Since February 2016, landlords have been under a legal obligation to ensure that their tenants have the right to rent property. This scheme has largely been viewed as a success by the Home Office. However, the Government has felt that the present sanctions are insufficient to deter those “rogue” landlords who continue to ignore their obligations and flout the rules. As a result, from 1 December 2016 new criminal sanctions will apply in the cases of serial offenders.
