Do I have a right to know who lives in my house?

Do I have a right to know who lives in my house?

14:20 PM, 24th March 2021, About 3 years ago 35

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I recently rented out my property and instructed a letting agent to fully manage it. As we are a family of tradesmen, I like to do any of the maintenance/gas safety checks/electrical certificates myself using my family.

Today the letting agent contacted me to say that the gas check was due. I said that I would be doing it myself, the only problem being that I didn’t have any contact details for the tenant and therefore asked if I could be supplied with these.

I was informed that due to GDPR they were not allowed to give me any tenants details or contact details and that I would need to let them know who I was using for the gas check, and they would make the arrangements.

Whilst I am happy for them to make the arrangements, I cannot believe that I am not allowed to know who is in my property. I was also not given a copy of the contract as again I was informed that due to GDPR I was not allowed to see the information.

Can anyone throw any light on this please.

Arthur


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Paul B

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15:41 PM, 27th March 2021, About 3 years ago

GDPR is a bit like Health and Safety, a convenient hiding place for the over zealous and the incompetent.

I always make a point of meeting prospective tenants personally after the due diligence is done, and before they sign up and move in. It helps to humanise the relationship and it gives you as landlord an opportunity to use your instincts before committing. I also always exchange mobile numbers with tenants, even though I use a managing agent. I have contact details for emergencies and I tell the tenants to deal with the agents.

Rob Crawford

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19:02 PM, 2nd April 2021, About 3 years ago

Your agent either does not understand gdpr or is hiding behind it. All the agent has to do is get the tenants approval to include you as a receipriant of their data. The agent should also state in the AST that they are acting on your behalf. I do agree that landlords should also be ICO registered and fail to see how in the modern day that some data will not be stored electronically or used by the landlord to verify the rental arrangement often asked by the LA, mortgage providers or insurers.

TheMaluka

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11:25 AM, 7th April 2021, About 3 years ago

Give the agent 7 days to supply you with full information, essentially a copy of his file, and if he does not provide everything then take your case to the ombudsman. I did just that in similar circumstnaces and was awarded compensation of £500.

Di

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16:36 PM, 21st April 2021, About 3 years ago

Perhaps there's a good reason why the agent doesn't want you to have a copy of the tenancy agreement or the tenant's contact details - maybe they are renting it out as a HMO or charging a higher rent than you think and skimming the profit each month?

Mike

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17:24 PM, 21st April 2021, About 3 years ago

As a matter of fact, do any of the landlords have ANY right to know who lives at the property apart from the Tenants they dealt with at the time of signing the agreement.
In a real situation as I am, I noticed I rented my house to a couple, with an agreement that one other member of his family could live or share the house, and I categorically made this clear that other person must be related to him as allowing anyone else would constitute illegal HMO.
But I see different people living there every few months when I visit for inspections, sometimes there is an old lady and I noticed she is cooking her own food, another time there is a young man who also has been seen to do his own cooking, I do not want to put my life at risk by asking my tenants can I see his ID, and how is he related to him, I do not wish to have a broken jaw, and end up in a hospital ward where Covid is ripe, so this is the situation I am having to face and it is not for me to check and question people who is who and how they are related.It is up to the authorities, as I do not have the legal power to question. My prime concern is with rent of course being paid on time, and that property is not being abused, and that tenants are living without complaints from neighbours, suppose If I do ask, my tenant is simply going to say she is my Aunt, or that young man is his nephew, has come to stay with him for a few months, what more can I say apart from accepting that in good faith. If suppose it turns out to be they were unrelated, and my local council takes me to court, and I am found guilty, will I serve my sentence, or pay my fine, the answer is absolutely never!

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