No UK statute is written for safe-deposit boxes. The box is held under bailment at common law: the bank has possession, the renter keeps ownership, and the duty is one of reasonable care. Around that sit rules that do apply. Safe-custody services fall inside the regulated sector, so MLR 2017 reg. 27 brings due diligence to the rental agreement. UK GDPR Art. 32 requires security appropriate to the risk for the entry log, and Art. 5(1)(e) limits how long that log is kept. If contents are ever left uncollected, the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977 ss.12 and 13 govern how a bailee may sell them. anonym.plus marks each field on your machine, so the entry trail stays clear while renter details are shielded.
When this applies
An auditor checks that every vault entry was authorised. The times, the box numbers and the staff sign-offs carry the test. The renter's name, passport number and home address do not.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the rental file in anonym.plus on your device.
- Local OCR reads a scanned entry ledger.
- It flags the renter, NINO, and vault reference.
- Confirm the flags and keep the branch and unit codes.
- Swap or black out the confirmed items.
- Save the clean record locally.
What you need to provide
- The vault-rental file (PDF, DOCX, or scan).
- An operator (Replace keeps the trail readable).
- Optional allow-list for branch and unit codes.
PII & financial identifiers detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | renter L. Vance → [RENTER] |
| Identifiers | UK_NINO | QQ 20 46 71 A → [NINO] |
| Identifiers | UK_PASSPORT | passport 547612398 → [PASSPORT] |
| Contact | PHONE_NUMBER | +44 191 555 9920 → [PHONE] |
| Location | LOCATION | home address → [ADDRESS] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | entry 03/2026 → [DATE] |
Compliance achieved
- Protects the personal data in a bailment record that no UK statute governs directly — UK GDPR Art. 32 still sets the security duty.
- Preserves the diligence evidence MLR 2017 reg. 27 requires for a safe-custody relationship.
- Applies storage limitation to an entry log under UK GDPR Art. 5(1)(e).
- Keeps the ownership trail an uncollected-goods sale needs under the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977 ss.12–13.
- Local OCR reads a scanned entry ledger; nothing is uploaded.
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Limitations & cautions
An entry pattern at distinct times can identify a renter even after the name is masked. Because the relationship is bailment rather than deposit, FSCS protection does not reach box contents — the rental record is the only real trail, so keep the original intact.
Frequently asked questions
Does the tool flag an ID shown at the vault?
Yes. It detects a passport, driving licence or other document number logged at each entry, and masks it alongside the renter name.
Is a safe-deposit box a deposit?
No. It is bailment: the bank holds the box, the renter still owns the contents, and the duty is reasonable care. FSCS deposit protection does not reach the contents, and MLR 2017 reg. 27 still applies to the relationship because safe custody sits inside the regulated sector.
Is the rental file uploaded?
No. The app works offline, so the entry ledger stays on your device.