Landlord wants ID - risk of identity theft?

sarah1773

Hoping for some advice ASAP me and the other half are applying for a rented house tomorrow morning!

Basically the letting agent want 4 forms of ID - 2 as proof of name and 2 as proof of address. The only proofs my other half can provide are:

Passport
National Insurance card
Payslip
Bank statement

They require to see the originals and take photocopies. My other half is not happy about this as he thinks his identity could easily be stolen. Does the letting agent usually keep these photocopies on file - or are we within our rights to request that they are destroyed once the application has gone through? Even then, we are having to trust that they DO destroy them.

Can totally understand the letting agents doing their research on a prospective tenant - but at the same time ID theft is on the increase and very easily done.

Thanks in advance!

theGrinch

standard stuff but usually 1 proof of ID and one of address acceptable. not sure they will destroy it immediately after you have moved on as a company they made need to keep records for a few years.

Mojisola

I don't think photocopies would be a problem. If someone tried to use them as proofs of identity, they'd be told to produce the originals.

kingstreet

I would imagine they are asking for two of each as there's only one photographic item available.

I ask for two of each if I can't get the main two.

G_M

Landlord can ask for whatever he wants.

You can either comply, refuse, or offer something else.

sarah1773

Thanks for replies - handed the ID photocopies in this morning. Have no problem with the landlord asking for all these details. I think maybe my partner just being a little over-cautious!

Wyndham

The flip side is that without this information the landlord has no idea who you are, and if you're working etc. so can pay the rent. 4 forms of id seems a little excessive, but I think asking for 2 is OK and if they didn't ask me I'd wonder if they were a reputable agent.

The_Pixi

sarah1773 wrote: »

Thanks for replies - handed the ID photocopies in this morning. Have no problem with the landlord asking for all these details. I think maybe my partner just being a little over-cautious!

I don't think you are being over cautious, I read on here all the time that letting agents don't need any qualifications or a license. What is to stop a fraudster working for a letting company?

they may be photo copies but they have all the information needed to produce new fake documents, and I don't think that should be dismissed as too much hassle, criminals have been known to go to a lot of effort.

That said its probably OK, but its worth questioning what is happening with you data and such like.

*miaomiao*

It might make your partner feel at ease if you were to see the same forms of ID for the LL as well as be sure that they have permission to let the house from the bank if it is mortgaged. See the sticky notes at the top of this forum!

alezzandro

Your partner is not overcautious, a bank statement and a passport contain enough information to commit an identity theft.

You can ask the EA to issue a privacy notice and to delete all personal information as soon as they have decided you are eligible to rent the house:
http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_the_public/personal_information/collecting_my_info.aspx

zappahey

alezzandro wrote: »

Your partner is not overcautious, a bank statement and a passport contain enough information to commit an identity theft.

You can ask the EA to issue a privacy notice and to delete all personal information as soon as they have decided you are eligible to rent the house:
http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_the_public/personal_information/collecting_my_info.aspx

Or, they could just get real and recognise that the risk of "identity theft"* is tiny.

A made-up, make you scared buzzword if ever there was one.