TENANTS PRIVACY NOTICE – GDPR

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

What this privacy notice covers

This notice is addressed to our tenants, residents and guarantors including prospective and former tenants, residents and guarantors.

Weldon Beesly LLP take the issue of security and data protection very seriously and strictly adhere to guidelines published in the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 which is applicable from the 25th May 2018, together with any domestic laws subsequently enacted. This notice explains what information Weldon Beesly LLP collect, when we collect it and how we use this. During the course of our activities, we will process personal data (which may be held on paper, electronically, or otherwise) about you and we recognise the need to treat it in an appropriate and lawful manner. The purpose of this notice is to make you aware of how we will handle your information.

Who we are

Weldon Beesly LLP is a firm of Rural Practice Chartered Surveyors providing property related services, including property management and property letting.

We are a Limited Liability Partnership registered in England and Wales No OC417840. Our registered office is 100 South Street, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire CM23 3BG.

Our main trading address is 100 South Street, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire CM23 3BG. Our VAT number is 273 6131 11.

We are regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Some of our Partners are also members of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, Compulsory Purchase Association, Agricultural Law Association and the Residential Letting Association.

We operate the website www.weldonbeesly.com (the “website”).

Weldon Beesly is a data controller with the Office of the Information Commissioner under registration number ZA275226. Our Data Protection Officer is Charlotte Balaam, 01279 798866. Contact details are shown at the end of this notice.

What is personal data

Personal data is defined by the General Data Protection Regulation (EU Regulation 2016/679) (the “GDPR”) as ‘any information relating to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified in particular by reference to an identifier’.

Personal data is, in simpler terms, any information about you that enables you to be identified. Personal data covers obvious information such as your name and contact details, but it may also cover less obvious information such as identification numbers, electronic location data, and other online identifiers.

Information we collect, hold and use about you

We collect information about you from:

Your application for accommodation;
The management of your property and tenancy;
Email, post and mail correspondence with Weldon Beesly;
Contact via phone;
In-person contacts with Weldon Beesly;
Information we receive from external third parties, where relevant.

We may collect the following information about you:

Identity and contact details, including previous addresses;
Personal and background information including date of birth, marital status, National Insurance number, nationality, relationship to other prospective tenants, education;
Your next of kin;
Bank details;
Car registration number;
Details of university/ college name where you are studying (if applicable);
Guarantor name, e-mail address, telephone number, Date of Birth, address (including any previous addresses), marital status, National Insurance Number, nationality, next of kin (if applicable);
Tenancy and deposit information including property address; term, rent, deposit, utility and service responsibilities;
Rent and other payments including arrears;
Repairs and complaints;
Employment status, address, contact details (including email, phone and fax numbers) of the employer/accountant, payroll numbers, length of employment, salary information (including any regular overtime or commission), and any other income received;
Bank account details, including account number and sort code,
Any welfare benefits that you may be eligible for, or are currently on;
Details about council tax, water charges and utilities;
Correspondence, emails and records;
Audio and CCTV recordings (if any);
Website and online portal information.

Why we need this information about you and how it will be used

Under the GDPR, we must always have a lawful basis for using personal data. This may be because the data is necessary for our performance of a contract with you, because you have consented to our use of your personal data, or because it is in our legitimate business interests to use it. Your personal data may be used for one of the following purposes:

For contractual performance so that we can arrange the letting and enter into a tenancy agreement or guarantee with you;
For contractual performance so that we can manage any tenancy and the property including collecting rent and arranging repairs;
To enable us to supply you with the services and information which you have requested;
To carry out due diligence on any prospective tenant and/or guarantor, including whether there is any money judgements against them, or any history of bankruptcy or insolvency;
To analyse the information we collect so that we can administer, support and improve and develop our business and the services we offer;
In relation to details regarding any next of kin in your vital interest e.g. in the case of an emergency;
In our legitimate interests in relation to personal and background information so we can assess your suitability to be a tenant, resident or guarantor;
To perform our legal obligations in relation to carrying out right to rent checks and in order to protect any tenancy deposit which is paid as well as other legal obligation arising during the course of any tenancy;
To contact you in order to send you details of any changes to our suppliers which may affect you;
To share with other regulatory authorities and any other party when sharing of information is required by law;
For all other purposes consistent with the proper performance of our operations and business.; and
Communicating with you. This may include responding to emails or calls from you.

With your permission and/or where permitted by law, we may also use your personal data for marketing purposes, which may include contacting you by email, telephone and post with information, news, and offers on our services. You will not be sent any unlawful marketing or spam. We will always work to fully protect your rights and comply with our obligations under the GDPR and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, and you will always have the opportunity to opt-out.

