Rent and Credit > How to get your share code to prove your right to rent?

How to get your share code to prove your right to rent?

Wollit Team3 minute read · Updated 28th July 2024

If you're looking to rent a property in England, you'll need to prove your right to rent by getting a share code from the UK government's website.

This share code is a 9-character code that is valid for 90 days and can be used multiple times within that period to prove your right to rent with landlords or letting agents.

Also, you need to remember that you don’t need to prove your right to rent in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Here’s how to get yours:

1. Visit the UK Government's right to rent checking service

Go to the official UK government website at www.gov.uk/prove-right-to-rent and select "Start now" under the "Prove your right to rent online" section.

2. Provide your immigration status and document details

You'll be asked about your immigration status and also about a way to prove it, such as your passport number, biometric residence card number, or biometric residence permit number. You'll also need to enter your date of birth.

3. Select the reason for sharing your status

Choose "Prove your right to rent" as the reason for sharing your status. You'll be shown a preview of the information that will be shared with the landlord or letting agent.

4. Create your share code

Click "Create share code" and you'll get your unique 9-character code. You can now share this code with your landlord or letting agent along with your date of birth. Once they have this, they can easily check your right to rent online.

Can’t I just show my visa to my landlord?

No. Unless you’re a British citizen, a biometric residence card, biometric residence permit, or frontier worker permit won’t be sufficient to prove your right to rent. Private landlords might be ok with this but legally they cannot accept physical cards for the purposes of a right to rent check.

Do I need to prove my right to rent with all landlords?

In most cases, yes, but not always. Some types of accommodation are exempt from the right to rent checks. Here are the main examples:

Student accommodation;
Social housing;
Or accommodation given to you by your employer as part of an employment contract.

What documents can I use if I can’t get a share code?

If you are not able to get a share code, you can still prove your right to rent in other ways:

By using your original immigration documents;
Or by using 2 documents together, such as a UK driving licence, an adoption certificate, a letter from your employer or school, a proof that you’re getting government benefits, a DBS certificate, or even a letter from a British citizen working in an “accepted profession”, like an accountant, police officer, or doctor. You can find a full list of these accepted professions on this government page.

Also, if you have applied for settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), you may also be able to prove your application status using this government page.

How does the right to rent affect my credit score?

Your right to rent status does not directly impact your credit score in England. However, it can indirectly affect your credit file:

If you cannot find long-term accommodation, you might not be able to register to vote. This can make verifying your identity harder, and it will also mean a lower credit score.
If you cannot rent and are forced to stay with a friend or in an Airbnb, then you will also miss out on the opportunity to add potential rent payments to your credit file.
In this situation you will also not be able to add bills to your name, which will make it difficult to establish your credit file.
You might not be able to open a bank account or get a mobile phone contract, either, and this will again make it difficult to get your credit score started.

This is why it’s important to prove your right to rent. After signing the tenancy agreement, make sure to add your rent payments to your credit report as well. You can do this through a credit-building app like Wollit.

Wollit can report your monthly rent payment to Experian, adding a line in your credit report that shows lenders you're responsible and pay your bills on time.

It also does something even more important: it reports a fixed fee monthly subscription to the credit reference agencies (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion), which helps you establish your UK credit history. In time, this will help you improve your credit score so you won’t need to be worried about any credit check ever again.