For renters

Is it safe to send a copy of my passport to a landlord?

Guide · about 14 min read · Covers the law in England as at October 2026 · Reviewed on 23 October 2026

You will normally have to let a landlord in England see your passport or another Right to Rent document, but there is usually no need to email a scan of it before you have even viewed the home. The Right to Rent check is the landlord's own legal duty. GOV.UK describes three ways to do it: the landlord checks your original documents with you present, uses a registered digital identity service, or views your status online with a share code. For a manual check of physical documents, Home Office guidance tells landlords not to rely on a scanned or copied version. The landlord then keeps a copy of the document, or a record of the online check, securely, for the tenancy and for one year after it ends. The safer order is simple: view the home, make sure you know who you are dealing with, use the route that fits your status, and only let a copy be made once you have decided to go ahead.

This guide covers England. It explains why the request is made, what the law asks of the landlord, how long a copy can be kept, what data protection law says, and what to do when a landlord also asks for bank statements.

Why does a landlord ask for my passport at all?

The request comes from immigration law, not from suspicion about you. Section 22 of the Immigration Act 2014 says a landlord must not authorise an adult to occupy premises under a residential tenancy agreement if that adult is disqualified as a result of their immigration status. This is what people call Right to Rent, and the duty sits with the landlord. GOV.UK says a landlord can ask a letting agent to carry out the check, and that this agreement should be in writing.

GOV.UK tells landlords to check every tenant aged 18 and over before a new tenancy starts. The same page says it is against the law to only check people a landlord thinks are not British citizens. It also says a landlord who rents to someone without the right to rent can be fined up to £20,000 for each tenant. GOV.UK lists some homes where no check is needed, such as social housing, student accommodation and leases of 7 years or longer. Outside those, a request to see your passport is a normal part of renting in England, and British citizens are asked too. The real question is how the document is handled, not whether a landlord may ask. Our guide to how Right to Rent works for tenants in England covers the check from your side in more detail.

Do I have to email a scan of my passport, or can I show the original?

GOV.UK gives landlords three ways to carry out the check. The landlord can check your original documents themselves, with you present. They can use a registered digital identity service. Or, if you have a share code, they can view your right to rent online.

The Home Office code of practice for landlords, in its version dated 1 October 2026, describes a manual check in three steps. The landlord obtains the original documents. The landlord checks them while you are present, in person or via a video link. The landlord then keeps a copy that cannot be altered, with the date of the check. For a passport, GOV.UK lists the pages to copy as the ones with your personal details, photograph, expiry date and any endorsements.

The Home Office landlord's guide to right to rent checks, in its October 2026 version, is more direct. It tells landlords to be in physical possession of the original documents before the check, and not to rely only on viewing a document during a live video call. It also tells them not to rely on a faxed, scanned or copied version. So a scan emailed before a viewing is not the check. For a physical document, the simplest arrangement for most people is to bring the original to a meeting once you have seen the home and want to go ahead. Timing matters too: the Home Office guide says that if your permission to stay is time-limited, the check must be done no earlier than 28 days before the tenancy agreement is entered into, which is usually the date it is signed. A copy still ends up with the landlord, because the rules require one. All of this reasoning is about manual checks; if the landlord uses a registered digital identity service, you give your document details to that service instead, so ask which one it is and reach it yourself. What you control is when it changes hands and who you give it to.

The route depends on your status. If you have an eVisa, the 2026 code says your right to rent can only be shown through the Home Office online service, using a share code from the GOV.UK service Prove your right to rent in England. A share code gives the landlord your status without a passport scan. If you are not a British or Irish citizen and hold an accepted physical immigration document, GOV.UK says you can choose between that document and a share code. Most British citizens cannot get a share code, and most Irish citizens show documents too. The Home Office guide notes that eligible Irish citizens with status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or a digital frontier worker permit, can prove their right to rent online. British and Irish citizens can also use an online identity service provider if the landlord offers one, according to GOV.UK. Where none of these routes is available, for example while a Home Office application is outstanding, GOV.UK tells landlords to use the Home Office Landlord Checking Service. Our guide to what a Right to Rent share code is explains how to get one.

How long can a landlord keep a copy of my passport?

The detail is in article 5 of the Immigration (Residential Accommodation) (Prescribed Requirements and Codes of Practice) Order 2014. It requires the landlord to keep a clear and legible copy securely for not less than one year after the tenancy has come to an end. The same article says the copy must be in a format that cannot be altered afterwards, and that the date the copy was taken must be recorded.

