Can a Landlord Publicly Share a Tenant’s Unpaid Rent, Photos, or Personal Data in Taiwan? Could the Landlord Get Sued Instead?

A tenant has not paid rent for several months, stops replying to messages, ignores phone calls, and eventually disappears altogether. Out of frustration, a landlord might start thinking: “Can I post the tenant’s name, photo, and unpaid rent record online to warn other landlords?”

Some may even think, “The unpaid rent is a fact. If I am only telling the truth, that should not be illegal, right?”

It is not quite that simple. A tenant’s failure to pay rent is one issue; whether a landlord may disclose the tenant’s personal data to the general public is another. Once lawful rent collection turns into posting the tenant’s name, photo, phone number, private messages, or even identification information online, the landlord may instead face legal risks under the Personal Data Protection Act and laws concerning defamation.

Let’s first look at what the law says.

What Does the Law Say?

Personal Data Protection Act, Article 19:

“1. Except for the personal data specified under Paragraph 1 of Article 6, the collection or processing of personal data by a non-government agency shall have a specific purpose and shall meet one of the following circumstances:

1. Where it is expressly provided by law.
2. Where there is a contractual or quasi-contractual relationship with the data subject and appropriate security measures have been adopted.
3. Where the personal data has been made public by the data subject or has otherwise been lawfully made public.
4. Where it is necessary for an academic research institution to conduct statistics or academic research in the public interest, and the data has been processed by the provider or collected in such a manner that the specific data subject cannot be identified from the method of disclosure.
5. Where the data subject has given consent.
6. Where it is necessary for the promotion of public interests.
7. Where the personal data is obtained from a source generally available to the public; provided, however, that this shall not apply where the data subject has prohibited the processing or use of such data and the protection of the data subject’s interests clearly outweighs other interests.
8. Where the rights and interests of the data subject are not infringed.

2. Where the collector or processor becomes aware, or is notified by the data subject, that the processing or use of personal data is prohibited pursuant to the proviso of Subparagraph 7 of the preceding Paragraph, the collector or processor shall, on its own initiative or at the request of the data subject, delete or cease processing or using such personal data.”
✨ Plain Explanation: A landlord may lawfully obtain a tenant’s name, phone number, address, identification information, and other personal data when entering into a lease. Using that information to prepare the lease, contact the tenant, collect rent, or manage the tenancy generally serves a legitimate contractual purpose.

However, lawfully obtaining personal data does not mean it can later be disclosed however the landlord wants. Posting information originally collected for the lease on social media, in a LINE group, or on a public forum raises a separate legal issue.

⚖️ Legal Source: Personal Data Protection Act Article 19 – Law.moj.gov.tw

Personal Data Protection Act, Article 20:

“1. Except for the personal data specified under Paragraph 1 of Article 6, the use of personal data by a non-government agency shall be limited to the necessary scope of the specific purpose for which the data was collected. However, the data may be used outside the specific purpose under any of the following circumstances:

1. Where it is expressly provided by law.
2. Where it is necessary for the promotion of public interests.
3. Where it is necessary to prevent danger to the life, body, freedom, or property of the data subject.
4. Where it is necessary to prevent serious harm to the rights and interests of another person.
5. Where it is necessary for a government agency or academic research institution to conduct statistics or academic research in the public interest, and the data has been processed by the provider or collected in such a manner that the specific data subject cannot be identified from the method of disclosure.
6. Where the data subject has given consent.
7. Where it is beneficial to the rights and interests of the data subject.

2. Where a non-government agency uses personal data for marketing pursuant to the preceding Paragraph, it shall immediately cease using the personal data for marketing when the data subject expresses a refusal to receive marketing.

3. When conducting marketing for the first time, the non-government agency shall provide the data subject with a means to express refusal to receive marketing and shall bear the necessary costs.”
✨ Plain Explanation: This is one of the key provisions when a landlord considers publicly sharing a tenant’s information.

A landlord normally obtains a tenant’s personal data for purposes such as entering into and managing the lease, communicating with the tenant, and handling rent payments. If the landlord later posts the tenant’s name, photo, phone number, or other identifying information online to “warn others,” that use may already fall outside the original purpose for which the information was collected.

Unless another legal basis applies, the fact that the landlord and tenant once entered into a lease does not mean all of the tenant’s personal information can be freely disclosed.

⚖️ Legal Source: Personal Data Protection Act Article 20 – Law.moj.gov.tw

Criminal Code Article 310 (Defamation):

“A person who commits any of the following acts shall be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than three years, detention, or a fine not exceeding NT$300,000:

1. Without justification, uses tools or equipment to observe or eavesdrop on another person's non-public activities, speech, conversations, or private body parts.

2. Without justification, secretly records another person's non-public activities, speech, conversations, or private body parts by means of audio recording, photography, video recording, or electromagnetic records.”

✨ Plain Explanation: Even if the tenant really did fail to pay rent, that does not automatically mean there is no defamation risk when the matter is posted online.

The law does provide that a person who can prove the truth of the allegedly defamatory statement shall not be punished. But there is an important exception: when the matter concerns private conduct and is unrelated to the public interest, simply saying “but it’s true” is not necessarily a universal defense.

So instead of focusing only on whether the tenant actually owes rent, other questions matter too: Why was it necessary to disclose the information to the general public? How much information was disclosed? Could the information identify a particular tenant? These factors may all affect the legal analysis. disclosed.

⚖️ Legal Source: Criminal Code Article 310 – Law.moj.gov.tw

If the Tenant Really Owes Rent, Can the Landlord Make It Public?

