What is a Right to Rent share code and how do you get one?

A Right to Rent share code is a short code you generate for free on GOV.UK. It lets a landlord or letting agent confirm online that you are allowed to rent a home in England, without you handing over piles of paperwork. It takes a few minutes to create, lasts 90 days, and you can use the same code with more than one landlord while it is valid.

Who needs a share code, and who does not

Share codes are for people whose immigration status is held digitally. That includes eVisa holders, people with settled or pre-settled status, and other visa holders whose status is digital. If that is you, a share code is how the GOV.UK service lets you show your right to rent online.

If you have a British or Irish passport, you do not need a share code. The passport on its own is enough for the check. The official GOV.UK Right to Rent guidance explains who uses a share code and who uses documents. Worth knowing: the law requires landlords and agents to carry out the same check for every adult who will live in the property, whoever they are. It is a legal formality, not a judgment about you as a person.

How to get one, step by step

• Go to the GOV.UK service called "Prove your right to rent in England". It is free and works on your phone.
• Sign in with the account linked to your immigration status, the same one you use for your eVisa or settled status.
• Choose to prove your right to rent. Share codes are purpose specific, so a code made for renting only works for renting.
• Copy the code and send it to the landlord or agent, along with your date of birth, which they need to look it up.

That is the whole process. No fee, no appointment, no documents in the post.

What happens on the landlord's side

The landlord or agent enters your code and date of birth into the GOV.UK checking service, sees a confirmation of your status, and keeps a record of it. That record is a legal requirement on their side, which is why they ask for the code before a tenancy starts. If you would like the fuller picture of the check itself, we have a plain-English guide to how Right to Rent works for tenants in England.

The three things people most often get wrong

• Waiting until the last minute. The code takes minutes to make, but only if your sign-in details are to hand. Generate it before you start viewing homes and it is one less thing on moving week.
• Letting it expire. Codes last 90 days. If your home search runs longer, just make a new one, it is free every time.
• Paying for it. There is nothing to pay, ever. The GOV.UK service is free, and in England landlords and agents cannot charge tenants for a Right to Rent check.

Sort it once, then stop repeating yourself

If you are house-hunting, you may well find yourself sending the same code, the same explanation and the same details to several landlords in a row. A renter profile takes that repetition away. You set out your renting information once, keep it up to date in one place, and choose what to share with each landlord or agent. It is free for renters, and it stays free.

One thing to be clear about: the Right to Rent check itself is always carried out by the landlord or agent, because that is who the law places the duty on. A renter profile helps you keep your information organised and shared on your terms. It does not replace the legal check, and VEYLO X does not make judgements about anyone.