There is a limit in the other direction too. Article 7 of the same Order says nothing in it permits a landlord to keep the documents for longer than is necessary for that purpose. The Home Office landlord's guide adds that the copies must then be securely destroyed. For an online check with a share code, GOV.UK tells landlords to save the result page and keep it for the tenancy and one year after.

GOV.UK also reminds landlords to follow data protection law when they keep these copies. It is entirely reasonable to ask a landlord, politely and in writing, how the copy will be kept safe.

What does data protection law say about my documents?

Data protection law does not only apply to large companies. Under Article 4(7) of the UK GDPR, a controller is whoever determines the purposes and means of processing personal data. A landlord who collects and keeps your documents decides why and how they are used, which is the role that definition describes.

Two principles in Article 5 of the UK GDPR matter most here. Article 5(1)(c), data minimisation, says personal data must be adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary for the purpose. The ICO's guidance on data minimisation puts it plainly: hold the minimum you need, and no more. Article 5(1)(f) requires appropriate security, including protection against unauthorised processing and accidental loss. Article 32 sets out the security measures expected of a controller.

A controller also needs a lawful basis for each use of your data. Article 6 lists the bases, which include compliance with a legal obligation and steps taken at your request before entering into a contract. Right to Rent copies rest on a legal obligation. A landlord's own extra conditions, such as asking for bank statements, need a basis of their own. When a landlord collects data from you directly, Article 13 says they must tell you at the time who they are, why they want it, the lawful basis, who it will go to, and how long it will be kept or how that period is decided. If your details reach a landlord through someone else, such as an agent, Article 14 sets a similar duty, including telling you where the data came from and what categories of data are held. That information is due within a reasonable period and at the latest within one month, or sooner if they first contact you or pass the data on. The ICO's guidance on the right to be informed explains this. So the retention period, or the criteria for it, is information the law expects you to be given. How a landlord keeps the copy secure is a sensible question to ask on top of that.

This is general information about how the law is framed. Whether a particular landlord has met it in a particular case is a matter for the regulator or a court, not for a guide like this one.

Can I find out what a landlord holds about me?

Yes. Article 15 of the UK GDPR gives you the right to ask a controller whether it is processing your personal data, and to get a copy of it. The ICO's guidance for the public calls this a subject access request. The ICO says anyone can make one, you do not need a solicitor, and organisations usually have one month to respond.

The ICO suggests putting "subject access request" in the subject line, dating the request, and being specific about what you want. You can also ask for inaccurate details to be corrected under Article 16. A request to delete your data under Article 17 is not absolute: it does not apply where keeping the data is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, which covers a Right to Rent copy kept for a tenancy during its retention period. That retention rule runs from the end of a tenancy. If no tenancy goes ahead, it gives no reason to keep a copy, and Article 5(1)(e) says personal data should not be kept for longer than necessary. Asking for that copy to be deleted is then a reasonable request. If you are unhappy with the answer, raise it with the landlord first. After that, the UK data protection regulator, whose guidance is published at ico.org.uk, is where a complaint goes.

Should I send bank statements to a landlord?

No law requires a renter in England to hand over bank statements. When a landlord or agent asks for them, it is their own condition, usually to see that the rent can be paid. Unlike a Right to Rent document, there is no statutory list of what they must see.

Bank statements reveal far more than income. They can show where you shop, what you pay for health or care, and who you send money to. Data minimisation points towards giving what the purpose needs and no more. Some transactions can reveal information about health, religion or similar matters, which Article 9 of the UK GDPR treats as special category data with stricter conditions. A landlord has no need for that kind of detail to see the rent can be paid, so it is sensible to black it out. Practical options include:

Ask what the landlord actually needs to see, then offer the narrowest document that shows it, such as recent payslips or an offer letter. These can still show details you would rather keep private, so look before you send.
Ask whether a redacted statement would do, with your name and salary credits visible and unrelated transactions blacked out.
Ask why it is needed and how long it will be kept, in writing, before you send it.
Do not black anything out on Right to Rent documents. The landlord has to copy those pages in full.

You also cannot be charged for referencing. That is a prohibited payment under the Tenant Fees Act 2019. The renter document checklist sets out what landlords commonly ask for, and when.

Which documents does a landlord actually need?

Document	Why it is asked for	Required by law?	A proportionate approach
Passport or other Right to Rent document	The landlord's Right to Rent duty	Yes, where this is your route: for a manual check the landlord must check the original and keep a copy	For a manual check, let the landlord check the original once you are going ahead; a scan alone is not the check. A registered digital identity service is another route if the landlord offers one
Right to Rent share code	The online route, mainly for people who are not British or Irish citizens	The only route for eVisa holders; an option for some others	Give the code and your date of birth; no passport scan is needed for this route
Bank statements	The landlord's own condition, to see the rent can be paid	No	Ask what the landlord needs to see, then offer the narrowest document that shows it
Payslips, contract or offer letter	The same reason	No	Often narrower than a statement, though each can still show unrelated details

How do I spot a rental scam that asks for my documents?

