LANDLORDS are being warned to begin checking the immigration status of new tenants so they are not slapped with a £3,000 fine when tough new rules come into effect.

The alert has come from Worcester law firm mfg Solicitors, which is advising landlords to get started before the measure becomes legally enforceable so they are not found wanting when the Government expects them to comply.

From December, landlords in Birmingham and the Black Country will be required to check whether their tenants are allowed to be in the country. The wider West Midlands will be evaluated next spring and the scheme will then be rolled out across the UK from next May.

Sarah Coyne, a property litigation expert with mfg, has warned the region’s landlords they face a £3,000 fine if they do not take copies of adult passports or residence permits from their tenants.

She said: “Landlords are not expected to act as immigration officers but the law will require them to be on their guard and not rent homes to people who do not have the legal right to be in the UK. Although the rules only affect Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Walsall and Dudley from December, it is vital that landlords everywhere get ready. They should begin putting their checks in place now, especially if they have any tenancies set to come to an end and new tenants due to take over their properties in the next few months.

“It’s important to note these changes only apply to new tenancies and checks won’t have to be carried out retrospectively. But it is far better to get into good practice before there is the threat of a very hefty fine for getting it wrong.”

Immigration minister James Brokenshire has called the shake-up "a new line of attack against unscrupulous landlords who exploit people by renting out substandard, overcrowded and unsafe accommodation". Although the Government says the measures will be "effective and light-touch", the National Landlords Association is concerned its members could be accused of harassment if they confront tenants over their immigration status.