RogueTenantRegister.co.uk – feasibility?

This is definitely needed theres so much new legislation that does not protect the landlords we need to do it our self and if this helps I’m in. As landlords we need as much support as we can even if it means we have to take the initiative and start projects ourselves.

It was Paul Routledge who had a referencing site, all my tenants were on it.
He did not use it as a rogue tenant register though any tenant details could be on it, good or bad. If you were referencing a potential new tenant they would search their database and give you contact details for any previous Landlord who had uploaded that tenants details, then you could speak to them directly.

It was ‘LRS’ and I registered several rogue tenants on their database.

As usual, the matter then of the GDPR (and now we are out of the EU, Data Protection Act) would raise its head, and this is what LRS said at the time (2019):

‘Are Tenant Histories legal?
Yes, as no personal details are passed onto third party landlords or letting agents, just the information on the tenants previous landlord and if there were any rent defaults or property damage registered to that tenants LRS history. Landlord Referencing.co.uk does not store data on a scoring system/county court judgements and is fully registered with the ICO for data protection.’

I’ve spent a lot of time on personal identifiable data and the GDPR/DPA in the past, and couldn’t see why the database wasn’t more widely adopted by landlords. I guess there was a fear and lack of knowledge of the GDPR at the time and, unfortunately, it is now defunct.

As we can see from some of the comments on here, there is still a fear of getting it wrong, but what’s the cost of not knowing? Organisations gather this type of data all the time, and with the right precautions, I see no reason why it couldn’t happen. But… it needs to be at scale, which means landlords must subscribe.

I finally evicted a feckless tenant with 16 months of arrears, damage, and ASB, and while he apparently passed his credit check, I’m sure his previous landlord would have had problems with him.

I had the ‘reverse’ idea of a Tenant’s Passport.

So tenants would be encouraged to keep a copy of their last three reference checks ( or get a copy from who-ever they rented from – via ) and produce their ‘worthiness’ of being considered to let to.
Mind the most effective tool for landlords is to insist on a Guarantor. Its not landlords fault or problem that some tenants may not have one – perhaps it would encourage Insurance companies to set up a Guarantor policy.

Won’t happen unless backed by law. and run by an authority.

As well as GDPR, the risk of accusations of libal/defamation and discrimination makes it unfeasable. Its a legal minefield.

Its basically blacklisting, irrespective of accuracy of the content.

Reply to the comment left by TrevL at 23/02/2022 – 18:01
But it’s OK for a tenant to claim a landlord is ‘rogue’ and complain to the council, and for that landlord to then be placed on a register… just because it’s ‘official’?

I am sure something could be workable.
Email me at [email protected] and we can discuss a slightly different spin on the idea that may get around GDPR.

Noble idea but a lot of searching would be involved seeking out the bad which all takes time!

Reply to the comment left by LaLo at 23/02/2022 – 18:56
Not nearly as long as evicting a bad tenant.

Reply to the comment left by NewYorkie at 23/02/2022 – 16:38
Was it an agent who did the reference checking for you? You can ask to see the references and if you suspect that they haven’t done them go to their ombudsman who can demand them. If they don’t produce them the ombudsman (or Property Redress Scheme) can award you compensation. (See also Hale vs Blue Sky Properties and Shevlin vs Sequence). Worth pursuing….