It's understandable that a landlord wants to know who they're renting to. But they can't ask for just anything. Your data is your call, and it's good to know where the line is before you email half your life to a stranger. We covered the landlord's side in this article.
Why do they ask at all?
A landlord is trusting you with a flat worth tens of millions of forints, and counts on the rent every month. They want to know two things: can you pay the rent, and will you look after the flat. That's a fair question. The question is how much data that takes, and what's too much.
Under the GDPR, a landlord collecting applicants' data is a data controller too. So they can only ask for as much data as their purpose requires, and they must tell you what they'll use it for.
Fair requests
- Your name and contact details.
- Some proof that you can afford the rent.
- A reference from a previous landlord, if you agree.
- Seeing your ID when you sign the lease.
Proof of income can take several forms: a letter from your employer, one or two relevant lines from a bank statement, or a short statement about your employer and roughly how much you earn. You don't have to hand over every document, just enough to show you can pay.
Excessive requests
- A photo of your ID before the viewing.
- Your full bank statement with every transaction.
- Questions about your health, religion or family plans.
- Access to your social media accounts.
- Keeping a copy of your ID "just to be safe".
A full bank statement shows where you shop, who you send money to and what you spend on. That goes far beyond what a landlord needs to know.
What about the credit register (KHR)?
A landlord can't pull your data from the Central Credit Information System (Központi Hitelinformációs Rendszer, KHR) themselves. You, however, can request a statement of your own data and show it if you want. Nobody can make this mandatory, but a clean KHR statement builds trust.
Discrimination
A landlord can't turn you down because of your ethnic origin, religion, nationality, gender identity or any other protected characteristic. They can, however, consider whether your income covers the rent, or whether the flat suits the number of people moving in.
The landlord's side is covered in this article.
What you can do
Ask what the data is for and how long they'll keep it. If they only need one line from a document, cover up the rest. If you're not chosen, you can ask them to delete your documents.
Practical tips:
- Don't email a photo of your ID before the viewing. If they ask, offer to show it when you sign the lease.
- Cover up the parts they don't need on documents, such as your account number or transactions.
- Write on the document what you gave it for, for example: "Only for tenant selection for the flat at [address]." That makes misuse harder.
- Ask for deletion in writing if you weren't chosen.
- Flag an excessive request politely. Many landlords simply haven't thought about it.
If a landlord still insists on excessive data, that also tells you something about what renting from them will be like.
If you experience misuse
If you feel your data has been misused, first ask the landlord in writing for information or for deletion. If that doesn't help, you can turn to the National Authority for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (NAIH).
FAQ
Do I have to give my employer's name?
No, but if you don't, the landlord needs to see your ability to pay some other way. A proof of income or paying a larger amount upfront can also work.
Can a landlord ask for a certificate of good conduct (erkölcsi bizonyítvány)?
Usually it isn't justified. It isn't needed for a tenancy, and it goes beyond the principle of data minimisation.
What if they ask about my health at the viewing?
You don't have to answer. Politely say that it has nothing to do with renting.
The simpler way
With Rentkey Passport, your documents stay with you. The landlord only sees that they've been verified, plus a summary score. You can send it to several landlords with one link and revoke it at any time.
