Migrants and Renting in the UK – What the New Renters’ Rights Mean for You

Migrants and renting – renting law has become fairer for everyone

It is of course the case that many migrants rent in the UK, because buying is not affordable or practical. 

A migrant who is lawfully in the UK has every right to rent in just the same way as a British person does but, just like a purported British person, they have to prove that they are “legal” in the UK and that thus they have the right to rent. 

If a migrant is not lawfully in the UK then of course they do not have the right to rent, and landlords who rent illegally face big financial penalties and, in the worst cases, criminal prosecution. This is a big subject on its own but in this article we will be explaining about how the law works in the context of legal renting, and the law is exactly the same for migrants and non-migrants. We hope that readers will find this useful, because the home is a very important part of the life, whether you are living in a foreign land or not, and, like most and many things, it is good to know your rights. 

Until quite recently, renting could be an unpredictable experience; some landlords were very good and very professional but some were not. Part of the Renters’ Rights Act 2026 came into effect in May this year, with the view of creating new rights for tenants and protecting them against dishonest or unscrupulous landlords. 

Under the old law a tenancy agreement would in the vast majority of cases initially be made for a limited period (typically six months, sometimes longer). After that the landlord might offer to extend the tenancy or they might not. If both tenant and landlord agreed, the tenancy could be extended – typically for one month at a time – for months or even years.

If the tenant was unsatisfactory – eg not paying the rent – then the landlord could evict them from the property. This you might say was fair. But if the landlord wanted to evict them for any other reason (good or bad) then they could also do so. Although the landlord might normally give a reason they did not have to if they did not want to. To put it in simplest terms, if a landlord had an argument with a tenant or decided that they did not like them any more then they could simply evict them with two months’ notice and there was very unlikely to be any possible legal challenge. Hence the term “no-fault eviction”, ie a tenant could be evicted who was not in any way at fault.

This created a degree of uncertainty for tenants, who could lose their home at any moment, and not necessarily because they had done anything wrong.

However, under the new legislation, no-fault evictions have been abolished. If a landlord wants to evict a tenant they now have to give an acceptable reason, eg that they want to sell the property, re-develop the property, or move into the property themselves.

This is good news for tenants generally, and if you have a problem or issue with your landlord you are advised to contact your local authority. 

Oliver Westmoreland

Senior Immigration Lawyer