Buy-to-let Landlords Should Beware Of Identity Theft

Buy-to-let landlords have been urged to protect their personal details from theft by their tenants.

Financial website CreditExpert.co.uk says that landlords accounted for half of all cases where identity theft victims knew the fraudster.

Jim Hodgkins, managing director of CreditExpert.co.uk, said of buy-to-let properties: "When considering this type of investment, people should be wary of the possibility of dishonest tenants taking advantage of your good credit score and credit report to incur debts in your name."

His warnings come with the publication of his company's Victims of Fraud report that shows that 41 per cent of cases of identity fraud involved residents using details from previous owners.

Landlords who rent out properties they had once lived in are therefore at risk of this, meaning that they should arrange with the Post Office to redirect mail, Mr Hodgkins said.

Anyone concerned about identity theft can take action such as this or by checking their credit report regularly, which would pick up on any anomalous credit applications.