Private landlords and illegal immigrants

I imagine that the majority of private landlords are not ruthless exploiting business people - far more typical would be people who have bought one or two properties as part of a pension plan, or parents who have bought a flat for a student son or daughter and find themselves having to check up on their child's housemates.
As Glamma says, such people will not have the resources to verify whether documentation is genuine or not. There is already a problem for college authorities having to check the bona fides of overseas students, and if it is difficult for them, how much more difficult will it be for small landlords.
I have no problem with landlords having to comply with stringent health and safety requirements, because it is their responsibility to ensure that their property is safe to live in.
But they are not responsible for the government's immigration policy, and they should not be criminally liable for the failures of a government agency.

I agree with the last two posters .

Employers are expected to check the status of employees. I think it's an excellent idea.

Provided the landlords can check easily and without huge cost then I don't have a problem with it

Landlords have to adhere to certain health and safety standards and so some landlords want illegal immigrants because they can't go to the authorities if these standards are being flouted. Also, some landlords also own businesses where they employ the illegal immigrants on less than minimum wages or where they house them in terrible conditions and then take a huge chunk of the wages as payment for rent.

They'll think twice if they are going to be held responsible for ensuring that the people they house are legally in the UK.

I suppose it's being proposed as some sort of deterrent - whereas previously some landlords would have turned a blind eye and probably exploited anyone they suspected or knew were illegal immigrants, they may not now be willing to take the risk.

Very unfair imo what can they do if they are shown documents that may not be 100% genuine how are they supposed to know,it should be the job of the Border Agency.