New legal duty from 19 June 2026
Landlord Data Complaints Process Template
From 19 June 2026, the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 requires every landlord — even with a single property — to run a formal data-protection complaints process. Get the free one-page template: a DUAA-compliant acknowledgment letter plus a process checklist.
What you must do from 19 June 2026
The duty applies to everyone who handles personal data — there are no exemptions for small landlords. If you hold tenant contact details, references, ID copies, guarantor information or bank details, this applies to you. Current and former tenants, applicants, and guarantors can all raise a complaint.
1. Give people a clear way to complain
A dedicated email address or contact form for data concerns. It must be easy to find — buried small print doesn't count as 'clear'.
2. Acknowledge within 30 days
Every complaint must be acknowledged within 30 days of receipt. That's what the letter in this template is for.
3. Investigate
Check what personal data you hold on the complainant, what happened with it, and whether anything went wrong.
4. Respond properly
Explain what you found and what you've done about it, without undue delay. Keep a written record of the complaint and your response.
Informal messages count as complaints
A complaint doesn't need to say “data protection complaint”. “Why are you still holding a copy of my passport?”, “You gave my number to a contractor without asking” or “You never answered my data request” all qualify. If you miss one, the complainant can escalate to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
Get the free one-page template
A DUAA-compliant acknowledgment letter you can send within the 30-day window, plus an 8-point checklist to set your process up before 19 June. Enter your email to unlock it — view it below and print or save as PDF.
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Get free quotes →Data Complaints Duty — Frequently Asked Questions
What changes for landlords on 19 June 2026?
From 19 June 2026, provisions of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 require every organisation that handles personal data — including individual landlords — to operate a formal data-protection complaints process: a clear way to raise concerns, acknowledgment within 30 days, an investigation, and a proper response without undue delay.
Does this apply if I only have one property?
Yes. There are no exemptions for small landlords. If you hold personal data — tenant contact details, references, ID copies, guarantor information, bank details — the duty applies to you.
What counts as a data protection complaint?
A complaint doesn't need to use the words 'data protection complaint'. Informal messages count — 'why are you still holding my passport copy?', 'you gave my number to a contractor', or 'you never responded to my data request'. Treat any concern about how you handle personal data as a complaint.
Who can raise a data complaint?
Anyone whose personal data you hold: current tenants, former tenants, applicants who never moved in, guarantors, and in some cases contractors. Former tenants and rejected applicants are easy to forget — if you still hold their data, they can still complain.
Is this a new fine?
No — it's a new legal duty, not a new fine. The Act requires you to operate the complaints process. If a complainant isn't satisfied with your response, they can escalate their concern to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). A simple written process, used consistently and logged, is how you meet the duty.
What's in the free template?
One page, two parts: a DUAA-compliant acknowledgment letter you can adapt and send within the 30-day window, and an 8-point checklist for setting up your complaints process — complaint route, logging, investigation, response and record-keeping.
Source: Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 complaints provisions, in force 19 June 2026. This page is general information for landlords, not legal advice.