My ex letting Agent is opening our mail

[djackv]

Our ex letting agent has opened our mail, posted it by hand to our new address and has sent text about personal information she has read. Some letters were from the inland revenue and contains really personal info. She now informs me that she has rang people to let them know our new address. She states she has done this to stop any debtors we may have pestering the next tennants. Firstly is it legal for her to open really personal mail which is always marked Private & Personal and secondly does she have the right to ring people and give out our new address.

[sara3]

I don't know the answer, sorry.. but that's an outrage! your post is your property, and you have a right to keep personal information personal. it's not for them to be informing anyone of anything.

I'd talk to the police about it.

[lajohn]

congratulate and compliment her for helping out. HTH

[sandbach99]

I'm certain she does not have the right to open your mail, she knew your new address and should have forwarded it to you unopened.

If she had not known your address she should have returned it to the sender, unopened and marked gone away.

Keep the text messages. If she has a boss ask to speak to him privately, and possibly even contact the police.

[Ice.Maiden]

I believev it's illegal to open mail which's addressed to someone else.

[Velvetee]

No, it's actually illegal to open mail addressed to someone else. However, I did open my ex tenants' mail, as they caused a number of bailiffs to visit the property, having run up unpaid debts and bills.

I felt I needed to open mail from debt collection agencies, so I could write to them, informing them the tenants no longer lived at the address. I also gave these debt collection agencies the ex tenant's new address, as I felt their behaviour was disgusting, running up debts and then disappearing. Quite frankly, it's criminal.

[Mrs_Pegasus]

Why dont you simply set up a redirection on your old address?
I know it costs money but I for one find it annoying to keep having someone elses mail sent to my address after they have left the property for a long period of time.

You are legally obliged to notify certain official bodies of your change of address and I would say that the Inland Revenue is one of them.

No she probably isnt legally suppose to open your mail or ring people to tell them your new address but at the same time it is in your best interest to have notified these people of your new address.

[horselady]

Absolutely illegal to open mail addressed to someone else. She has no right to do that.

[Ethel]

It is not illegal to open post addressed to somebody else.

The law states:

"A person commits an offence if, intending to act to a person's detriment and without reasonable excuse, he opens a postal packet which he knows or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him."

The Postal Services Act 2000

You would have to prove she has acted to your detriment - she will say she was being helpful.

Why you didn't have the post redirected is beyond me.

[sandbach99]

Ignore Tetjam they always post with stars instead of words

As the letting agent knew your mobile number and your new address I don't see why she needed to open your post she could have re-directed it or asked you to pick it up.

I think she was just being nosey.