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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Landlord taking away passport for verification AIBU

52 replies

NameChangeTimeNow · 15/04/2018 14:25

I’m moving into a new flat, and the landlord has asked to see my original passport and a photocopy of the first page.

They’ve said that they will return the passport after verifying the copy.

I would prefer for the landlord to verify my passport in my presence as I don’t feel comfortable with them taking my passport away. AIBU?

Could you help me think of a way to word this politely to them please, just to clarify how I feel about it?

Has this happened to anyone else before?

Thanks.

OP posts:
AssignedPuuurfectAtBirth · 15/04/2018 15:01

No, don't let them take it. They can look at it/copy it in their presence

www.gov.uk/private-renting/document-checks

expatinscotland · 15/04/2018 15:01

Do not give your passport to be taken away. 'I can show you my passport and you can verify it in my presence but I can't permit it to be taken away.'

Jon66 · 15/04/2018 15:02

It's a legal requirement that prospective tenants need to prove a right to rent. Photocopies can easily be faked so I would want to see the original passport. Landlords are also required to keep evidence they have seen the passport and verified a right to rent. That would mean seeing the original passport and keeping a note in their records of the number and confirmation they have seen the original. This could be done at an agents office but they shouldn't need to remove the passport from your presence. I suspect they want to keep a copy in order to prove sight of it. Keeping a photo of it should suffice so suggest they take a photo of the original themselves. Just explain you are not happy allowing them to remove the passport from your safekeeping and suggest they take a photo instead. You are certainly not being unreasonable in this.

AlexanderHamilton · 15/04/2018 15:03

Puppy - if someone doesn’t have a passport you have to show your birth certificate (long not short version) plus a document/letter with you national insurance number on.

AssignedPuuurfectAtBirth · 15/04/2018 15:07

"It is the responsibility of the passport holder to ensure that the passport is held securely and safefy"

Page 5 of UK passport.

You have no idea if the landlord will hold it 'securely and safely', so say no

diddl · 15/04/2018 15:16

You can get an authenticated copy, but all that proves is that it's a copy of what you gave them to copy, not that your passport is genuine.

However, I wouldn't let anyone take the passport away!

House4 · 15/04/2018 15:28

Bit off topic but on Spanish holidays the hotels always take your passport overnight when you first get there Confused

Godowneasy · 15/04/2018 15:28

The easy solution is for you to take a photocopy of your passport to give to the landlord along with showing them the actual passport which they can hand back to you immediately.

Alternatively, most landlords would be happy if you got the photocopy verified by a solicitors firm, as being an accurate copy of your passport.

Whilst you have every right to not want your passport taken away from you, I wouldn't make a huge drama out of this, as it may make the landlord wonder if they're letting to the right person...

Mintychoc1 · 15/04/2018 16:04

Just say “I’m not happy to send my passport away, but I’ll bring it with me to show you when we meet up and I give you the photocopy”

MrsTerryPratchett · 15/04/2018 16:12

Sorry but can I just ask why the government has made it landlords' responsibility to check residency? And give away rights to privacy in the process. Sounds like a police state honestly. And makes me very uncomfortable. Is there a good reason, other than we don't care about privacy and you can justify anything by blaming immigrants?

lanbury · 15/04/2018 16:28

You can get your own passport copied and verified (I had to recently) take it to a solicitor who copies it and then puts their official company stamp and declaration to verify along with the solicitors signature. It cost about a fiver.

MsSquiz · 15/04/2018 16:32

I work in property management and we have to complete a Right to Tent check for all tenants, and part of that is seeing a current passport, drivers license, visa or residence permit.
We take a copy to keep on file to prove we have done the relevant checks. We ask all tenants to bring their documents in for us to take a copy when the come into sign the AST and collect their keys. We take a copy and hand the original straight back

www.gov.uk/check-tenant-right-to-rent-documents

CuriousaboutSamphire · 15/04/2018 16:35

I'd suspect that your landlord has been scared by the new right to rent legislation - wherein he has to act as though he were a customs official. The 2 bullet points can easily be misread:

www.gov.uk/private-renting/document-checks

  • make copies of your documents and keep them until you leave the property this means they keep the copies, but could be misinterpreted
  • return your original documents to you once they’ve finished the check seems to say the landlord can take your documents away, returning them once they have checked them.

Have a chat with the landlord and you should be able to come to an equitable arrangement.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 15/04/2018 16:38

I should say I also work in property management and find that LLs who DIY their lettings can be very officious with this new legislation. They get scared or excited/empowered by it and so by themselves a brand new Jobsworth Hat.

Some of the requests I have had around documentation are really scary!

specialsubject · 15/04/2018 16:44

Right to rent checks, landlords are unpaid border control or get fined.

But while he needs sight of the original and yo u, he doesn't need to take passport awa y!

Excuse spac es, mn coding as bad as this legisla tion.

Allfednonedead · 15/04/2018 17:06

MrsTerryPratchett, no other good reason than the attempt to create a hostile environment for illegal immigrants.
Yes, it does sound like a police state, doesn’t it?

MrsTerryPratchett · 15/04/2018 17:50

Yes @Allfednonedead

However nothing bad has ever happened when a government asks private citizens to check up on their neighbours and act as a quasi-governmental informant network. It's totally fine. No issue with empowering the populace to police people's immigration status. Why not add ethnicity and religion to that for good measure?

hardheadedwoman · 15/04/2018 18:03

If you don’t want to be awkward say you need to travel to Europe for work meetings regularly and at short notice so you need to keep it in your possession?

AsAProfessionalFekko · 15/04/2018 18:05

I'd ask exactly why they need to take it and who is verifying it? They can ask to see it and take a copy when you are there but I have never needed to hold on to one (i used to do admissions and we needed passports to prove identity).

caperberries · 15/04/2018 18:06

I’ve known hotels on the Continent to do this too.

AsAProfessionalFekko · 15/04/2018 18:10

Is that places where they inform the local police who is staying (like they used to in France)?

backsackcraic · 15/04/2018 19:19

Tell him you lost it in the move or that you noticed it needed renewing so have sent it off for a new one!

buttermilkwaffles · 21/04/2018 21:12

"Bit off topic but on Spanish holidays the hotels always take your passport overnight when you first get there"

Have always had mine checked/ looked at on arrival (think it's a legal requirement) not just at hotels abut at apartment lets too, but have never had it taken away. No need or requirement for them to do that and I would refuse if only because they or I might forget to get/give it back.

Bagadverts · 21/04/2018 21:33

PP asked about problems if you don't have ID to prove residence status. Unfortunately for some in the Wi drugs generation it has meant homelessness

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/20/i-thought-i-would-die-windrush-man-left-homeless-after-brain-surgery

Bagadverts · 21/04/2018 21:34

Not wi drugs Windrush