I am an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, how do I obtain the right to rent?
Answer
In most cases, EU nationals can no longer apply to the EU Settlement Scheme for settled and pre-settled status. This scheme gives EU nationals important rights, including the right to work and the right to rent a home.
Anyone who applies for the scheme by the deadline but has not yet received an outcome will be issued with a ‘certificate of application’ which you can use as evidence of your status to a potential landlord.
You’ll usually get settled status if you’ve lived in the UK for a continuous 5-year period (known as ‘continuous residence’). If you have not lived in the UK for 5 years in a row, you can apply for pre-settled status.
The government says that those who have “reasonable grounds” for missing the deadline will also be able to make a late application. The Home Office’s guidance, contains examples of what may be "reasonable grounds" for making a late application.
Landlords cannot insist that citizens of the EU show that they have settled status or pre-settled status when starting a new tenancy before 1 July. They are however required to check if a potential tenant has a right to rent.