Rented: Legal question

[JumboBeef]

Hello All,

I am in a rented house (England), moved in about three months ago. The property is owned by a small development company.

Yesterday I received a form from them stating:

In order to comply with illegal immigrant status, health and safety regulations, tenants and landlords act 1954 and money laundering regulations, we would be pleased if you complete the below and return to us.

The form asks for my:

First name
Surname
Date of birth
NI number
Mobile number
Email address
Gas supplier
Electricity supplier
Water supplier
Gas meter ref
Electricity meter number
Water meter number
Local authority
Council tax ref no.

I have rented before and have never been asked these questions (of course they already know certain info, my name and mobile number, and the meters were fitted by themselves...!) Do they have a genuine reason to ask for this information?

Thanks.

[andburg]

Doesn't seem right to me!

[Rangeroverover]

Yes its all part of the nonsense landlords/agents deal with. If tenant turns out to be an illegal there are potential penalties for the landlord........don't know if its ever enforced though

[vxr8mate]

All quite normal if you ask me and besides you have nothing to hide do you?

[Sheepshanks]

Your NI number is supposed to be confidential information and only given in relation to employment and benefits payments etc - but a lot of organisations ask for it.

[surveyor]

New legislation. I think it applies to new tenancies only, but if you have a renewal come up it's a sensible leap....

[V8forweekends]

Sheepshanks said:

Your NI number is supposed to be confidential information and only given in relation to employment and benefits payments etc - but a lot of organisations ask for it.

Including DVLA now if you want/need to look up you licence details online.

[Rude-boy]

I don't know the full answer but it does seem quite a bit over the top to me and to be asking a few questions that have nothing to do with proving you are not an illegal, H&S, Etc and far more to do with which suppliers you are using for utilities.

As for the NI number I would be tempted to tell them to jog on or show me the legislation requiring that they are made aware of this. "In any event please let me have a full copy of your Data Protection Policy. and conformation of the number of reposts you have made to the data protection officer in the last 12 months.

TBH I have zero concern about all of the questions they have asked, other than the NI one unless you are on benefits and that is how your rent is funded, more I am pissed off at someone 'stretching' a valid and reasonable legal requirement (in this day and age) to also ;'cover' information that they want to know...

[Sheepshanks]

Rude-boy said:

"In any event please let me have a full copy of your Data Protection Policy.

Be worth a look to see if they're registered: https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/what-we-do/regist...

[JumboBeef]

Thanks for the replies. I'm not on benifits and pay all the rent myself.