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Letting agent wants my NI number

135

Comments

  • Pixie5740
    Pixie5740 Posts: 14,515 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Eighth Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic
    Don't LL/LA sometimes ask for payslips which would have your NIN on them anyway?

    Either provide them with a NIN or don't. The LL will then decide whether to let the property to you or not.
  • Marktheshark
    Marktheshark Posts: 5,841 Forumite
    Seventh Anniversary 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    The NI number is what is needed to claim housing benefit.
    Unless you want your collar felt for benefit fraud I would give it a miss and any other dodgy landlord asking for information They could use to obtain housing benefit on the property.
    Your NI number is crucial to a HB claim, they get that and goodness knows what they intend to do with it.
    It certainly is of little other use to a landlord.
    I can see no other reason for wanting it other than benefit fraud and your name will be on the can.
    I do Contracts, all day every day.
  • theartfullodger
    theartfullodger Posts: 15,654 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 3 March 2015 at 4:42PM
    Marktheshark wrote: »
    ....I can see no other reason for wanting it other than benefit fraud and your name will be on the can.
    So a landlord can more easily get an ex-tenant traced later... or confirm to an employer (under attachment of earnings.) that one has the right person...
  • DIYGirlz
    DIYGirlz Posts: 26 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    If the LA has done proper vetting (and has taken copy of passport) then he should not need NI as well - this is a lot of personal data (presume he has your bank account detail/ employment as well). In the wrong hands this would allow someone to set up a fake identity. On balance, I would refuse.
  • usefulmale
    usefulmale Posts: 2,627 Forumite
    OK thanks everyone. I have refused to give my NI number and the letting agent has refunded my holding fee.

    I do intend to report the agent to the ICO, as I think that they are breaking principle 3 of the DPA ie "Personal data shall be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose or purposes for which they are processed."
  • Annie1960
    Annie1960 Posts: 3,009 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Ask them why they want it. The Data Protection Act states that anyone collecting information needs to explain why they need it.
  • usefulmale
    usefulmale Posts: 2,627 Forumite
    Annie1960 wrote: »
    Ask them why they want it. The Data Protection Act states that anyone collecting information needs to explain why they need it.

    They said it was for 'tax purposes'. They either couldn't or wouldn't elaborate any further.
  • jjlandlord
    jjlandlord Posts: 5,099 Forumite
    usefulmale wrote: »
    I do intend to report the agent to the ICO, as I think that they are breaking principle 3 of the DPA ie "Personal data shall be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose or purposes for which they are processed."

    Not necessarily, as explained in this thread.

    The landlord might have dodge a bullet, considering your reaction... What would have happened the day the boiler breaks down?
  • agrinnall
    agrinnall Posts: 23,344 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    jjlandlord wrote: »
    Not necessarily, as explained in this thread.

    The landlord might have dodge a bullet, considering your reaction... What would have happened the day the boiler breaks down?

    But if their explanation is "for tax purposes" then that is nonsense and clearly fails the DPA "adequate" test.
  • jjlandlord
    jjlandlord Posts: 5,099 Forumite
    agrinnall wrote: »
    But if their explanation is "for tax purposes" then that is nonsense and clearly fails the DPA "adequate" test.

    Yes, that is nonsense. Most likely because entry-level at letting agents are completely clueless.

    If OP wants to waste even more time sending letters that'll end up in the bin, he is free to do so.
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