You can get a right to rent share code by using the official Home Office online service, selecting the option to prove your right to rent in England, entering the requested identity details and giving the resulting code, plus your date of birth, to your landlord or letting agent. The code must be generated for renting, not for work or another purpose.
Although people often search for a right to rent share code in the UK, the statutory Right to Rent Scheme applies to private rented accommodation in England. If you are renting in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, the same Home Office right to rent checking process does not apply in the same way.
For many visa holders, eVisa holders and people with digital immigration status, the share code is now the simplest way to prove eligibility to rent. If you are unsure whether your immigration status, pending application or eVisa record allows you to generate a code, Immigration UK can help you understand the relevant immigration position before you speak to a landlord.
What Is A Right To Rent Share Code?
A right to rent share code is a unique online code that allows a landlord or letting agent to view limited Home Office information about your right to rent. It is used with your date of birth through a separate landlord checking service. The landlord should not simply rely on a screenshot from your own account.
The code does not give you immigration permission. It is evidence-access technology, rather than a visa. In plain English, it lets the landlord check what the Home Office system currently says about your eligibility to rent in England.
Right to rent share codes are purpose-specific. A code generated for proving your right to work cannot be used for renting, even if it appears to come from the same online immigration status system. A right to rent code is nine characters long and should begin with R. Codes beginning with W or S are for other types of checks.
Who Can Get A Right To Rent Share Code?
You may be able to get a right to rent share code if you are not a British or Irish citizen and you have digital immigration status, a UKVI account, a biometric residence permit or certain other immigration records that can be checked online.
People With An eVisa Or UKVI Account
Many people now prove immigration status through an eVisa linked to a UKVI account. This may include people who applied under the EU Settlement Scheme, used the UK Immigration: ID Check app, created a UKVI account during a visa application, or have been moved from a physical document to digital status.
If you have an eVisa, you will usually need to use the online service to prove your right to rent. Your landlord cannot inspect an eVisa in the same way they might inspect a physical passport. The Home Office online result is what matters.
People With A BRP Or BRC
People with a biometric residence permit or biometric residence card may also be able to use the online service. There is one important point that often causes confusion: an expired BRP may still help you access your UKVI account or generate a share code, but it is not accepted as a manual physical document for a landlord right to rent check under current Home Office guidance.
So, if your landlord says, "Just send me your old BRP", that may not be enough. In many cases, the correct route is to generate the right to rent share code and allow the landlord to complete the official online check.
British And Irish Citizens
British and Irish citizens cannot usually get a right to rent share code through the Home Office service. That does not mean they cannot rent. It simply means they prove their right to rent in a different way, usually with acceptable documents such as a British passport, Irish passport, Irish passport card, British citizenship certificate or other permitted evidence.
Landlords should carry out checks consistently and fairly. They should not only ask people who "look foreign" or have an overseas accent. The scheme requires checks on adult occupiers in England, but the evidence route depends on the person's nationality and immigration status.
How To Get A Right To Rent Share Code Online
The quickest way to get a share code is to use the official GOV.UK service for proving your right to rent. You can access the Home Office page here: get a right to rent share code online.
Before you start, make sure you are using the right service. The Home Office also has services for proving your right to work and for proving immigration status for other purposes. They may look similar, but the codes are not interchangeable.
- Open the official service. Choose the route for proving your right to rent in England.
- Select the correct purpose. Make sure the service is generating a right to rent code, not a work code or another immigration status code.
- Enter your identity details. You may need your date of birth and details from your passport, national identity card, BRP, BRC or UKVI account.
- Generate the code. Check that the code begins with R and that the information shown on your account appears correct.
- Send the code and your date of birth to the landlord. Use the letting agent's secure portal or another sensible communication method.
You do not need to send your full immigration history to the landlord. In most cases, the landlord needs the share code and your date of birth so they can use the official checking service. If the online result shows a photo, they must check that it matches you.
How Long Is A Right To Rent Share Code Valid?
A right to rent share code is valid for 90 days. It can usually be used more than once during that period, so you do not need a separate code for every viewing if the code is still valid and was generated for the correct purpose.
If the code has expired, or if you accidentally created a right-to-work code, simply generate a new right to rent code. It is normally quicker to create a fresh code than to spend days trying to persuade a letting agent that the wrong one should work. It will not.
The share code is not a guarantee that you will be offered the property. It only allows the landlord to check your right to rent. The landlord may still consider affordability, references, tenancy terms and their usual letting criteria.
How The Landlord Uses Your Share Code
The landlord or letting agent must use the Home Office landlord checking service. They enter your share code and date of birth, view the official result, check that any photograph matches you, and keep evidence of the check in line with Home Office guidance.