The legal basis of processing your data is ‘contract’ as defined by Article 6 of the General Data Protection Regulations where processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party, in this case our terms of engagement. In other instances, we may rely on the ‘legitimate interest’, ‘legal obligation’ or ‘consent’ basis for lawful processing.

Who will have access to the information

We may share your information with your other professional advisers where appropriate and necessary. We may also share your information with third parties and data processors who may need to process your data for the purposes specified above. These include:

Joint tenants
Guarantors
Tenancy deposit protection bodies
Insurance companies
Internet and email providers
The Home Office
Utilities and water companies
Letting and managing agents
Other landlords
Contractors and suppliers
Debt collectors and tracing agents
Professional advisors
Next of kin
Public and local authorities and regulatory bodies

We sometimes outsource some of the services set out above, to reputable third parties, including the purpose of ensuring the security of your data. We require third parties to comply strictly with our instructions and data protection laws and we will make sure that appropriate controls are in place where third parties have access to personal data. We enter into contracts with all of our data processors and regularly monitor their activities to ensure they are complying with Weldon Beesly’s policies and procedures.

Where is this information stored?

Information is stored:

In an electronic form on a computer, tablet or mobile phone
On a web based portal
Hard copy for in a manual filing system

We may from time to time transfer (‘transfer’ includes making available remotely) personal data to countries outside of the EEA, where:

It is held electronically on a cloud based system;
It is held on our client relationship management system (CRM).

The transfer of personal data to a country outside of the EEA shall take place only if one or more of the following applies:

The transfer is to a country, territory, or one or more specific sectors in that country (or an international organisation), that the European Commission has determined ensures an adequate level of protection for personal data;
The transfer is to a country (or international organisation) which provides appropriate safeguards in the form of a legally binding agreement between public authorities or bodies; binding corporate rules; standard data protection clauses adopted by the European Commission; compliance with an approved code of conduct approved by a supervisory authority (e.g. the Information Commissioner’s Office); certification under an approved certification mechanism (as provided for in the GDPR); contractual clauses agreed and authorised by the competent supervisory authority; or provisions inserted into administrative arrangements between public authorities or bodies authorised by the competent supervisory authority.

How long will we keep your information?

We review our data retention periods regularly and will only hold your personal data for as long as is necessary for the purposes of processing as listed above, or as required by law.

Your rights

Under the GDPR, you have the following rights, which we will always work to uphold:

The right to be informed about our collection and use of your personal data. This Privacy Notice should tell you everything you need to know, but you can always contact us to find out more or to ask any questions using the details below.
The right to access the personal data we hold about you. We require you to prove your identity with two pieces of approved identification. Please submit your request in writing to contact details shown at the end of this notice. We will respond within one month of receipt of your written request and confirmed ID. Please provide as much information as possible about the nature of your contact with us to help us locate your records. This request is free of charge unless the request is manifestly unfounded or excessive.
The right to have your personal data rectified if any of your personal data held by us is inaccurate or incomplete. If you would like to update the details we hold about you, please contact us on the details set out at the end of this notice.
The right to be forgotten, i.e. the right to ask us to delete or otherwise dispose of any of your personal data that we have. Please contact us using the details at the end of this notice to find out more.
The right to restrict (i.e. prevent) the processing of your personal data.
The right to object to us using your personal data for a particular purpose or purposes such as direct marketing.
The right to data portability. This means that you can ask us for a copy of your personal data held by us to re-use with another service or business.
Object to automated processing, including profiling. We do not use your personal data in this way.

For more information about our use of your personal data or exercising your rights as outlined above, please contact us using the details provided at the end of this notice.

Further information about your rights can also be obtained from the Information Commissioner’s Office or your local Citizens Advice Bureau.

If you have any cause for complaint about our use of your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Enquiries and Complaints

If you are unhappy with our handling of your data or something that we have done or failed to do, please inform us in writing. We will acknowledge receipt of all complaints and will endeavour to investigate the complaint as soon as reasonably practicable.

All complaints should be sent to:

Weldon Beesly
100 South Street
Bishop’s Stortford
Hertfordshire
CM23 3BG

Tel: 01279 798866

Email: info@weldonbeesly.com

Website: www.weldonbeesly.com

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office in relation to our use of your information. The Information Commissioner’s contact details are noted below:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House, Water Lane

Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Email: casework@ico.org.uk

Website: www.ico.gov.uk

Review of Weldon Beesly Tenant’s Privacy Notice

This Notice was last reviewed in January 2025. The content of the policy may be reviewed and changed without prior notice, please visit the notice on our website for any changes. We may update the terms of this privacy notice at any time, so please do check it from time to time.