tenancy agreement vs proof of address

Lucano

Hello everybody!
When you rent a flat, you normally get a tenancy agreement by the your landlord which is a form of security for you as a tenant but what about the proof of address that you normally need for many different reason such as for opening a bank account etc?
It is a separate document, isn't it?
I assume the landlord is supposed to write a sort of simple letter in which he/she states that mr or ms X is living there. Is this the right procedure?

Werdnal

Banks and other official bodies usually have a strict criteria of the ID documents they will accept, and I doubt a letter from your LL will be acceptable. I could write a letter to your bank claiming to be your LL and that you live at 21 Fore Street, Anytown, but I am not, you don't and this is insufficient to prove anything.

You need things like driving licence, passport, utility bills, UK residence permit, HMRC letters, benefit agency letter, NHS medical card etc, as proof of address, so once you move in, get all these things put in your name and new address, and that should be enough.

Lucano

Werdnal wrote: »

Banks and other official bodies usually have a strict criteria of the ID documents they will accept, and I doubt a letter from your LL will be acceptable. I could write a letter to your bank claiming to be your LL and that you live at 21 Fore Street, Anytown, but I am not, you don't and this is insufficient to prove anything.

You need things like driving licence, passport, utility bills, UK residence permit, HMRC letters, benefit agency letter, NHS medical card etc, as proof of address, so once you move in, get all these things put in your name and new address, and that should be enough.

Of course, of course you also need ID or passport but my question was, who writes the proof of address and does it differ from a tenancy agremment?

Werdnal

Lucano wrote: »

Of course, of course you also need ID or passport but my question was, who writes the proof of address and does it differ from a tenancy agremment?

The bank (and other organisations) will only accept certain documents as proof of address and a letter from some random person will not be good enough. You need letters from official bodies such as HMRC, that have been sent to you at the new address and the bank etc will know are legitimate.

They may accept your tenancy agreement, but again, anyone can make up an agreement on their computer and sign it - it is not official proof of your address and they can refuse it. Check out the bank's website to see what they will accept as they all publish lists of approved ID and proof of address documents.

G_M

The only official document your landlord will give you is the tenancy agreement.

Your only relationship with the LL is the contract between you ie the tenancy agreement.

It is then up to you to make contracts with, for example, the gas and electricity companies, and these accounts make you legally responsible for the gas/elecricity used at the property.

You can then use your gas/electricity bills to prove your address to, for example, a bank.

Similarly, once you take on legal responsibility for the Council Tax, you will get a CT bill. This also proves your address

Lucano

We are speaking about two different aspects.
What I wanted to know was
1) tenancy agreement vs proof of address
2) who write it? the landlor?

Werdnal

Lucano, you are the one getting confused.

Just for example, say you want to open a bank account with this bank:

http://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/customerservices/contactus/id-requirements

This page gives the proof of identity and proof of address documents they accept. A letter from your landlord is not one of them. Most banks have similar requirements.

As I said earlier, your tenancy agreement may be acceptable to some organisations, but is it not an official document and merely a contract between you and your LL which just happens to have your address on it. For the proof of address to be acceptable it has to be from a recognised company (utility provider etc), government agency (DVLA, HMRC etc) or someone like a University, NHS, TV Licensing, your employer etc. But you must check what formal proof of address is acceptable, as different banks have different requirements.

G_M

Lucano wrote: »

We are speaking about two different aspects.
What I wanted to know was
1) tenancy agreement vs proof of address
2) who write it? the landlor?

I have no idea what your question is.

Please explain what you want.

Is it someone to prove your current home address (to show a bank)?

Is it proof of your OLD address to show your (new) landlord?

or what?

kingstreet

The money laundering requirements, as this is the purpose of such evidence, sets out two lists, one for evidence of identity the other for proof of address;-

A List

Current UK/EU Passport
Photocard driving licence with counterpart
Paper driving licence
National EU Identity Card
Shotgun Licence
Major employer ID card

B List

Photocard driving licence with counterpart (if not used as A item)
Paper driving licence (if not used as A item)
Bank statement (dated in last three months)
Latest Council Tax Bill
Latest Mortgage statement
Utility Bill - not mobile phone (dated in last three months)
HMRC Tax Code Notice.

There are other things which can be added to both lists and these vary depending on the institution concerned.

On the actual topic, neither a tenancy agreement nor a landlord letter would be accepted as evidence of address. They may be usable as proof of previous residence if you were not visible on the electoral roll for a time, a few years ago and a lender is questioning a "gap."

Lucano

I used to stay at a shortlent studio flat and the agency gave me a proof of address -just a letter- which I used together with ID document, to open a bank account, to make a library document. Even for jobcenter or Housing benefit I used the letter that the agency gave to me.
Now I am about to take a flat with a regular tenancy agreement.
Should I ask the landlord for such a proof of address? I could need it again.

Kynthia

Lucano wrote: »

I used to stay at a shortlent studio flat and the agency gave me a proof of address -just a letter- which I used together with ID document, to open a bank account, to make a library document. Even for jobcenter or Housing benefit I used the letter that the agency gave to me.
Now I am about to take a flat with a regular tenancy agreement.
Should I ask the landlord for such a proof of address? I could need it again.

I've never heard of a landlord giving a tenant as proof of address and I've no idea who would accept it.