Who are we?

Peter Scott & Associates is a firm of Chartered Surveyors, and a private landlord.

 

How do we collect information about you and how is your information used?

 

Surveying Services

 

If you are a surveying client we will obtain information from you. Typically we will collect your name, address, telephone number and email address as well as details of the service you require and any relevant circumstances surrounding that service. We may do this in conversation or by email, or possibly by post. We use your information to communicate with you about issues that arise in connection with the service you have requested from us, and

to progress our work on that service.

 

If you are associated with our surveying work but not a client we may collect information about you from the Land Registry, or from other firms, or clients or associated parties. We use your information to fulfil our contractual duties to our client, as well as our statutory and other legal duties.

 

For surveying work we store a list of clients, their addresses, and the relevant property address on an Excel spreadsheet. We also store documents and emails relating to the work you have asked us to do.

 

Landlord Services

 

If you are applying to be a tenant of our properties:

• We obtain information about you by the use of our vetting form, which you can fill in and send to us if you wish to. If you don’t wish to that is fine, but we cannot consider you as a tenant.

• We may also obtain information about you from the referees you give to us, and from the independent tenant vetting agency we appoint to check you.

• We may also obtain information about you during the period of your tenancy, from you.

 

The information we will typically collect will be your name, maiden name if applicable, address, National Insurance number, nationality, telephone number, email address, date of birth, your credit history, any criminal record or CCJs, history of mental illness, your current and past living arrangements and employment, your financial situation, children and pets, and bank details. We use the information to decide whether or not to offer you a tenancy.

 

If you are a tenant we will keep the information on file:

• To demonstrate our ‘due diligence’ if necessary to insurers and statutory authorities.

• To fulfil our contractual obligations to you.

• To communicate with you about issues that arise in connection with your tenancy.

 

If you are a tenant we may pass relevant items of information about you to others wherenecessary. For example we may give your contact details to firms or individuals who we appoint to carry out repairs or similar work in the flat.

 

Data processing

Please note that we do not ‘process data’ in the commonly used meaning of that phrase. We may however draw up a table with a list of names and addresses relating to a particular property, or transpose data from one format (e.g. email) to another (e.g. a document).

 

Third parties

Where we work with third parties in connection with your information, we take reasonable steps to ensure that they comply with the laws on data protection.

 

Access and corrections to the information we hold

You have a right to ask for a copy of the information we hold about you. Just email us to ask. If you wish to make changes, please let us know.

 

How do we store and secure your information?

We store some information as Word or Excel files on our computers. All information on our computers is password protected and our computers are held in a private and secure area.

 

We also store emails, typically those we have exchanged between us, but also other emails relating to the work you have asked us to do, or to a tenancy. Please note we use the Microsoft Exchange email system, which is a cloud based system. Therefore your information will also be stored on the Microsoft servers.

 

Information you send to us by email will generally be kept in that format on our computers. For some types of information, at some times, we may copy your information to a Word or Excel file on our computers. We do this to make it easier to find information which would otherwise be held in various different emails or documents.

 

Privacy

Except as described above, we will never pass your information to others. As an added bonus, we do not send marketing emails either.

 

How long do we store your information?

If you apply for a tenancy and do not subsequently take a tenancy from us, we will delete your data within 6 months of receipt.

 

If you are a tenant we will delete your data 6 years after matters relating to your tenancy are concluded.

 

If we hold your information for surveying services we will hold it for up to 18 years, which is the period for which a surveyor may be answerable to clients.

 

Review and communication

This policy was written in April 2018. It may be reviewed and changed from time to time, without notice. Please visit the policy to note any changes.

 

If you want to communicate with us about your information, please write or call using the contact details you already have. If you have lost those details, please use the contact form on this website.