Passport scans and bank statements are the kind of documents identity fraud can make use of. That is one reason fake listings ask for documents, or money, before anyone has shown you the home. Warning signs include a landlord who cannot or will not arrange a viewing, pressure to decide today, a move from a listing site to a private messaging app, rent well below similar homes nearby, and someone who cannot show any connection to the property.

A few habits help. View first, in person or on a live video walkthrough rather than a recording. A walkthrough shows the home exists; it does not show who controls it. Look at who is registered as the owner: the HM Land Registry title register costs £7 to download, according to GOV.UK. What it gives you is what HM Land Registry's register showed on the date it was downloaded. A name on the register does not by itself show that the person messaging you is that owner, or that they are authorised to let the home, so compare it with what you are told. Our guide to reading the Land Registry record for a home walks through it. Be wary of any request for documents before a viewing. If you are arranging a home from abroad, a remote process can be legitimate, so confirm who you are dealing with first. Do not pay anything until you are confident who you are paying and that they can let the home. A business bank account or a video call does not settle that on its own. If something has already gone wrong, call your bank straight away and report it to Report Fraud, the national police reporting service for fraud and cyber crime. Our guide to spotting a rental scam in England covers the other warning signs and what to do if you have already paid.

How do I send documents safely when I do send them?

Send them only to the landlord, their agent, or a registered digital identity service the landlord has asked you to use, at an address you have reached independently.
Prefer an encrypted route over a plain email attachment or a group chat. An upload page only helps if you reached it yourself from an address you know is genuine. If you password-protect a file, use encryption rather than a simple lock, and send the password separately, for example by text.
Send each thing once. Repeating the same documents to many landlords multiplies the number of inboxes holding them.
Keep a note of who you sent what, and when, so you know where to direct a subject access request, a correction or a question about deletion later.

Writing out your renting details for each landlord is a separate job from the documents above. VEYLO X is a software platform for renting and letting in England. On it, renters write their own renter profile, build it once, reuse it with different landlords, and decide when to share it. Building a renter profile is not charged for. A renter profile is not a Right to Rent document and does not replace the check. That stays with the landlord or agent, as the law requires, and VEYLO X does not carry it out or decide its outcome.

Common questions

The short answers, in one place.

Should I send my passport to a landlord before a viewing?

There is usually no reason to. The Right to Rent check in England is the landlord's own legal duty, and GOV.UK describes it as the landlord checking your original documents with you present, using a registered digital identity service, or viewing your status online with a share code. For a manual check of physical documents, Home Office guidance tells landlords not to rely on a scanned or copied version, so a scan sent before you have seen the home is not that check. View the home first, make sure you know who you are dealing with, and deal with documents once you have decided to go ahead.

Can a landlord keep a copy of my passport?

Yes. Under the Right to Rent rules the landlord must keep a clear copy of the relevant passport pages, securely, for the tenancy and for at least one year after it ends. The rules do not allow the copy to be kept longer than that purpose needs, and Home Office guidance says it must then be securely destroyed. Data protection law also applies to the copy while it is held.

Do I have to give a landlord my bank statements?

No law requires a renter in England to hand over bank statements. Landlords and agents often ask for them as their own condition, to see that the rent can be paid. Statements show far more than income, so it is reasonable to offer payslips or an employment contract instead, or to ask whether a statement with unrelated transactions blacked out would do. Referencing fees cannot be charged to you under the Tenant Fees Act 2019.

Can I use a share code instead of sending my passport?

It depends on your status. If you have an eVisa, the Home Office code of practice says your right to rent can only be shown through the online service, using a share code from GOV.UK, so no passport scan is needed for that route. If you are not a British or Irish citizen and hold an accepted physical immigration document, GOV.UK says you can choose between that document and a share code. Most British citizens cannot get a share code, and most Irish citizens show documents too, although eligible Irish citizens with EU Settlement Scheme status or a digital frontier worker permit can prove their right to rent online. For British and Irish citizens, an online identity service provider is another option if the landlord offers one.

Sources

The primary sources behind this guide. Where the law and a summary disagree, the law is what counts.

This article is general information about renting, not legal advice and not immigration advice. It reflects the position in England as at October 2026. For official guidance, see the GOV.UK Right to Rent pages and the ICO's guidance for the public, and consider free advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice for your own situation.

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