Agency asking to open letters to landlord and end them pictures

Mimi123456

Hello everyone.

I recently moved into a new rented flat. Today I received an email from the letting agent asking if any post arrived with landlords name and asked to send photos of them.

There are a couple of letters with the council logo. I haven’t opened them. I’m assuming they were notified by previous tenants that they had moved out and transferred the council tax to the landlord.

How should I approach this? Should I agree to take pictures? Ask for their consent to open the letters? 

Or insist that I am not comfortable opening them and someone can come and collect the post?

The agency manages the property on behalf of the overseas landlord.

Many thanks in advance for your views!

user1977

Entirely up to you. The agency/landlord can't insist on you copying the post to them. You can keep it and make it available for collection if you want, forward the letters to another address, or return to sender.

PRAISETHESUN

Personally I'd be telling your agent that the LL needs to set up a postal redirection for their mail - have it delivered to the agent's office rather than your home. It's not your obligation to collect/forward on any mail for them, especially at your own cost (even opening and taking photos takes time, which has value). If you're being nice you could make it available for collection at a time convenient for you, otherwise I'd mark it return to sender. Eventually they'll get their act together.

eddddy

Does the letting agent definitely mean you should open the letters and photograph the contents?  As opposed to taking photos of the envelopes?

If the landlord's agent has given you a clear written request to do that, I can't see any problem with doing it.

I guess you could ask the agent to ask the landlord to send an email directly to you confirming that's what they want you to do, so you're in no doubt.

If it's just the occasional letter, it doesn't seem too onerous. But if lots of multipage documents start turning up, maybe you'd want to object.

Rambosmum

Personally I'd do it if I was confident the request was from the landlord. I'd find that easier than the alternatives. I would however be clear it would be for a specified period of time to allow the landlord to set up a redirect. 

doodling

Hi,

There is no legal problem opening any letters that are addressed to the property you are living in, even if addressed to a different name.  (You can't however use the contents of those letter to commit fraud and in some cases you may be under an obligation to keep your knowledge of the contents to yourself).

I would be more concerned that you are volunteering to be a letter opening and scanning service. I'd suggest that whilst you might be happy to do one or two letters, you should be telling the agent that the landlord needs to sort their post out.

A lot will depend on your free time and the extent of your worry about receiving a S21 notice. 

Mimi123456

Thank you everyone. 

I’m ok with opening and scanning an occasional letter or even posting a couple of letters once in a while to the agency address. After all, happy to help out the agency in the name of our effective relationship (eg if I need repairs or smth). 

Was more worried about legal implications and ethics of opening someone else’s mail. 

I think I will suggest that I send them to the agency’s postal address. 

jonnydeppiwish!

I personally would just write RTS - not at this address on the envelopes and pop back in mail box.

saajan_12

Mimi123456 said:

Thank you everyone. 

I’m ok with opening and scanning an occasional letter or even posting a couple of letters once in a while to the agency address. After all, happy to help out the agency in the name of our effective relationship (eg if I need repairs or smth). 

Was more worried about legal implications and ethics of opening someone else’s mail. 

I think I will suggest that I send them to the agency’s postal address. 

- The post has been correctly delivered to your address
- You have been specifically asked to open the mail
- The request comes from the agent of the person the mail is addressed to
- You don't intend to commit any fraud with the mail

Those facts mean that there are ZERO legal or ethical implications - you are actually helping them by opening it!

You don't have to however, reason would be because its time consuming rather than any legal worry!

user1977

Mimi123456 said:

Was more worried about legal implications and ethics of opening someone else’s mail. 

Their agent has asked you to do that - for your purposes, it's the same as the request coming directly from the landlord.

Mimi123456

Argh annoying they are insisting on opening the letters and sending them the photos.

to be honest I’m not comfortable doing that. Does anyone know if from legal standpoint I’m ok if they provide consent?

not trying to be difficult with them just know that under Postal Act or smth one is not supposed to open mail not addressed to them without reasonable excuse.