Is my information safe with French estate agents?

Reader Question: I am very concerned about sending my financial information via email to different rental agencies to see if I qualify for a rental. I am concerned about misuse of my personal information, including identity theft. How does one manage this?

France has a rigorous banking sector and property market, with systems in place to prevent fraudulent use of data. 

For example, a 2018 general regulation on protection of data sets out rules that are policed by national data agency Cnil, which in the case of an estate agency would include any personal data that could identify you.

This requires the businesses to meet certain norms in systems for data collection and processing, and to ensure effective procedures are in place from the first contact, to guarantee security. For example, estate agents must make sure only the landlord and the agency personnel can read information in requests about rentals, or clients’ dossiers.

A 1970 law (article 4-3) also makes it a legal requirement on estate agents that they should respect the confidentiality of clients’ data.

Furthermore, many agencies are part of large well-known groups or federations with their own codes of practice, the largest being the Fédération Nationale de l'Immobilier (FNAIM), whose code of conduct reminds agents that they must “show prudence and discretion in the use of personal data and information related to their clients or third parties who they come into contact with in the exercise of their duties”.

Read more: France is worst country in Europe for bank card fraud: how to protect yourself

What documents do rental agents ask for?

Usually, the financial details you must send over to estate agents are fairly standard documents, such as ID, proof of address, and financial statements from your bank showing income levels. 

Do not be surprised by such requests, however, as apart from checking your ability to pay the rent, agencies also, similar to banks, have obligations to ‘know their customers’ as part of the fight against money laundering. 

Before handing over any details, you can check to see if the estate agent you are in contact with belongs to a federation or a well-known national group (the latter include Orpi, LaForêt and Century 21). 

If you do not want to email documents over, consider going to an agency in-person. 

They more typically involve fraudsters calling their victims posing as a staff member of their bank and seeking personal details such as account numbers or card numbers. Banks do not ask for such information over the phone. 

If in doubt about the legitimacy of any phone call, do not give details; hang up and call the relevant agency yourself on the number from its website or documentation.