Landlords and leasing property (registration cards)

As a landlord, it is your responsibility to check your prospective tenant's residential status on their registration card before they move into your property. You must also check that the card is in date.

It is the tenant's responsibility to get their card from Customer and Local Services.

Residential statuses

Under the Control of Housing and Work Law there are categories which determine where you can live and work. A person's residential status will be printed on their registration card.

There are four residential statuses:

• entitled
  
• licensed
  
• entitled for work
  
• registered
  

There are different types of 'entitled' status, which can be gained and lost in different ways. Each residential category is explained on the 'residential statuses' page.

Residential statuses and what they mean (registration cards)

Change of address notification

Within 3 months of your new tenant moving in, they must notify us of their new address.

Qualified property

Under the Control of Housing and Work Law, all 'A-H', 'A-J' and 'A-K' properties are now 'qualified' property. This change has happened automatically - but also note 'planning restrictions' below.

If your property is 'qualified’, your new tenant must be able to show you a valid 'entitled' or 'licensed' card.

Planning restrictions

The law does not remove any planning restrictions that may have been placed on a site - for example, restrictions about ownership and occupation by 'entitled' first-time buyers. These restrictions remain in place - so a licensed person could not own or occupy a first-time buyer restricted property.

Registered property

If your property is 'unqualified’, eg registered lodging accommodation, inherited by you before 10 March 2006, it now becomes 'registered'.

A person wanting to live in registered accommodation must have a valid registration card which shows their residential status. It doesn't matter which residential status they have.

If you have questions about the status of your property, you should contact the Population Office.

Checking a new tenant's registration card

You must check each prospective tenant’s card (unless your property is not a self-contained unit with its own bathroom and kitchen). When the tenant shows you their registration card, you should also:

• ask for photo identification
• check the registration card is in date
• take a photocopy of the registration card and photo identification for your records