Estate and letting agents must be vigilant against breaches of GDPR, Propertymark has warned.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) recently issued fresh advice regarding compliance with UK GDPR law after an examination of complaint data revealed a lack of understanding of the regulation within the housing sector.

The ICO referenced specific cases where GDPR rules had been breached, such as a tenant’s health being unnecessarily disclosed to a legal adviser in a neighbour dispute.

In another case, a tenant had their house damaged further after they asked for information about a repair following a leak in the neighbouring flat, which resulted in additional damage and expense due to staff misunderstanding on how data protection law is applied in such situations.

Nathan Emerson, CEO at Propertymark, said: “We understand the importance of estate and letting agents complying with GDPR law and it is crucial that agents make themselves aware of the legislation in order to avoid any breaches or legal fines.”

Propertymark is covering the issue in a webinar called ‘Unlocking the mysterious world of GDPR’, to be held on 9 January.