437884 BTW can you imagine your landlord or his agent if he had one, knowing the difference between a spouse visa and ILR? And what if your landlord is your brother or mate....all that parafernalia for them to go into.
There's no question of anyone "assessing whether a prospective tenant is a British subject or not." It's a question of validating Immigration Status in just the same way that prospective employers are meant to validate Immigration Status and right to work. A person is either in UK legally or not. Nothing to do with appearance and nothing to do with assessing. All to do with documentation. You don't need to be a British Citizen to be here in UK legally
I think what Methers is alluding to is that the estate agent (landlord) will initially make judgements based on the colour of ones skin etc and those that appear foreign may be subject to closer scrutiny than those that dont, whether they are legally here or not. Worse still, some landlords may reject anyone who they might deem as "difficult" in terms of immigration checks just on the basis of skin colour etc, regardless of legality or not.
I read a summary of the Queen's Speech last Thursday morning, some hours before polling had ended, so the "UKIP effect" would have been surmised at that stage rather than a reality. But I do think the new Immigration Bill is being redrafted in light of the results and I also agree that things could get very nasty. Regardless of what added provisions go into the new Immigration Bill, that will not be enough to satisfy the core UKIP membership whose stated aim is for Britain to leave the EU. Foolishly Cameron hasn't seized the initiative by including a Referendum Bill in the Queen's Speech so I'm not confident of his chances of forming the next government come 2015. The Tories need to replace both him and May with Boris and David Davies, they then might stand a chance of forming a minority government.
I quite like Boris but feel that I can never take him seriously... ..I am not sure if he is the right person (though I couldnt say who is).
What documentation do you provide when you rent a house? Normally a reference, eg from a previous landlord, and a letter from an employer, confirming employment status. Nothing about citizenship or right of abode. It's a different thing.
I'm with Andrew on this one. The landlord, or his agent, will either have to require all prospective tenants prove their immigration status - including British nationals - or make a judgement as to whether a particular individual needs to prove their entitlement or not. It's possible parts of the Race Relations Act will need to be repealed or amended to overcome that difficulty. This provision might well preclude any visitor to the UK renting accommodations for the duration of their stay.
This proposed law would make sense if everyone in Britain were required to carry an ID card - but there is no provision for that in the Speech from the Throne, so landlords and their agents are going to have to ask anyone whom they suspect may not be entitled to live here for evidence that they are entitled.
I have to say I am not sure about the UK but here on IOM prior to taking up a rental agreement I have to pay for (about £40) background checks on my financial solvency. And then have to have both a bank reference and employer's reference. And have to provide a copy of both my wife's and my passport as both of us arent Manx. To be honest I am not sure if any of it or how much of it is mandatory. The estate agent uses a third party for the background checks on financial status. So I guess it is possible to see how it could work. But no doubt it will cost the tenant more money in pre tenancy fees. Its quite funny as it seems the estate agents here are quite skilled at evaluating ones status of nationality. They seem to recognise a "Comeover" from "Across" when they see one! For "Comeover" dont read "Combover".
Are you sugesting this kind of behaviour doesn't happen anyway? Or are you sugesting that these proposals will cause it to happen more freqently? For what reasons? Just curious. I may have misunderstood the political machinations, but I didn't think any immigraton checks were being suggested other than sight of documentation. Passport or Biometrics Card or Residence Card or Valid Visa etc. Just another piece of documentation for the prospective tenant to submit The NHS are also involved and have been told they also must have sight of this to before providing treatment.
How many landlords will know exactly what to look for? Will they know the meaning of ILR or FLR and its significance. My feeling is that it will need a level of expertise to vet validity, especially if fines are involved. What about all the buy to let "amateurs"? Would they know enough to be certain / confident that what documentation that you mention that is presented is legal? My landlord doesn't know what day it is! He just owns the house we rent and has let it out. He is an amateur. The NHS will have a similar kind of problem.
