Privacy Notice - Council Housing Rents

Please read the following Privacy Notice carefully.

Why we are collecting your data?

We are collecting your data to provide the Housing Rents service to you as part of your tenancy agreement.

Information collected

• Name and contact details (address, and email address)

• Mobile telephone number (so we can call or text you)

• National Insurance number

• Family details

• Date of birth

• Health

• Bank details (if you wish to pay via direct debit)

• Bank card details (if you wish to pay by card) but these details are not stored

• Photo ID

• Income & expenditure details

• Details of anyone authorised to act on your behalf

The data is collected through

• Application forms

• Phone

• Third parties

• Emails

• Online forms

• In person

The basis for the processing of personal data

• Contract: the processing is necessary for a contract we have with you (the contract is your tenancy agreement)

The basis for the processing of Special Category Data

• Explicit consent: The individual has given explicit consent for the council to process their personal data for a specific purpose
• Obligations: Processing is necessary for carrying out obligations under employment, social security or social protection law, or a collective agreement
• Legal claims: Processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims or where courts are acting in their judicial capacity

Who your information will be shared with

• Other council departments - e.g., Housing Benefits, Council Tax, Legal services, Anti-social Behaviour Team, Housing Solutions Team, Housing Property Services, Tenancy & Estate Services
• The council's repairs and maintenance contractor (currently Morgan Sindell)
• HMRC
• DWP
• Registered Housing Associations
• Social Services
• Police/Fire/Rescue
• Private Landlords
• Debt Tracing Agents
• Healthcare (GPs and Hospitals)
• Social and Welfare Organisations
• Local Government Ombudsman or Housing Ombudsman
• Legal representatives and representatives of the persons whose personal data we are processing
• Credit reference agencies
• Essex County Council - Safeguarding
• Centra - Emergency alarm provider for sheltered housing schemes
• National TV Licensing Department
• HM Courts and Tribunals Service
• Cabinet Office (National Fraud Iniative)
• We have arrangements with a range of IT providers who support the council's IT systems and services, therefore your data may be accessed by these suppliers. Where we have these arrangements there is always a contractual agreement with them to ensure they comply with the Data Protection Law.

We will never sell your data. However, we may share some of your personal information with third parties to:

• Comply with legal obligations and legislative requirements

• Help business partners, suppliers and sub-contractors to deliver any contract we enter with them or you

• To help if there is need of any professional or legal advice on a matter relating to you

• To help prevent fraud and/or tackle crime

• To improve and optimise the performance of our services

Providing accurate information

We need to hold accurate and up to date information about you so that we can deliver appropriate services. If any of your details change, you need to tell us as soon as possible so that we can update your records.

We will not:

• Use your information for marketing or sales purposes without your prior explicit consent.
• Send or store your data abroad unless it meets the requirements of the Data Protection regulations
• Make decisions about you based on automated processing

How long will we hold your data for?

We will keep all records relating to your tenancy, until such time, your tenancy has ended. Records will then be kept as a former tenant for 10 years.

Your rights

You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you. Any access requests are free of charge. If the information we hold about you is inaccurate, you have a right to have this corrected and you have the right to request completion of incomplete data. You have the right to ask us to erase your personal data in certain circumstances ('right to be forgotten').

You have the right to ask us to stop or restrict the processing of your personal data, in certain circumstances. Where possible, we will seek to comply with your request, but we may need to hold or process information to comply with a legal requirement.

You can make any of these requests by:

• Email: Data Protection Officer (opens new window)
• Phone: 01268 533333
• Letter to:

If you are dissatisfied with how we have used your personal information, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office, by:

• Email: casework@ico.org.uk (opens new window)
• Phone: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745
• Letter to:

Further independent advice about data protection, privacy and data sharing issues is available from the Information Commissioner's Office, see:

• Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) (opens new window).