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[Digital Right to Rent checks: what changed on 1st ...](/insights/digital-right-to-rent-checks-october-2026/) [Technology](/insights/category/technology/)[Regulations](/insights/category/regulations/)[Estate Agents](/insights/industry/estate-agents/) # Digital Right to Rent checks: what changed on 1st October 2026 Published October 2, 2026 ![](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fa.storyblok.com%2Ff%2F171201%2F664x744%2F31e9d850e8%2F69fc935f-3cae-4f69-b555-1f0770ba4864_harriet-2.jpeg&w=128&q=75) Harriet Holmes Senior AML Enablement and Product Assurance Manager ![Two passports with a "Digital Right to Rent Successful" checkmark, and the text "Digital Right to Rent, October 2026 changes."](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fa.storyblok.com%2Ff%2F171201%2F1200x630%2F00ef9c59a2%2Fwebsite-blog-1.png&w=3840&q=75) Since 1st October 2026, landlords and letting agents using a digital service to carry out Right to Rent checks need to make sure the service they use is certified and registered for Right to Rent. Here's what's changed, what a Digital Verification Service actually is and what you need to check. Digital Right to Rent checks have been available since April 2022, giving landlords and letting agents another way to check the Right to Rent of eligible British and Irish citizens without relying solely on a manual document check. Since 1st October 2026, the rules have changed. If you choose to carry out a digital Right to Rent check, the service carrying out that check must be certified and registered for Right to Rent under the government’s Digital Verification Services (DVS) framework. In practical terms, it is no longer enough simply to use a provider offering digital identity checks. You need to know that the particular service you are relying on is registered for the Right to Rent use case. If it isn’t, that digital check will not establish the statutory excuse that protects a landlord or agent from a civil penalty if an occupier is later found not to have the Right to Rent. ## What is a Right to Rent DVSP? A Right to Rent Digital Verification Service Provider (RtR DVSP) is a digital identity service that's certified and registered to carry out digital Right to Rent checks. It's a specific type of Digital Verification Service (DVS), which is a service that checks someone's identity digitally against government standards. Think of the DVS as the trusted digital layer between the applicant presenting their identity and the landlord or letting agent relying on the result. But being a registered DVS doesn't automatically mean a service can be used for every use case. For Right to Rent, the service must also meet the specific rules set out in the Right to Rent supplementary code. That's what makes it an RtR DVSP. Earlier Home Office guidance called these identity service providers (IDSPs), so you may still see that term used. For landlords and [letting agents](/sectors/estate-agents/), the terminology matters less than the practical question: _Is the service I am using registered and certified to carry out digital Right to Rent checks?_ ## Why is this changing? The government has moved digital identity verification onto a statutory footing through the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. This created the statutory Digital Verification Services framework and a government register, run by the Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (OfDIA). It's supported by independently assessed standards designed to give organisations greater confidence in the digital identity services they rely on. The latest Right to Rent supplementary code was published on 1st September 2026. Since 1st October 2026, the Right to Rent rules go a step further: where a landlord or agent chooses the digital route, the service used must be appropriately certified and registered in order for that check to support a statutory excuse. ## What isn't changing? Right to Rent still applies to residential tenancies in England, and the underlying responsibility to carry out checks remains. Landlords and agents still need to make reasonable enquiries about who will be living in the property and carry out the appropriate check on every adult who will occupy it as their only or main home. Digital verification also isn't becoming compulsory. Depending on the individual and the evidence they hold, the available routes can include: 1. **A digital Right to Rent check** using a registered RtR DVSP. 2. [**A Home Office online Right to Rent check**](https://www.gov.uk/check-tenant-right-to-rent-documents), using a share code where applicable. 3. **A manual document-based check**, where the Home Office rules allow one. The right route will depend on the individual and the evidence available to them. Landlords and agents shouldn't disadvantage someone because they can't or don't use a digital verification service. The Home Office's updated [code of practice on avoiding unlawful discrimination](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-to-rent-landlords-code-of-practice), in force from 1st October 2026, makes this clear. ## Which documents can be checked digitally? Under the new Right to Rent code of practice, digital Right to Rent checks can be carried out using: * A British passport. * An Irish passport. * An Irish passport card. Since 1st October 2026, the code also allows digital checks on these documents up to six months after they've expired, but only where the provider reads the passport's chip to confirm it's genuine. Our Digital Right to Rent check works differently. We verify the passport from its visual, data and metadata elements rather than the chip, so we only accept in-date passports and passport cards. The service must verify the identity to at least