Ask A Broadsheet Reader

at

Screen Shot 2015-07-06 at 00

Barbara writes:

Hi there, maybe your savvy readers would know…. Why – like this landlord – are landlords, letting agents and estate agents asking for bank details? An Employer reference would be enough to assure of income, previous landlord reference to assure you’re not awful. Bank details or a bank reference a bit too much I think and nowhere is it legally required….

(Screengrab: daft.ie)

Sponsored Link

37 thoughts on “Ask A Broadsheet Reader

  1. Pat

    When looking for private rented accommodation you may be asked to provide certain information to a prospective landlord or their agent. Below is a list of items that may be requested from you and you should not be asked to supply this information unless you are being offered a tenancy:

    – PPS No. (this is for the registration of the tenancy with the Private Residential Tenancies Board http://www.prtb.ie)
    – A reference from a previous landlord
    – A reference from their current employer
    – Photo I.D. such as a driving licence or passport
    – Evidence of residency
    – Recent bank statements
    – Payslips

    http://www.threshold.ie/advice/seeking-private-rented-accommodation/what-information-can-a-landlord-request-from-me/

    1. Stewart Curry

      Would the new landlord not need references before offering the tenancy, to help them decide who to offer it to?
      PPS, Bank details, ID etc could wait until an offer is made, if they are only needed to process the agreement and set up rent payment.

      1. ahyeah

        Precisely. I’d provide my PPS number to someone I’m actually going to be entering into a contract with (and once that person has similarly committed), not with an application.

  2. Atticus

    It’s because they can.

    You have a choice; either don’t supply them with your bank details and have no chance of getting the property, or do supply them with your bank details and have a lesser chance of not getting the property.

    It’s a seller’s market unfortunately.

    1. der

      Exactly! – the rules to protect tenants are few and far between. And lots of them are largely meaningless.

      I have a court order obtained by the PRTB for a landlord from 2011 to return €1500 deposit to me. The landlord the whole way along just ignored the process and didn’t engage – I’m told there are similar cases for subsequent tenants. And he’s still renting the place to people. It’s literally criminal. But nothing will happen and I’ll probably never see my money again.

      1. kenm

        if you have a court order, you can go to the county sheriff and he will confiscate property to that value

        1. der

          I was told that but I’ve been ringing the Meath sheriff daily for two weeks now with no answer. I’ve phoned the Dublin sheriff, the courts service and local solicitors and they’ve all told me to ring the number that doesn’t answer.

          1. Odis

            Seriously Der, Persist on m8. You can have this scoundrel for his goods and chattels and any costs associated with the sale of the same.
            Do unto him as he did unto you.

          2. ahyeah

            Obviously I don’t know the specifics, Der, but there’s something not right about that. Once you’ve a court order, it’s a pretty easy process. (And I disagree that the law is stacked against tenants. I’d say it’s pretty fair).

          3. Der

            I got an answer! I’m posing all the stuff in today, I’ll let ye know how it goes!

  3. Colin

    Depends what they mean by ‘bank details’, are they asking for statements or merely the account information? Either way they are asking you to send this along with your PPS in an email then its a serious breach of Data Protection. A quick swoop into that inbox and you’ll have yourself some very tidy info for some impersonating someone.

  4. Damien

    When I was signing up my lease my landlord asked for bank details in order to setup standing order for rent.

    I think these days it’s little pointless, because you don’t even need to write a letter to cancel it, you can do it in banking app :)

    1. ahyeah

      Don’t even have to do that – you get the landlord’s bank details and you set up the standing order. If he wants proof it’s been done, the bank will provide a letter to he effect. I wouldn’t hand out bank details + PPS number to anyone.

  5. Medium Sized C

    Basically one cohort of people thinks the other cohort of people are dicks who are trying to control them, rip them off, reduce their value or are the British aristocracy and are trying to protect them selves from the dicks by controlling them, ripping them off, reducing their value or bad mouthing them in public places like they were the British aristocracy. It’s the default Irish condition. Fits a good 75% of conversations on this site actually.

    1. ahyeah

      If you think that’s a peculiarly Irish condition, you haven’t been out of the country much.

  6. Omar Sarhan

    What law are you breaking if you just lie to the landlord and give false details ?
    Obvs, you shouldn’t really, but what’s the actual fall out from just giving any old numbers for a bank account and PPS…

    1. Rob_G

      I don’t think that you would be breaking any law per se, but you would probably be in breach of contract. The landlord could probably put you on the street with no notice when they found out (“I had an agreement xx, not yy”), and would keep the deposit

        1. Colin

          The contract would be null and void as fraudulent information was provided to the other party and hence may have swayed their decision unfavorably / in your favor. At best you’d be thrown out but at worst they could probably pursue you for costs etc.

  7. AlisonT

    Seems fair enough, after all the government just made landlords responsible for the water bills of their tenants.

    1. scundered

      No the landlords will not be chased for it, however the landlords will be asked to supply tenant info.

  8. Custo

    All things considered, that’s a decent price for a 2 bed house in Dublin 8 these days.

  9. Barbara

    Perhaps Threshold / relevant government department could sort this out – only on agreement to let are pps number and bank details provided. Tenants loss if they are not prepared to do so when agreement made.
    BUT…. As it’s the tenants money and bank a rent standing order comes from its for the tenant to set up standing order. Landlord can be given bank confirmation of this.
    Anyone giving all this information just to be considered….. Way too much and an invasion of privacy. What it’s doing now is cutting prospective tenants out of options. Would a landlord provide solvency details so you’d know repairs / maintenance would be carried out….

  10. ollie

    But but but but…. ALan Kelly is going to solve the rental market issues, really he is, any day now.

    Except……… he won’t and can’t. For a start, rent control is inconstitutional.

Comments are closed.

Sponsored Link
Broadsheet.ie