My landlord wants my social security # to look at utility bills

[BigJim]

I live in Buffalo N.Y. and our building is owned by Peoples Inc. They just purchased our apartment buildings from Olmsted Inc. last year.

We were just given letters asking for our utility account numbers and our social security numbers so they can look at our accounts when ever needed for usage charts? The buildings office downstairs was broken into this weekend and they stole the pass key to all the apartments and now I am concerned that they may have also stolen our leases with our personal information on them.

We all just filled out new leases with our social numbers 3 & 1/2 weeks ago. Its bad enough they keep doing apartment inspections every 3 weeks or so for the past year but now this. Is it legal for them to ask for my S.S.# again and again?

P.S. I have been living here for over 16 years and pay my rent on time all the time.

 

[russ_watters]

Welcome to PF.

You really should be asking this in a legal advice or renters' advice forum. To me it makes sense that they would need your SSN, once, for a credit check before they offer you a lease. After that, they're entitled to getting paid every month, in accordance with your lease and for you to abide by the rules/policies in the lease. I wouldn't consider it reasonable to keep asking (nor would I give them) personal information including access to my utility accounts. Read your lease, google the laws in your state, ask experts in the field.

But what do I know, I'm an engineer and I haven't rented in 20 years.

 

[berkeman]

And as a PF policy, we cannot give legal advice. Thread is closed and we wish you well.