Am I Being Overly Cautious?

[Barmaid]

Now, just set aside the idea that I know a bit about the law.

On a personal level, I am just negotiating with a potential landlord over the rent of a property. There is no agent involved. I am going to offer him a holding deposit which I can do asap by bank transfer.

HOWEVER, am I being over-cautious since I have said I will pay him a deposit once I can confirm HIS identity. I am about to ask for photo ID and a recent utility bill (bear in mind I shall check a couple of things out myself as well). What identification would you ask for? (I obviously have his name, his dob, his record from Companies House, his residential address, his car reg)

Or do you think I am just being a bit daft?

[jim360]

I would hope that if he's a reasonably trustworthy landlord then he wouldn't mind such steps being taken.

[Barmaid]

I hope so, Jim. Perhaps I am just a nasty old cynic but I can see a cracking good scam here.

[Tuvok]

Proof that the property is his and that he's not subletting?

Aren't landlords suposed to have a protected account for deposits so that tenants get their deposits back?

[jim360]

I'm sure it's better to be cynical and wrong than trusting and wrong :P

[hc4361]

Have you met him? If you don't know what he looks like photo id is useless.
Send him a cheque - then you will know the bank account is in the given name and confirm the address.
All the information you have got could be obtained by a scammer, after all.

[sunny-dave]

So difficult isn't it - after three holiday rentals of the same apartment (each paid for by bank transfer to the agency's Portuguese bank account), the agent suggested that for my fourth booking I could just transfer the rental direct to her personal UK account - saving us both quite a bit in currency fees and commission. I was sure she was dead straight (and it turned out fine), but it was still a twitchy process.

[Flonska]

When selling a property, agents and solicitors involved will establish the id of the vendor and that they are legally entitled to sell. Without this proof, the sale would not go ahead.

When agents act for a landlord, they are required by law to disclose the landlord’s name, correspondence address and the address of the rental property. I see no reason why you should not follow this principle. It may also be worth establishing that the "landlord" is the legal owner and that the property is not being rented through a 3rd party.

[hc4361]

There is no agent involved, Flonska

[Flonska]

Thank you HC, I am aware of that.

I may not have expressed myself clearly and for that I apologise but I was trying to suggest that such id/proof should be obtained although it is not a legal requirement.

[woofgang]

there was a story in the paper ?last year about someone whose identity was stolen and their house/flat can't remember which was stolen from them and sold. I think you are being sensible.
It was Max hasting's wife
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3356929/The-thieves-stole-wife-s-house-sold-1-3million.html

[Peter Pedant]

where are you doing this ?

This sort of dance is unheard of in Manch
( but I never advertise - it is all done by word of mouth...)

but I do let at the lower end of the market

[Davemano]

Just a thought, Is/Has the property been occupied. A few questions in that area may help.