A tenants guide to renting a property
Who is my current utility provider?
Harringtons do not hold details of your properties current utility provider. However you can easily find these details online.
Find your electricity provider by using the below link, you will need your property address including the postcode which can be found in your tenancy agreement.
https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/help/who-is-my-electricity-supplier-and-what-is-my-mpan
Find your gas provider by using the below link, you will need the postcode for the property which can be found in your tenancy agreement.
Switching Providers
If you are a tenant and would like to switch energy providers, you can do this without needing your landlord’s permission unless your landlord pays the energy bills. You can find out if your energy bills are included in your tenancy agreement.
If you wish to set broadband up in your property please check with your provider that they will not need to drill holes through any walls. Some properties will have existing broadband sockets, you can find out if your properties does by looking at your inventory.
If your broadband provider needs to drill any holes either in your property or any communal areas in a building, you will need to seek permission before proceeding.
Right To Rent
To rent a property in England you must be able to show proof of your right to rent.
British and Irish Citizens
If you are a British or Irish citizen you have unlimited right to rent in the UK. You can provide a current or expired passport to prove your right to rent. If you do not hold a passport you can provider a valid UK driving licence & a UK birth certificate.
EU Citizens
If you are from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein you must provide a share code of your settlement status from the government’s website in order to prove your right to rent.
If you have settled or pre-settled status or applied for a visa and used the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document on your phone, please visit https://www.gov.uk/ to obtain your share code
You will need:
- details of the identity document you used when you applied (your passport, national identity card, or biometric residence card or permit)
- your date of birth
- access to the mobile number or email address you used when you applied – you’ll be sent a code for logging in
Then follow the below steps to obtain your share code:
- In the search bar type in ‘right to rent’
- Select ‘View and prove your immigration status’ (eleventh option down)
- Start now
Non EU Citizens
You must provide a share code from the government’s website in order to prove your right to rent. We cannot accept physical copies of biometric immigration documents (current or expired) issued by the Home Office. This includes Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) and Biometric Residence Cards (BRCs).
Please visit https://www.gov.uk/ to obtain your share code. You will need your date of birth and details of one of the following:
- your biometric residence permit
- your biometric residence card
- your passport or national identity card
Then follow the below steps to obtain your share code:
- In the search bar type in ‘right to rent’
- Select ‘Prove your right to rent in England’ (third option down)
- Start now
- Answer the questions that relate to your immigration status
More information
If you have any questions regarding your UK Visa and Immigration status including your settlement status, you can contact UKVI. Please visit the below link and follow the steps to obtain a contact telephone number.
https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk/
We cannot move you into the property without the correct documents being provided and the right to rent provisions being passed.
Review