This is where misunderstandings often arise.

Suppose a tenant owes three months of rent, and the landlord has the lease agreement, payment records, and rent-demand messages to prove it. If the landlord uses those records to send a formal demand, apply for a payment order, or file a lawsuit, those materials may of course be used to assert the landlord’s legal rights.

But imagine posting this in a Facebook group instead:

“⚠️ Watch out for this tenant — three months of unpaid rent!”

Then the landlord attaches the tenant’s name, a clear photo of the tenant’s face, phone number, LINE conversations, or even a photo of the tenant’s ID card.

That is a very different situation.

The first involves using information to exercise legal rights. The second involves distributing the information to numerous third parties. Even if the landlord’s intention is to warn other landlords, that does not automatically mean the manner, scope, and content of the disclosure comply with the Personal Data Protection Act.

What Information Should Landlords Be Especially Careful Not to Share?

In practice, landlords should be particularly careful with any information that can directly or indirectly identify a particular tenant.

Examples include:

• Name, phone number, address, and email address
• National ID number or a photo of an ID card
• Photographs of the tenant
• LINE display name, profile photo, and complete conversation screenshots
• Lease agreements, employment information, or other information that may identify the tenant

Even hiding the tenant’s name does not necessarily make the post anonymous.

For example, suppose a post says, “A salesperson at ○○ Company who moved into Building A of ○○ Community last September.” If the post includes a photo or enough additional details for people around the tenant to easily identify who is being discussed, the information may still be capable of identifying a particular person.

In other words, adding a few mosaic blocks does not necessarily make personal information anonymous.

“I Only Posted It in a Landlord Group” Can Still Be Risky

Another common situation involves information that is not posted publicly on Facebook but is instead shared in a LINE group with hundreds of landlords:

“This person is a nightmare tenant. Don’t rent to them.”

The fact that the group is not completely public does not automatically eliminate the legal issues.

Even if the group is private, once the information is disclosed to third parties outside the original landlord-tenant relationship, issues involving the use of personal data and reputation may still arise.

Words such as “nightmare tenant,” “fraudster,” or “deliberately refuses to pay” also carry stronger negative judgments than simply stating, “As of [date], certain rent remains unpaid.” In addition to personal data concerns, such descriptions may create further disputes involving defamation.

So What Should a Landlord Do About Unpaid Rent?

Unpaid rent can certainly be frustrating, but the more effective response is usually not to expose the tenant online. It is to preserve the evidence, make a lawful demand for payment, and use the appropriate legal procedures to recover the rent and the property.

Once rent becomes overdue, the landlord can preserve the lease agreement, payment records, LINE conversations, rent-demand notices, and other relevant evidence. The landlord can then make the appropriate demand based on the tenancy and the actual amount of unpaid rent. Once the statutory requirements for termination are satisfied, the lease may be terminated in accordance with law.

If the amount of unpaid rent is clear, the landlord may also consider applying to the court for a payment order. If the lease has been terminated but the tenant still refuses to return the property, the landlord may file a lawsuit seeking return of the property and, where necessary, proceed with compulsory enforcement.

If the lease was notarized in advance and includes an enforceable clause permitting direct compulsory enforcement for specified matters, it may also be possible to avoid certain litigation procedures when the applicable legal requirements are satisfied.

Simply put, landlords have legal ways to deal with unpaid rent. There is no need to become the host of an online public shaming session. 😅

If the Information Has Already Been Posted, Does Deleting It Solve the Problem?

If a landlord posted a tenant’s information online in a moment of anger, removing the post as soon as possible can at least help prevent further distribution.

But deleting the post does not mean the original disclosure never happened. If the tenant has already taken screenshots, saved the URL, or preserved other evidence, civil or criminal disputes may still follow.

The bigger problem is that once information is posted online, other people may screenshot it, repost it, or forward it to other groups. At that point, completely taking the information back can become nearly impossible.

So the safest moment to reconsider the post is actually before hitting “Publish.”

🧘  Related Reading:  What Is a Certified Mail Notice? When Should Landlords and Tenants Send One in Taiwan?

🌿  Related Reading:  Can Chat Records, LINE Screenshots, and Audio Recordings Be Used as Evidence? 

🙏  Related Reading:  What Is a Payment Order in Taiwan? Must Landlords Sue for Unpaid Rent?

☯️  Related Reading:  Can Landlords Keep Copies of Tenants’ ID Cards in Taiwan? How Long Can They Be Retained?

Conclusion: Unpaid Rent Is One Issue; Personal Data Is Another

A tenant may owe rent, disappear, or even leave a property full of garbage. A landlord can still pursue unpaid rent, terminate the lease, seek return of the property, or claim damages in accordance with law. But those rights do not automatically give the landlord the right to publicly disclose the tenant’s name, photo, phone number, or identification information.

Online “warnings,” “bad tenant blacklists,” or “heads-up posts” may look like nothing more than sharing an experience, but they can raise issues under the Personal Data Protection Act, laws protecting reputation, and even criminal law. Having evidence that the underlying incident occurred does not automatically make the manner of disclosure lawful.

When dealing with a tenant who deliberately fails to pay rent, it is usually better to organize the lease, unpaid-rent records, and demand notices and let the legal process do the work. The rent that should be recovered can still be pursued, and the property that should be returned can still be recovered—without turning a landlord who originally had a legitimate claim into a party facing an entirely separate legal dispute.

租哥小編

Published on 2026-09-27