the required level of confidence and meet the additional requirements of the Right to Rent supplementary code. ## What does this mean for letting agents? For most agents, the immediate action is straightforward: check the service behind your digital Right to Rent process. If you use a provider directly, confirm that the relevant service appears on the government's Digital Verification Services register and is certified for Right to Rent. If Right to Rent checks are provided through a referencing platform or another intermediary, find out which DVS is actually carrying out the identity verification and confirm that the service is appropriately registered. That distinction is important. The company you contract with may not necessarily be the organisation carrying out the regulated digital verification. Agents should also be clear about who has responsibility for the Right to Rent checks. Where a landlord has transferred responsibility to an agent in writing, liability for civil penalties can transfer to the agent. [Penalties can be up to £20,000 per occupier](https://www.gov.uk/penalties-illegal-renting). ## Checking your Right to Rent provider There are three useful questions to ask: ###### **1\. Who is carrying out our digital Right to Rent checks?** Know the actual Digital Verification Service behind the journey, including where it is supplied through another platform. ###### **2\. Is that service registered for Right to Rent?** Don't assume general digital identity certification is enough. Check the service's entry on the [GOV.UK Digital Verification Services register](https://www.access-dvs-register.service.gov.uk/): * Search for the service by name. This should be the service carrying out the check, which isn't always the company you contract with. * Filter by the Right to Rent supplementary code and make sure the service is listed for it. * Check that its certification hasn't expired. Each check result from a registered service should also include a link to that service's register entry, so you can confirm it at the time of the check. ###### **3\. Does our process still provide alternative routes?** A digital Right to Rent check is one route, not the only route. Your process should also account for applicants who need to use the Home Office online service or an appropriate manual document check. The technology may sit behind the scenes, but the change on 1st October makes one thing clear: landlords and letting agents need to know not just that a check is digital, but who's carrying it out and whether that service is authorised for the job. ## Digital Right to Rent FAQs ### What changed for digital Right to Rent checks on 1st October 2026? --- If you use a digital service to carry out Right to Rent checks, it must now be certified and registered for Right to Rent. A digital check from a service that isn't registered won't give you a statutory excuse against a civil penalty. ### What is an RtR DVSP? --- A Right to Rent Digital Verification Service Provider (RtR DVSP) is a digital identity service that's certified and registered to carry out digital Right to Rent checks. Earlier Home Office guidance called these identity service providers (IDSPs). ### Do letting agents have to use digital Right to Rent checks? --- No. A digital check is one route. You can also use the Home Office online Right to Rent check with a share code, or a manual document check where the Home Office rules allow one. You shouldn't disadvantage anyone who can't or doesn't use a digital service. ### Which documents can be used for a digital Right to Rent check? --- British passports, Irish passports and Irish passport cards. The code of practice allows these to be up to six months past expiry, but only where the provider reads the chip. Our Digital Right to Rent check verifies the passport from its visual, data and metadata elements rather than the chip, so we only accept in-date documents. ### How do I check if a provider is registered for Right to Rent? --- Find the service on the GOV.UK Digital Verification Services register, check it's listed for the Right to Rent supplementary code and make sure its certification hasn't expired. Look up the service carrying out the check, which isn't always the company you contract with. ### Our referencing platform runs our Right to Rent checks. Is that OK? --- It can be. Find out which Digital Verification Service actually carries out the identity verification, and check that service is registered for Right to Rent. ### Who's responsible for Right to Rent checks, the landlord or the agent? --- The landlord, unless they've transferred responsibility to the agent in writing. In that case, liability for civil penalties, which can be up to £20,000 per occupier, can transfer to the agent. At Thirdfort, we're registered as a Digital Verification Service and certified for Digital Right to Rent checks. You can see [our entry on the GOV.UK Digital Verification Services register](https://www.access-dvs-register.service.gov.uk/register/service-details?serviceId=314&fromProviderPage=True), or find out more about our [Digital Right to Rent check](/product/digital-right-to-rent). When you're ready, we're here. ## Right to Rent for letting agents We're certified and registered for Digital Right to Rent checks. [Book a demo](/request-demo/) ## Subscribe to our newsletter Subscribe to our monthly newsletter for recaps and recordings of our webinars, invitations for upcoming events and curated industry news. We’ll also send our guide to Digital ID Verification as a welcome gift. Subscribe Our [Privacy Policy](/privacy/) sets out how the personal data collected from you will be processed by us. ## Related articles * ![White mug with black text: "I ♥ MANUALLY REVIEWING BANK STATEMENTS." 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