Last Updated 7th February 2025. In this guide, we will discuss the steps you could take to make a claim for compensation if a landlord data breach harmed you. A personal data breach is a security incident that compromises the integrity, availability, or confidentiality of your personal data and can have a significant negative effect on both your finances and your mental health. Our guide will explore when you may be eligible to make a claim and how certain legislation protects the personal data of UK residents.
We’ll also explore time limits in data breach claims and detail how long you will have to start proceedings. Following this, we discuss evidence. Evidence is a crucial part of any compensation claim, and our guide illustrates how you could use this to strengthen your claim.
Our guide also touches on compensation in data breach claims, including what your award could be made up of and how these amounts are calculated. Finally, we’ll discuss No Win No Fee solicitors and how a legal professional could assist you in your claim. Read for more data breach claiming information, or contact our advisors today to get started:
- Phone 0800 073 8804
- Start a conversation with an advisor below
- Web Form – Claim Online
Choose A Topic
- Landlord Data Breach Compensation – Am I Eligible To Claim?
- How Long Do I Have To Claim For A Data Breach By My Landlord?
- Evidence Which Could Help You Claim Data Breach Compensation
- How Much Could Your Landlord Data Breach Claim Be Worth?
- Getting Started With Your No Win No Fee Landlord Data Breach Claim
- Further Claim Resources Related To Data Breaches
Landlord Data Breach Compensation – Am I Eligible To Claim?
In this section, we will break down key terms and explain what factors make you eligible to start a case. To claim landlord data breach compensation, you must first be able to prove that:
- Your landlord failed to follow data protection laws
- This allowed for the breach of your personal data
- Said breach led you to suffer harm, either emotionally or financially
Your personal data refers to information that could be used to identify you. This includes your:
- Name
- Personal phone number
- Postal address
UK laws that protect your personal data include the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA). They apply to those who control and process your data. Therefore, your data must be handled in an appropriate way.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the public body responsible for ensuring that data protection laws are followed. They uphold the data protection principles, which mean that your data must be:
- Kept updated and accurate
- Not stored for an unnecessary amount of time
- Used in a way that is lawful, fair and transparent
- Used with accountability
- Handled in a confidential manner
- Used minimally and with purpose
Failure to adhere to data protection laws could lead to your personal data being breached. The ICO classify a personal data breach as a security incident that affects the confidentiality, integrity and availability of personal data.
We understand that starting a landlord data breach claim may feel like an overwhelming prospect, so why not contact one of our experienced advisors? They can explain anything you are unsure of and confirm whether you are eligible to proceed with one of our excellent No Win No Fee data breach solicitors.
How Long Do I Have To Claim For A Data Breach By My Landlord?
Generally, you will have six years to start a personal data breach claim against your landlord. However, in some cases, your landlord may be the local council, or the housing association responsible for your home may be owned or run by the local council.
Under these circumstances, you may only have one year to start a personal data breach claim. This is because the time limit for making a claim against a public body may differ from that of other organisations.
For more information about further exceptions to the time limits in data breach claims, contact our advisors today.
Evidence Which Could Help You Claim Data Breach Compensation
One of the most important steps in the landlord data breach claims process is collecting evidence, as it can support and strengthen a number of areas of your claim. Some examples of evidence that you could use to help support your claim include:
- Medical records: Your medical records can be used to evidence any mental health issues you experienced as a result of the data breach.
- Bank statements, payslips, and other financial documents: Financial documentation that shows any financial losses you experienced as a result of the breach can be used to show your losses.
- Correspondence with your landlord: Correspondence with your landlord or the organisation responsible for the breach could help prove who is responsible, for example, a letter of notification.
- Correspondence with the ICO: The results of an investigation by the ICO or a complaint made to them could be used as evidence in your claim.
These are just a few examples of evidence that you could use to help you claim for a personal data breach. Contact a team member today.
How Much Could Your Landlord Data Breach Claim Be Worth?
If your landlord data breach claim succeeds, your compensation could cover two kinds of damages. The first is non-material damage. This is the effect that the breach has on your mental health. For example, you could experience anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or depression as a result of the breach, or it could worsen an existing mental health issue.
Those responsible for calculating how much compensation you could receive for non-material damage may refer to your independent medical assessment report along with the guidelines found in the Judicial College (JCG). This document lists guideline compensation brackets beside different injuries and illnesses. In the table below, you can find some examples of guideline compensation amounts for various mental health injuries, but please note that these figures are not guaranteed.
| Mental Harm | How Severe | Guideline Bracket |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple psychological injuries and financial impact | Severe | Up to £500,000+ |
| General psychiatric damage | Severe | £66,920 to £141,240 |
| Moderately Severe | £23,270 to £66,920 | |
| Moderate | £7,150 to £23,270 | |
| Less Severe | £1,800 to £7,150 | |
| PTSD | Severe | £73,050 to £122,850 |
| Moderately Severe | £28,250 to £73,050 | |
| Moderate | £9,980 to £28,250 | |
| Less Severe | £4,820 to £9,980 |
Material Damage Compensation
The second kind of damage you could pursue compensation for is material damage. This covers the financial impacts of the breach. For example, if you suffer a mental health injury as a result of the data breach and need to take time off work to recover, this could result in a loss of earnings. You may be able to recoup these losses under material damage compensation.
Similarly, if the breach contained your financial information and this resulted in damage to your credit score, loans taken out in your name, or money stolen from your bank account, material damage compensation may be able to help you recoup these losses.
Getting Started With Your No Win No Fee Landlord Data Breach Claim
If you’d like to start your landlord data breach claim, one of our solicitors may be able to help. Working with a solicitor has several benefits: They can help you gather evidence and explain any complex legal jargon or processes. Plus, our solicitors work on a No Win No Fee basis.
When you make a No Win No Fee data breach claim with one of our solicitors, they may offer you a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). Under this kind of contract, you aren’t required to pay any upfront or ongoing fees in order for them to start working on your claim. Alongside this, if your claim fails, then your data breach solicitor won’t charge you for their work on the case.
In the event that your claim succeeds, you will pay a success fee to your solicitor, which is taken straight from your compensation. However, this fee is taken as a small percentage and is limited by a legal cap. This helps to ensure that you take the majority share of what you receive.
Contact Us
If you’d like to find out if you could work with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors, phone our helpful advisory team. They can offer a free consultation and can help you identify if your claim is eligible. If it is, then they may connect you with one of our solicitors. To get started:
- Phone 0800 073 8804
- Start a conversation with an advisor below
- Web Form – Claim Online
Further Claim Resources For Data Breaches
For more helpful resources, we recommend:
- Read our clinic data breach guide to learn more about making a healthcare data breach claim
- Find out if you are eligible to work with a data breach solicitor.
- Our guide offers insight into the psychiatrist data breach claims process
Or, for helpful external information:
Thank you for reading our guide on how to make a landlord data breach claim.
