“EU citizens who have played such a positive role to the life of the UK should be able to easily prove their settled status rights with a physical document.”

The RLA is urging MPs to back a “pragmatic and common sense” proposal to provide EU citizens with physical proof of settled status and secure their right to rent.

A vote on a related amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill passed in the House of Lords yesterday (Jan 21) and is due for a Commons vote today.

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, the3million and the Residential Landlords Association are warning that unless MPs accept the amendment it creates the risk of landlords being reluctant to let a home to EU citizens without immediate physical proof of their status.

In a joint statement, the three bodies say: “MPs should back what is a pragmatic and common sense proposal.

“It should not be controversial that EU citizens who have played such a positive role to the life of the UK should be able to easily prove their rights with a physical document.

“A digital only status will massively disadvantage EU citizens against British nationals with a passport, and anyone else who can quickly and conveniently prove their status with a simple official document.”

Under the EU Settlement Scheme the Government only  give EU citizens a digital code to prove their residency for landlords look up online.

Previous research by Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants on the Government’s Right to Rent policy found that of 150 mystery shopping enquiries from prospective tenants who asked landlords to conduct an online status check, 85% received no response and only three responses explicitly stated that the landlord was willing to conduct an online check.

Landlords were far happier to respond positively when the tenant could provide a clear physical document proving their status.

A report published by the3million this week found that 89% of EU citizens are unhappy about the lack of a physical document.

Calls for EU citizens to be given such a document have been made also by the Exiting the European Union Select Committee, the Home Affairs Select Committee and the House of Lords EU Justice sub-committee which warned to the “parallel with the lack of documents contributing to the Windrush scandal.”

See details of our Guaranteed Rent Scheme here