I think my accommodation is being unreasonable.

I'm in quite a dilemma, I have paid a £100 deposit and am willing to pay rent, but will be denied access to live there as I lack photo id (passport and full drivers license exclusively). Humorously, they will allow me to pay for the rent there but deny me to live at the accommodation at the same time, due to the lack of these pieces of evidence.

I find this to be quite suspect as in things like a tenants right to rent, a full drivers license or passport aren't the be all end all pieces of evidence regarding identification, and one can still prove it by doing things such as getting countersignatures from respected people you've known awhile in the community, this is a process I'm familiar with.

Is there anything I can do about this? I'm considering to contact them to take back my deposit and look elsewhere for a place to live.

Why not just get an identity/pass card or your uni card?
What does the tenancy/licence agreement say?

In terms of proof of id passport is the best you can get and proves you are who you say you are.
What about uni card?

Perfectly reasonable. Landlords have to carry out a right to rent check or else face being fined; they also are well within their rights to identify clearly who you are. Failure to provide satisfactory ID might well be a breach of the contract.

If they are squarely concerned with right to rent, then provide them with the proof that a) non-photo ID will do and b) that you have this non-photo ID. Birth certificate and attestation from employer/passport holder should be sufficient.

I've asked and they only accept a drivers license or a passport picture, not even a provisional license by the way. I've brought up student id cards and have been refused still. The tenancy agreement also has no mention of photo id.

I agree that it's the best but it ain't the only acceptable piece of evidence, which is what I'm saying.


I can understand that landlords need to carry out a right to rent check, I just find it strange that they're saying I can only use a full drivers license or passport when the law (I'm unsure of the correct term for it) itself states someone can produce documents not related to them in combination which is also acceptable.

Now that's where I'm unsure if I have a point, as I have seen that student accommodation is exempt from a right to rent, to what extent and if it means that the landlord is within his right to demand different evidence is where I'm unsure.

I can understand that landlords need to carry out a right to rent check, I just find it strange that they're saying I can only use a full drivers license or passport when the law (I'm unsure of the correct term for it) itself states someone can produce documents not related to them in combination which is also acceptable.

Now that's where I'm unsure if I have a point, as I have seen that student accommodation is exempt from a right to rent, to what extent and if it means that the landlord is within his right to demand different evidence is where I'm unsure.

As suggested, tell your landlord what suffices as far as the legislation is concerned. I had to do this with a very large and sophisticated letting agency -- I suggest a humble private landlord might also be ignorant of the nuances of the law.

I had another chat with management and told them the right to rent legislation and they seemed rather surprised and made another offer, that they'll accept me as long as I provide a student id card and birth cert until dec where I'll need to show a passport, this is a much more reasonable offer but It's odd how they only give it when I let them know what my rights are. Even then, I don't really know why the passport is being brought up as it's not necessary but I think it'd be wise to take what's offered to me and just get the docs for December.