Hello,
I have recently asked about the availability of a property we like the look of. The landlord has come back and said he won’t do any viewings until he’s been sent a credit report, which he wants sent to an email address not through the OpenRent messaging.
I looked at my credit report and there was a huge amount of personal information in there which I’m reluctant to give to a stranger online. Am I being paranoid or is this a little strange?
I suggest you give the landlord the summary report and tell them they can have a full report as part of referencing if they decide to rent to you. I assume a summary can be generated that does not give away anything other than the name of your bank, etc., if that.
The summary, e.g.“Score 655 out of 710 on Credit Karma” might suffice, noting that the scoring system depends on the reporting agency and are not comparable.
Alternatively, screen shot the top section that may only list your name and address and possibly open accounts, with no details. If clever enough, produce what you think may help them and obliterate details like account numbers, etc. stating that this has occurred as a fraud prevention measure and requesting they keep this information safe and destroy it at the earliest opportunity.
Hi Michael,
It’s not unusual for landlords to want this kind of information. Usually a referencing report, including a credit score, would be ordered after placing a holding deposit, because this ensures that if the landlord is satisfied, you will let the property, and so you won’t have shared your pesonal data for nothing. Having said that, I’m sure there are many landlords out there who would prefer to see credit information before taking a holding deposit.
I think @john45’s suggestion of sending a limited amount of informatino is a good one and should satisfy most landlords.
Sam
I would move on Michael and find something else. A landlord like that sounds like he/she will give you more trouble in the future. Im a landlord and never ask for anything before a viewing.