Is landlord asking for too much info?

FATBALLZ

clutton wrote: »

From the landlords perspective we are allowing the use of an asset often worth hundreds of thousands of pounds to a complete stranger.. and we need some protection....

For the tenants perspective they are entrusting the happiness and stability of their home life and wellbeing of their family to a complete stranger, yet how far would a tenant get if they started asking the same nosey questions..

Bonny1

I agree with other posters.. NEVER give anyone your National insurance number, or Passport details...

Identity Theft would be SO easy with ALL this information..

I would say NO.

clutton_2

""For the tenants perspective they are entrusting the happiness and stability of their home life and wellbeing of their family to a complete stranger, yet how far would a tenant get if they started asking the same nosey questions.. ""

i always offer new tenants contact details for some of my current tenants so they can take up a reference on me... no one has EVER said yes please.....

Bunter_2

The concept of "data protection" or the "right to personal privacy" is alien to some landlords.

I recall one occasion being shown around some flats by a landlord, who did not know me from Adam. He was very expansive in relating to me the details of his tenants lives.

Miss Smith in Flat no 3 is moving out because she is six months preggers and she and the father (Joe Bloggs) are looking for a bigger flat. The tenant of the ground floor flat is a lovely bloke. He usually gets tanked up on a Friday night and sets the alarms off making a pan of chips for his supper. (Ha ha). The guy in flat no 4 is a student and will be moving out in July. He is out during the day so I will just show you round his flat. He wont mind! (Lots of techie stuff in students flat that would be very attractive to a potential burglar.) And so on and so on.

Lots of unnecessary (personal) information to a complete stranger who did not need to know any of it.

FOURCANDLES_2

I would ask the landlord if the property was mortgaged and payments up to date, after watching a ptogramme last year where record numbers of private tenants were evicted due to the buy2letlandlord pocketing the money and not paying the mortgage.

new_home_owner_3

when i done a viewing on my rental property i asked them to bring photo id, and a recent letter with the latest address and name on it.

I dont know about national insurance number, i then got both tenants to fill in forms to pass onto tenantverify.

i let mine myself and didnt use a agent, but i think its common practice having photo id you could be inviting anyone into your house.

Pennylane

Good post from Clutton.:)

As a new LL I wanted to do everything properly and legally so I sought advice and did what I was advised to and that included thorough checks, masses of paperwork etc.

It benefits both LL and tenant if its done correctly. I told my prospective tenant this and apologised for all the paperwork but he understood it was necessary. I also told him that if he wasn't happy with any of it, he was free to look elsewhere.

Pennylane

If the prospective tenant views the property and they see that they are getting a lovely, clean property in a nice area for a good rent they won't want to lose it.

If I was a tenant I would be pleased that my LL did things properly and was fair. I would therefore be happy to provide any information they requested to ensure I got the place I wanted.

neverdespairgirl

Pennylane wrote: »

If the prospective tenant views the property and they see that they are getting a lovely, clean property in a nice area for a good rent they won't want to lose it.
.

they won't, true.

But (speaking as a tenant) the info requested here is too much. I wouldn't want to disclose all that.

clutton_2

And yet when we want to open, say, a bank account, or buy a house, we have to show a lot of documentation, including - ID - photograpic proof of our identity (passport of driving license) and proof of address via utility bills

National insurance number to me is important for tracing ex-tenants for arrears.....

if a tenant has no intention of reneging on their obligtion to pay rent, why would they be concerned ?

if someone rents an expensive car they sign (using a credit card with no limit on the amount) to say they will pay for any damage.. - no "deposit protection scheme" there - just a business attempting to keep its losses/bad debts as low as possible....

why should LLs not protect ourselves as best we can against the small number of thieving tenants.....

having become a tenant myself about 18 months ago, i do appreciate the inqusitive feel of the information required, but, i was willing to provide it in order to live where i wanted to....