Website & Portal Terms of Use

About these terms

The website at https://step-1.co.uk and the secure portal reached through its Login link are operated by Step 1 Tenant Referencing Ltd (referred to as “STEP 1”, “we”, “us” or “our”).

By using the public website or secure portal, you agree to follow these terms. If you do not agree, you should not use the relevant website or portal function.

Completing an applicant form does not, by itself, mean that an applicant is purchasing a service from STEP 1 or agreeing to a tenancy.

Other documents that may form the contract

These are website and portal terms. A paid service may also be governed by a quotation, order confirmation, account terms, service agreement, product schedule or other terms supplied when the service is requested.

Insurance-related products may also be governed by an official quotation, policy wording, Insurance Product Information Document, policy schedule and the insurer’s or administrator’s terms.

Who may use STEP 1

The website and portal may be used by:

• landlords and letting agents requesting or managing referencing services;
• authorised staff or contractors acting for a STEP 1 client;
• tenants, prospective tenants, guarantors and other applicants invited to provide information; and
• visitors seeking information about STEP 1 services.

If you use STEP 1 for an organisation, you confirm that you have authority to act for it. Portal access links and accounts must be used only by the intended or authorised person.

Tenant-referencing services

Depending on the service ordered and the information available, STEP 1 may carry out identity, address-history, credit, employment, income, affordability, rental-history and related tenancy-reference checks. The exact checks are those described in the applicable service or order.

Credit and identity information may be supplied by third-party data providers. STEP 1 currently uses TransUnion for credit and identity information. Employers, landlords, agents, applicants and other permitted sources may also supply information relevant to a reference.

We do not claim that the standard services described on this website include a criminal-record or criminal-background check.

Referencing outcomes and tenancy decisions

STEP 1 reports are decision-support tools. They reflect the information obtained and available at the time of the check. They are not a promise that information from an applicant or third party is complete or error-free, and they do not guarantee future conduct, rent payment, property condition or the success of a tenancy.

A client should consider the complete report, any qualifications or limitations, and its own lawful criteria before making a decision.

Responsibilities of landlords, agents and business users

A client or authorised business user must:

• have a lawful reason and appropriate authority to request each check;
• provide accurate instructions and information;
• give applicants the information and notices required by data-protection law;
• use reports only for the permitted referencing, tenancy or account purpose;
• protect reports and personal information from unauthorised access or disclosure;
• not sell, publish or use a report for an unrelated purpose; and
• tell STEP 1 promptly if supplied information, instructions or account access may be incorrect or compromised.

The client remains responsible for its own compliance with data protection, equality, housing, consumer and other laws that apply to its activities and decisions.

Responsibilities of applicants

An applicant, tenant or guarantor using an invited form must:

• provide information that is accurate and complete to the best of their knowledge;
• not impersonate another person or submit fraudulent or misleading material;
• use only the link or process intended for them;
• respond reasonably to requests for clarification or supporting information; and
• tell STEP 1 or the relevant landlord or agent promptly about a material error.

Delayed, incomplete, inconsistent or unverifiable information may delay a report or mean that STEP 1 cannot complete every requested check.

Portal accounts and security

Account holders must keep login details confidential, use appropriate security controls and prevent unauthorised access. Credentials must not be shared with a person who is not authorised to use the account.

Please contact STEP 1 promptly if an account, password, access link, device or report may have been lost, disclosed or compromised.

We may temporarily restrict or suspend access where reasonably necessary to investigate suspected misuse, protect personal information, maintain security, comply with law or protect the service. Where appropriate, we will explain the restriction to the account holder or client.

Rent Guarantee and insurance-related information

The website may present Rent Guarantee and legal-expenses insurance arranged through Insure4Sure. Website summaries are general information only and are not a complete statement of cover or a guarantee that a property, tenancy, landlord or applicant is eligible.

Eligibility, price, cover, exclusions, limits, excesses, cancellation, claims conditions and the identity and regulatory details of the insurer, intermediary or administrator are governed by the official quotation and policy documents supplied for the product.

Fees, payment, cancellation and refunds

Fees, taxes, payment timing and any account credit arrangements are those shown or confirmed in the applicable quotation, order, account terms or service agreement.

Any right to cancel a service or receive a refund is set out in the applicable service or policy documents and remains subject to rights that cannot lawfully be excluded. A service may become non-refundable after work or third-party checks have started where the applicable confirmed terms and the law permit this.

Contact STEP 1 promptly before placing or progressing an order if the price, scope or cancellation position is unclear.

Acceptable use

You must not:

• use the website, portal, forms or reports for an unlawful, fraudulent or unauthorised purpose;
• attempt to gain access to another user’s account, application or report;
• bypass, probe, disable or interfere with security or access controls;
• introduce malicious code or disrupt the availability of the service;
• scrape, systematically extract or commercially reuse website or portal content without permission;
• reverse engineer the portal except where a legal right cannot be excluded; or
• misrepresent STEP 1, alter a report deceptively or remove a material qualification from it.

Misuse may result in restricted access and may be reported to the relevant client, regulator, law-enforcement body or other authority where lawful and appropriate.

Intellectual property

STEP 1 or its licensors own the website design, branding, original written content, software, report formats and other protected material, except for material owned by clients, applicants or third parties.

You may view and use website content and authorised reports for their intended purpose. You may not copy, publish, sell, license or create a competing product from protected STEP 1 material without written permission, except where law permits.

These terms do not transfer ownership of information or documents that a client, applicant or third party lawfully provides to STEP 1.

Service availability and third-party links

We take reasonable care to keep the website and portal available and secure, but uninterrupted or error-free availability cannot be guaranteed. Maintenance, security work, provider outages or events outside our reasonable control may affect access or turnaround times.

Any stated completion or response time is an estimate unless a separate written agreement expressly makes it binding. Third-party responses, incomplete information and verification requirements can cause delays.

Links to third-party websites are provided for convenience. STEP 1 does not control those websites and their own terms and privacy information apply.

Liability

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot legally be excluded or limited.

Subject to that protection, liability arising from a paid service is governed by the applicable confirmed quotation, account terms or service agreement and by applicable law. No part of this website is intended to create a wider guarantee than the relevant service documents provide.

STEP 1 is not responsible for a landlord’s or agent’s tenancy decision, for loss caused by inaccurate or withheld information supplied by a user or third party, or for a user relying on a website summary instead of the complete report or applicable service and policy documents, except to the extent responsibility cannot lawfully be excluded.

Privacy and data protection

Our Privacy Policy explains how STEP 1 handles personal information, including information used for tenant referencing and the circumstances in which it may be obtained from or shared with other organisations.

Our Cookie Policy explains the cookies and similar technologies used on the public website and secure portal. Our Compliance page provides further information about our approach.

Changes, severability and governing law

We may update these website and portal terms when the website, portal, services, security arrangements or legal requirements change. The new version applies from the update date shown at the top of this page. Material changes to an existing paid-service contract will be handled through the applicable agreement or another appropriate process.

If a court or competent authority finds one part of these terms unlawful or unenforceable, the remaining parts continue to apply. A delay in enforcing a right is not a waiver of that right.

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction, subject to any mandatory rights a consumer has to bring proceedings in another part of the United Kingdom or under other applicable law.