UKTenantData - Legally required?

Drumsloot

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to sign up as a tenant for an apartment I like, but as part of the process I've had to sign up with an organisation called UKTenantData. I phoned the agents about this and they told me that being registered with them is a legal requirement and literally everyone who is renting is required to sign up, as it serves to prove that you're legally able to rent in the UK.

Is that true? I ask because the questions asked by UKTenantData felt excessively intrusive. They wanted phone numbers of my current landlord and family members, my exact salary and where I work, previous addresses, my bank details, and I even had to pay nearly £20 for this "service". Something feels very off about all this... I understand the need for SOME of the above information, but some of the questions just felt very out of order. Was I required to register with them, by law?

mchale

Drumsloot wrote: »

Was I required to register with them, by law?

In short no, sounds like bu11sh1t from agents

00ec25

no you are not required to register with that specifci company

however, your landlord is legally required to establish that you have a "right to rent" in the UK so some "intrusive" questions will have to be answered eventually. Personally I would not give such info to such a company, I'd give it to the LL when requested.

AvocadosBeforeMortgages

Your agents are !!!!!!!!ting. These are the checks they actually have to carry out https://www.gov.uk/check-tenant-right-to-rent-documents

At no point does the government require landlords to ask you about your family's phone numbers, your salary or similar.

steampowered

It sounds like the company does do things - both check your right to be in the UK (which the agent is legally required to check) and your financial ability to rent (which the landlord will want the agent to check).

It does sound like asking for contact details of family members is a bit intrusive though. This might be relevant if you were a student needing a guarantor but not otherwise.

Personally, I would leave some of the fields blank if I wasn't comfortable giving that information.

Wanderingpomm

I!!!8217;ve just taken a look at the website. They pay commission to the agents for getting people to sign up. I imagine that!!!8217;s why they are so insistent. Mi!!!8217;mm mobing tomorrow and my agents just took an employment reference and previous landlords details.

Comms69

Drumsloot wrote: »

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to sign up as a tenant for an apartment I like, but as part of the process I've had to sign up with an organisation called UKTenantData. I phoned the agents about this and they told me that being registered with them is a legal requirement and literally everyone who is renting is required to sign up, as it serves to prove that you're legally able to rent in the UK.

Is that true? I ask because the questions asked by UKTenantData felt excessively intrusive. They wanted phone numbers of my current landlord and family members, my exact salary and where I work, previous addresses, my bank details, and I even had to pay nearly £20 for this "service". Something feels very off about all this... I understand the need for SOME of the above information, but some of the questions just felt very out of order. Was I required to register with them, by law?

no it's not true.


BUT I think you're confused. It's a legal requirement to prove you are allowed to rent and UKTenantData presumably do the checks for the LA.


None of the info they've asked for is intrusive, but neither does it prove your right to rent.

Annie35

As steampower says, it's 2 parts

1. Right to rent. This is a legal requirement, basically to see your passport or similar.

2. Credit referencing. Depending how extensive the service used, they would ask for 3 years addresses to bank statements to employer details etc. Sounds like they're doing a full check.

The landlord has asked an agent to do these checks & the agency have arranged this company to do it. It's not sinister and actually is better to be a referencing agency direct as you are only giving this official referencing company access to your data. Tbh they're doing by the book & that can only be a good thing!

sgun

Go back and ask how they know that UKTenant are going to comply with the new GDPR regulations in regard to the information they have asked for.

While you are at it ask about their own GDPR audit and what they are doing to ensure they will be able to comply by May 25th with regards to the data they hold on you.

Lots of the information you have been asked wouldn't fall under GDPR as it isn't personal or sensitive but it is irrelevant so they shouldn't be asking for it.

There are some issues here but nothing major, I would however want proof of where/if the data is held.

More importantly its just a fun way to wind them up a bit in return for them lying to you about having to use UKTenant.

Comms69

sgun wrote: »

Go back and ask how they know that UKTenant are going to comply with the new GDPR regulations in regard to the information they have asked for.

While you are at it ask about their own GDPR audit and what they are doing to ensure they will be able to comply by May 25th with regards to the data they hold on you.

Lots of the information you have been asked wouldn't fall under GDPR as it isn't personal or sensitive but it is irrelevant so they shouldn't be asking for it.

There are some issues here but nothing major, I would however want proof of where/if the data is held.

More importantly its just a fun way to wind them up a bit in return for them lying to you about having to use UKTenant.

Almost every thread has gone on about GDPR, yet no-one seems to mentions that almost all companies have a valid reason to keep your data for a minimum of 6 years.

Annie35

Thing is don't give them the details, don't get the flat. That's the bottom line isn't it.

(& the next flat & the next flat will ask pretty much the same info, better get used to it)