Right to rent digital verification service provider (RtR DVSP)
A right to rent digital verification service provider (RtR DVSP) is a private company registered to verify a prospective tenant's identity and documents digitally, letting a landlord establish a right to rent without inspecting physical documents in person. From 1 October 2026, a landlord who chooses to run a third-party digital check must use a provider on the Office for Digital Identities and Attributes register that is noted as able to carry out right to rent checks.
What an RtR DVSP can verify
A registered provider can verify a valid British or Irish passport, including an Irish passport card, and from 1 October 2026 a British or Irish passport up to six months past its expiry date, read through the chip. It can also verify List A and List B documents where these are supplied to it digitally by, or on behalf of, the authority that issued them. The provider returns a result that the landlord keeps as part of the right to rent check.
When a landlord must use a registered provider
The registration requirement bites only where a landlord or letting agent chooses to carry out a digital check through a third party. In that case, from 1 October 2026 the provider must be registered with the Office for Digital Identities and Attributes, part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with a note on the register confirming it can carry out right to rent checks. The requirement applies to tenancies beginning on or after that date and rests on the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.
Facial recognition and records
Where a landlord wants to confirm by facial recognition that the occupier is the person the check relates to, that step must be carried out through a registered provider. The provider supplies a comparison of the document image against the individual, and the landlord keeps a copy of that comparison alongside the document copy for the length of the tenancy and one year after it ends. From working with self-managing landlords across the UK, we find record retention is where checks most often fall down, so August's compliance tracking keeps a check and its follow-up date in one place.
Is using a DVSP mandatory?
No. Using a digital verification provider is optional, and a landlord can still carry out a manual document check or a Home Office online check instead. A prospective tenant who prefers to present physical documents rather than use a provider must not be treated less favourably for that choice. Landlords using August consistently tell us they run most checks themselves at no cost, and that a provider is usually more relevant to letting agents and referencing services verifying identities at scale.
RtR DVSP and the former IDSP
The registered digital route is not new. Providers have carried out digital right to rent checks since April 2022, when they were known as certified identity service providers (IDSPs). The 1 October 2026 code of practice renames them right to rent digital verification service providers and places the certification on a statutory footing under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. The full method for carrying out each type of check is set out in our guide to right to rent checks for landlords.
Is it mandatory to use an RtR DVSP?
No, it is optional. Manual document checks and the Home Office online checking service remain available, and a tenant who prefers physical documents must not be disadvantaged. The rule that takes effect on 1 October 2026 only requires that, if you do use a third-party digital provider, it is a registered one.
What is the difference between an IDSP and an RtR DVSP?
They are the same digital route under a new name. Providers were called certified identity service providers from April 2022, and the 1 October 2026 code renames them right to rent digital verification service providers and puts their registration on a statutory footing.
Can an RtR DVSP check a British or Irish citizen's passport?
Yes. That is the core of what the digital route does, and from 1 October 2026 a provider can also verify a British or Irish passport up to six months after it has expired, read through the passport chip.
Where do I find a registered provider?
Registered providers appear on the Office for Digital Identities and Attributes register, each with a note confirming it can carry out right to rent checks.
