To allow us to provide the service you would expect from us, we process the personal information you provide us with, which includes:
- your name (and any previous names);
- address (and previous address information);
- telephone number(s);
- e-mail address;
- national insurance number;
- date of birth;
- details of your next of kin;
- names and dates of birth of those living in the property with you;
- notes from conversations we have with you in relation to arrears or complaints;
- details of when you have contacted us to request a service, for example to request a repair or for a housing officer to call/visit you.
- next of Kin/Power of Attorney/Guardianship
- details of Relevant Medical Conditions, support needs and mobility issues
- if you are a registered offender
- bank details
As a Registered Social Landlord we collect this information as the tenancy agreement we have with you is a legally binding contract. We need the information to make sure we are abiding by the law in providing you with the house in the first place and then to allow us to continue to provide you with the services and support required by that contract.
As a tenant you have a number of rights and we need to make sure that you are aware of them if your circumstances change and this information allows us to do that.
As a landlord we also have a duty to charge and collect a fair rent for the property, we use the information you provide to make sure we keep in touch with you and keep you informed of any action, including legal action we are taking if we have not been able to collect the rent for the property.
As your landlord we are also responsible for carrying out repairs to your property or improvements such as new kitchens, bathrooms or double glazing and the information you provide is used to organise this work.
We also collect some information that is called ‘special category data’. We collect this as we are legally required to make sure we provide services fairly and equally.
This information is also collected prior to allocating someone a house to comply with legislation in making sure those in priority need are considered for a tenancy.
This will include information such as:
- ethnicity;
- disability;
- religion;
We do not share this information, and disability and ethnicity information is reported in an anonymous format to the Scottish Housing Regulator annually.
We store your information in what is called a ‘Housing Management System’ – this is basically a large database, an electronic information storage system. We also keep some information on paper based forms; these are stored in our office. It’s also possible, if you have contacted us by email, that some information will be held in the email system.
We also have an electronic filing system or document management system, where any forms or correspondence are scanned and stored.
Your Housing Application information may also be held on Argyll and Bute Council’s Home Argyll online Application system to which we have access.
We continually look at how long we hold onto information you have provided to us and how long it should be kept for. Generally, once it has served its purpose it will be destroyed, however there are some instances when we will need to keep some of the information you have supplied. For example, once your tenancy has ended we will only keep any information received during that tenancy for 5 years, unless you left owing money for rent or repairs. If money is due, we will hold on to the relevant information required to help us to pursue that debt.
We will generally keep your information for the following minimum periods after which this will be destroyed if it is no longer required for the reasons it was obtained.
|
Document Type
|
Retention Period
|
|
Tenancy agreement
|
5 Years after the tenancy has ended unless there is money owed for rent
|
|
Tenancy forms
|
5 Years after the tenancy has ended
|
|
Correspondence
|
5 Years after the tenancy has ended
|
|
Stage 2 complaint investigation and correspondence
|
5 Years after the tenancy has ended if appropriate to allow for escalation to Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
|
|
Membership Record
|
5 Years following last contact
|
|
Housing Application
|
5 Years following last contact
|
|
Housing Benefit Notifications
|
Duration of Tenancy
|
|
Anti-Social Behaviour Case File
|
5 Years after the tenancy has ended or end of legal action
|
|
Tenant Eviction Case File
|
7 Years
|
|
Tenant Abandonment Information
|
5 Years
|
Our full retention schedule is available here.
There are a number of pieces of legislation that require us to collect the information from you
|
Data Type
|
Condition of Processing
|
|
Personal Data
|
The Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 (as amended)
The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001
The Housing (Scotland) Act 2006
The Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 (once enacted)
|
|
Special Category Data
|
The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, section 105
The Scotland Act 1998, Schedule 5, section L2
The Equality Act 2010
|
The information you provide to us will be treated by us as confidential.
We will disclose your information to third parties who act for us for the purposes set out in this notice or for purposes approved by you, including the following:
- repair contractors; to carry out repairs to your property or home improvements
- any company we engage to carry out surveys; for example where we are proposing a change to a policy and are legally required to consult with our tenants or where we need to how well we are carrying out repairs and maintenance
- local authorities; this will include notifying council tax departments of when you leave a property or start a tenancy
- police (if necessary for the prevention or detection of crime);
- Department of Work and Pensions; where we are assisting you in making a benefit claim or trying to resolve an issue of unpaid rent due to a benefit claim
- utility companies (where you have left the property)
We will also, where appropriate, receive the following information from third parties:
- benefits information, including awards of Housing Benefit/Universal Credit;
- payments made by you to us via your bank, allpay or post office
- complaints or other communications regarding behaviour or other alleged breaches of the terms of your contract with us, including information obtained from Police Scotland;
- reports about your conduct or condition of your tenancy, including references from previous tenancies, and complaints of anti-social behaviour.
If your details change, please contact 0300 323 11 70 to inform us to ensure that all of the information we hold about you is up to date.
