Digital signatures

OpenRent Chat
1

Hi all,

I have asked a few times but have not had an answer yet so perhaps someone on here will be able to help:

  1. Does the OpenRent system of digital signatures comply with the provisions of the Electronic Communications Act 2000?
  2. Does OpenRent use a service provider for digital signatures and if so, which one?

Many thanks

2

Hmmm. Interesting Openrent has not got back to you. I’ve been wondering the same thing.

3

OpenRent did reply but did not provide as much detail as I was after. The main responses I received were:

  1. The contract is downloadable, so you can complete it offline (as well as online) if you want to.

  2. OpenRent guidance on digital signatures here:
    https://www.openrent.co.uk/kb/articles/360000464631-Digital-Signatures-What-do-I-need-to-know

  3. “Using digital signatures is fully compliant with all associated legislation and we have successfully created thousands of tenancies using our process.”

  4. “We use our own software to enable landlords and tenants to sign so that the data doesn’t need to be shared with any third parties.”

  5. Our processes have been carefully checked by leading legal experts in housing law.

I wanted to know:
a) How a digital signature is associated with an individual. That is to say, what is to stop someone from claiming that the digital signature is not theirs?

b) Does the OpenRent software use an accredited PKI provider for key generation and storage and if so who?

OpenRent declined to answer (a) and (b).over and above the answers they gave in points 1-5 above.

4

I would never accept a digital signature I want to see the person signing.

5

Sorry that’s what I meant, that they did not answer that specific question.