Right to rent
International students who have a valid visa, or are in the UK and their visa application is pending, have the Right to Rent a property in the UK although you will need to prove this right to a landlord or rental agency.
The information on this page refers to renting in the private sector and does not apply to University halls of residence or student accommodation that is owned by the University. Our team do not provide advice on finding accommodation and would recommend you read the Accommodation Office webpages here in the first instance.
See below for ways to prove your right to rent depending on your situation.
If you have an eVisa, the way to prove your Right to Rent is to and provide this to your prospective landlord, who can check you have the right to rent with the .
You will then have the right to rent for 12 months or until your visa expires (whichever is later). After this date, the landlord will be required to do another check.
If you have a valid vignette (sticker) in your passport, you will be able to prove your right to rent by showing the original document to your prospective landlord. You can do this in person or via a video call.
You will then have the right to rent for 12 months or until your visa expires (whichever is later). After the 12 months, the landlord will be required to do another check.
If you have a Visitor visa in the form of a vignette (sticker) in your passport, the above advice applies.
If you used the eGates to enter the UK, you are able to prove your Right to Rent with your passport and evidence of entry to the UK. Acceptable evidence includes any documentary evidence which establishes the date of arrival in the UK in the preceding 6 months, such as a booking confirmation, ticket or boarding pass for air, rail or sea travel to the UK. Electronic versions and scanned copies are also acceptable.
Alternatively, if your passport was stamped on entry, the date stamp in your passport establishes the date of arrival and can be used as acceptable evidence.
You will then have the Right to Rent for 12 months. After the 12 months, the landlord will be required to do another check.
If your previous visa was an eVisa, or if you used the ID Check app to submit your visa application, you can generate a .
Alternatively, you will need to provide your visa application reference number and date of birth to the landlord, who will need to . The landlord should receive a response from the Home Office after 2 working days, and they will provide your landlord with a Positive Right to Rent Notice (PRRN). You will have the right to rent for 12 months from the date of the notice.
After the 12 months, the landlord will be required to complete another right to rent check.
If within that 12 months you are granted a new visa to stay in the UK, you should notify your landlord as another right to rent check can be done at any time.
Unfortunately, students who have made an entry clearance application and don’t already have a visa to stay in the UK will not have the right to rent until the visa is approved. The landlord or property agent will carry out a right to rent check before you move into the property, no more than 28 days before you enter a tenancy agreement.