Almost half of landlords are less likely to rent homes to tenants without a British passport as a result of Right to Rent.

The claim comes from the Residential Landlords Association, which says this has implications for the 17% of British citizens who don’t own a passport.

The RLA says that many are likely to be some of the poorest in society and who now find it more difficult to access private rented housing.

The proportion of landlords less likely to consider letting to people who are currently outside the UK is 51%, said the RLA.

With uncertainty still surrounding the status of EU nationals in the UK, 22% of landlords have said that they are less likely to rent property to nationals from the EU or the European Economic Area.

The landlords took part in an online poll of RLA members.

In December last year, criminal sanctions were introduced for agents and landlords breaching the Right to Rent requirements when they know, or “have reasonable cause to believe”, that the tenant does not have the right to be in the country.

The RLA is supporting an application for a judicial review of the right to rent policy by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and will be taking part alongside the JCWI as an interested party.

It is doing so on the basis that it discriminates against those who cannot easily prove their status, even if they have the right to rent property.

RLA policy director David Smith said: “These figures show the damage that the right to rent scheme is causing for those who might have the right to rent property, but cannot easily prove their identity.

“The added threat of criminal sanctions is clearly leading many landlords to become even more cautious about who they rent to.

“This is a dangerous and divisive policy that is causing discrimination. It must be scrapped.”