If your permission is time-limited, the result may show that a follow-up check is needed later. For time-limited rights, the initial check must also be carried out at the correct point before the tenancy is entered into, usually no earlier than 28 days before the tenancy starts. A landlord should not complete the check months too early and assume it remains valid indefinitely.
A screenshot that you email to the landlord is not a substitute for the landlord completing the official check. Screenshots can be out of date, incomplete or generated from the wrong service. The Home Office online result is the reliable record.
What If You Cannot Get A Share Code?
If the online system will not generate a share code, do not panic. It may be a simple sign-in issue, an incorrect document number, an expired code, or the wrong service being selected. Sometimes, however, it reflects a more complicated immigration position.
Common issues include difficulty accessing a UKVI account, an eVisa showing incorrect details, a pending visa extension, an outstanding appeal or administrative review, or a landlord entering the wrong date of birth. If your immigration status is held digitally, you may need to resolve the UKVI account issue before the landlord can complete the check.
If you are a student arranging accommodation, right to rent checks can feel like one more task on an already long list. International students with digital status will usually need to generate a share code before moving into private accommodation in England. You may also find our UK Student Visa guidance useful if your right to rent issue is connected to your student immigration permission.
Skilled workers and sponsored employees can face similar practical problems when starting a new job and renting a property at the same time. Your visa may permit you to live and work in the UK, but the landlord still needs to complete the correct right to rent check. If your wider immigration position relates to employment sponsorship, our UK Work Visa information may help you understand the context.
Where a person has made an in-time application to extend permission, they may retain certain rights while the application is pending, but this does not always mean they can instantly generate a share code. In some situations, the landlord may need to use the Home Office Landlord Checking Service instead. The exact route depends on the evidence available and the status of the application.
Right To Rent Share Code Checklist
Before sending your details to a landlord or letting agent, run through this short checklist. It can save time and avoid the classic "the code does not work" email just when you thought the flat was nearly yours.
- You are renting private accommodation in England.
- You selected the option to prove your right to rent, not your right to work.
- Your share code begins with R.
- The code is less than 90 days old.
- You have provided your date of birth with the code.
- Your eVisa or UKVI account details appear correct.
- The landlord is using the official Home Office checking service.
- You have generated a new code if the old one expired or was created for the wrong purpose.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
The most common mistake is generating the wrong type of share code. A right-to-work code may be perfectly valid for an employer, but it will not complete a right to rent check. Always check that the code begins with R.
Another mistake is assuming that an expired BRP can simply be handed to the landlord as physical proof. Under the current digital-status approach, an expired BRP may help you sign in or access your record, but the landlord generally needs the online check where that route applies.
Some applicants also send the code but forget to provide their date of birth. The landlord needs both. Others send a screenshot instead of the code. A screenshot may be useful for your own reference, but it should not replace the landlord's official check.
If your eVisa details are wrong, or you cannot access your UKVI account, deal with that as soon as possible. Problems with names, dates of birth, passport links or permission dates can cause unnecessary delays. For broader digital-status guidance, see our related article on how to prove your UK immigration status online.
Can You Prove Your Right To Rent Without A Share Code?
Some people can prove their right to rent using acceptable original documents instead of a share code. This is particularly relevant for British and Irish citizens, and for some non-British or non-Irish citizens with permitted physical evidence.
However, if your status is only held digitally, such as through an eVisa, the online service is usually the correct method. If the online route is not working because of a pending application or technical problem, the landlord may need to follow the Home Office alternative checking process rather than asking you for documents you cannot provide.
The key point is that a landlord should give you a reasonable opportunity to prove your right to rent using a prescribed method available to you. They should not insist on a share code if you are entitled to prove your position another way, and they should not treat tenants less favourably simply because their immigration permission is time-limited.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a right to rent share code?
Use the official GOV.UK right to rent service, select the option for proving your right to rent in England, enter the requested identity details and generate the code. Give the code and your date of birth to your landlord or letting agent.
What letter does a right to rent share code start with?
A right to rent share code should begin with R. If your code begins with W or S, it was generated for another purpose and should not be used for a rent check.
How long does a right to rent share code last?
A right to rent share code is valid for 90 days. If it expires, or if you generated the wrong type of code, you can create a new one through the online service.
Can British or Irish citizens get a right to rent share code?
No. British and Irish citizens generally prove their right to rent using acceptable documents, such as a British passport, Irish passport, Irish passport card or other permitted evidence.
Can I get a share code with an expired BRP?
An expired BRP may help you access your UKVI account or digital status, but it is not normally accepted as manual physical proof for a landlord check. If the online route applies to you, generate a right to rent share code instead.
