I don’t think I need to be concerned about GDPR

I don’t think I need to be concerned about GDPR

12:38 PM, 5th May 2018, About 6 years ago 104

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I don’t think I need to be concerned about GDPR, here’s why.

I live overseas and whilst my property rental business in the UK is a substantial one, I keep no records either written or electronically in regards to any of my tenants. The day to day liaison with tenants is all dealt with via my letting agent, who simply accounts to me the rental income for my properties.

Occasionally, if for example I need to replace white goods, then my letting agent will provide me with the contact details of my tenants to organise this. That is the only purpose for which I use that tenants data and it is then destroyed.

On this basis, do you agree that I should not concern myself with GDPR?


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Robert M

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15:38 PM, 26th May 2018, About 6 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Dennis Leverett at 26/05/2018 - 12:28
Hi Dennis

The questionnaires I believe are about whether you need to pay to register, e.g. a charity may be exempt from paying the fee, but still has to register. However, if you are 100% satisfied that you do not have to register then that is your choice to make and your risk to take.

Dennis Leverett

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18:08 PM, 26th May 2018, About 6 years ago

Hi Robert
After filling in the assessment form as per my previous comment the answer, in black and white, was "You are under no requirement to pay a fee. You are only processing personal data for the core business purposes. You therefore do not have to pay a fee to the ICO. However, it is important that your organisation adheres to the principles of the General Data Protection Regulations and understands best practice for managing information. To help ensure you are complying with the GDPR, we have produced a range of training materials including practical toolkits, training videos and more. Even if you are exempt, you may still wish to pay a data protection fee." I think this is quite clear ("you may still wish to" not, "you will still have to") that I don't have to register but I have been told verbally that I can register voluntarily and that's what my learned friend also told me originally weeks ago. I would suggest perhaps ask them the question yourself. It's not about just paying the fee it's about having to register or not which is what the assessment form is about. Why would you pay a fee if you didn't have to register. The words pay a fee imply registering.

Robert M

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12:09 PM, 27th May 2018, About 6 years ago

I have just had feedback from a landlord who I sent a free GDPR Data Protection Policy to, they said it took just 7 mins for him to make the amendments to adapt it to his own landlording business. Just 7 minutes!!!

Anyone wanting an editable sample copy of my GDPR Data Protection Policy, please email me direct robert.mellors@hotmail.co.uk rather than requesting it on this thread.

T G

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17:18 PM, 27th May 2018, About 6 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Pam Thompson at 24/05/2018 - 13:20
If you take any personal information from a tenant, you probably need to register as a "data controller" with the Information Commissioner's Office, ICO.

You can request to see a tenant's ID and any "reasonable amount" of personal information and its ok to store paper copies of this information too, as long as you keep them locked away in a filing cabinet.

Obtaining and holding personal information, whether this is stored electronically or in hard-copy means that you are a data controller. This makes you responsible for how this data is secured and processed and you must have a lawful basis for processing that data.

Monty Bodkin

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18:08 PM, 27th May 2018, About 6 years ago

So what is the penalty if it all comes on top in this very, very grey area?

E.G
Single property landlord not ICO registered but otherwise fully compliant.
Rent £7200 pa.
Max fine of 4% of turnover, only to be used in extremis.
Say 1% for the average Joe -"IF" landlords need to register.
£72
In the highly unlikely event of it ever getting that far.
(ICO registered BTW)

Chris @ Possession Friend

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18:59 PM, 27th May 2018, About 6 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Monty Bodkin at 27/05/2018 - 18:08Re Registration, The KEY question is if you handle Data 'ELECTRONICALLY' ( don't have any bearing on number of properties. For the simple answer you can print out a copy of the ICO answer to this question, just go to their Registration Self-Assessment, it just asks 3 questions ( the 3rd being crucial - Do you process information Electronically ? ) Answering Yes will require Registration. If you are happy to maintain you keep only paper records - you Don't have to register.

Dennis Leverett

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19:25 PM, 27th May 2018, About 6 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Chris Daniel at 27/05/2018 - 18:59
The one I answered with my online business hat on had 8 questions including question 3 which I answered yes to and was told no at end, see my reply further up page. This questionnaire has a long list of business types, question 7 I think, one being property management/letting property which when I ticked with my Landlord hat on, end said Yes. I have not seen one with only three questions on.

Chris @ Possession Friend

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20:01 PM, 27th May 2018, About 6 years ago

Just Google. ICO Registration Self Assessment.

Dennis Leverett

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20:06 PM, 27th May 2018, About 6 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Chris Daniel at 27/05/2018 - 20:01
https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/data-protection-fee/self-assessment/ Just Googled and got the 8 questions try it yourself.

Monty Bodkin

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20:07 PM, 27th May 2018, About 6 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Chris Daniel at 27/05/2018 - 18:59The KEY question I'm positing is what is the penalty for a landlord not ICO registering.
If it is necessary (which is yet to be proved).
And
If "caught".
IMHO, worst case scenario for a single property landlord;
£72

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