Introduction
The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 require all companies to treat personal information collected or handled securely and maintain accurate records as to how this information is stored and used. This privacy notice provides you with details of how we collect and process your personal data through your use of our website, including any information you may provide when you instruct us, apply to rent a property, purchase a service, or sign up to our newsletter.
By providing us with your data, you warrant to us that you are over 18 years of age. Ann Cordey Lettings Limited is the data controller and is responsible for your personal data.
Contact & Registration Details
- Full Legal Name: Ann Cordey Lettings Limited
- Company Registration Number: 17118284
- ICO Registration Number: ZC131317
- Email Address: lettings@anncordey.com
- Telephone: 01325 488433
- Address: 13 Duke Street, Darlington, County Durham, DL3 7RX
- Professional Memberships: Member of the Property Redress Scheme (PRS), Member of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS), Member of Client Money Protect (CMP)
If you are not happy with any aspect of how we collect and use your data, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues (www.ico.org.uk). We should be grateful if you would contact us first via lettings@anncordey.com if you do have a complaint so that we can attempt to resolve it under our formal internal data protection complaint handling process.
It is very important that the information we hold about you is accurate and up to date. Please let us know if at any time your personal information changes by emailing us at lettings@anncordey.com.
What Data Do We Collect About You
Personal data means any information capable of identifying an individual. It does not include anonymised data. We may process certain types of personal data about you as follows:
- Identity Data: First name, maiden name, last name, username, marital status, title, date of birth, gender, and proof of legal identity/citizenship (e.g., passport, visa documentation for Right to Rent checks).
- Contact Data: Billing address, current residential address, landlord property addresses, delivery address, email address, and telephone numbers.
- Financial Data: Bank account details, payment card details, and tenant/landlord transactional account ledgers.
- Transaction Data: Details about payments to and from you, and other details of services you have purchased or properties you have leased through us.
- Background & Referencing Data: Credit history, employment status, salary details, historical landlord references, and background check results obtained via third-party referencing platforms.
- Property Maintenance Data: Repair histories, maintenance logs, property access notes, and photos/descriptions of maintenance issues.
- Marketing Data: Your preferences in receiving marketing communications from us and our third parties.
Statutory & Contractual Requirements to Provide Data
Where we need to collect personal data by law, or under the terms of a contract we have with you (e.g., a Tenancy Agreement or Landlord Terms of Business), and you fail to provide that data when requested, we may not be able to perform the contract. For example, providing proof of legal identity is a statutory requirement under the UK Immigration Act 2014 (Right to Rent checks). If you do not provide this information, we will be unable to process your application or enter into a tenancy agreement with you.
Special Category and Criminal Conviction Data
To comply with legal frameworks such as the UK Immigration Act 2014 (Right to Rent), we are legally required to verify your immigration status, which may involve processing documents revealing nationality or race. We may process information regarding criminal convictions or offences if it is surfaced during our mandatory third-party tenant referencing and credit-checking processes, where permitted or required by UK law.
How We Collect Your Personal Data
- Direct Interactions: You may provide data by filling in website forms, completing digital tenancy application portals, or communicating with us by post, phone, email, SMS, or instant messaging platforms when you request our services.
- Automated Technologies: As you use our site, we may automatically collect technical data about your equipment, browsing actions, and usage patterns using cookies, server logs, and similar technologies.
- Third Parties: We may receive personal data about you from third-party tenant onboarding software, credit reference agencies, utility providers, local authorities, or public sources like the Electoral Register.
Cookies & Analytical Tools
Our website uses essential operational cookies, as well as analytics technologies to improve site functionality. You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when websites set or access cookies. If you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of our website may become inaccessible or not function properly.
How We Use Your Personal Data
We will only use your personal data when legally permitted. The most common uses of your personal data are:
- Where we need to perform the contract we are about to enter into or have entered into with you.
- Where it is necessary for our legitimate interests (or those of a third party) and your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests.
- Where we need to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation.
Generally, we do not rely on consent as a legal ground for processing your personal data other than in relation to sending third-party direct marketing communications to you via email or text message. You have the right to withdraw consent to marketing at any time by emailing us at lettings@anncordey.com.
Purposes of Processing and Disclosures to Third Parties
To deliver residential lettings and property management services effectively, we must share your data with specific external service providers and statutory bodies. We may disclose your data to:
- Tenancy Onboarding & Referencing Platforms (e.g., Goodlord): To process digital tenancy applications, conduct tenant referencing and credit checks, execute electronic tenancy agreements, collect initial funds, and facilitate automated utility/council tax notification workflows.
- Automated Client Accounting & Payment Engines (e.g., LettsPay): To process tenant rental payments, manage client money transactions, allocate funds to designated landlord accounts, and disburse payments to contractors, landlords, and HMRC.
- Repairs & Maintenance Platforms & Contractors (e.g., Fixflo): To receive, log, track, and manage property maintenance requests, schedule maintenance works with third-party contractors, store repair photos/descriptions, and maintain statutory property safety compliance records.
- Deposit Alternative Providers (e.g., Reposit): To offer, evaluate eligibility for, process, and manage deposit replacement products and related dispute resolution schemes.
- Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS): To protect tenant deposits in accordance with UK legal requirements.
- Property Redress Scheme (PRS): For regulatory compliance and independent dispute resolution purposes.
- Client Money Protect (CMP): To comply with mandatory client money protection insurance handling obligations.
- Utility Providers and Local Authorities: To transfer liability for council tax, water, gas, and electricity bills at the start and end of a tenancy.
- Professional Advisers: Including lawyers, referencing agencies, insurers, and auditors who provide consultancy, credit risk management, and legal solutions.
- HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC): Regulators and other public bodies based in the UK who require reporting of processing activities in certain circumstances.
International Data Transfers
We do not routinely transfer your personal data outside the UK or European Economic Area (EEA). However, where third-party service providers (such as cloud database, email hosting, or software platforms) store data outside the UK/EEA, we ensure that an adequate level of protection is afforded by ensuring standard contractual clauses or UK International Data Transfer Agreements are in place.
Data Security
We have put in place appropriate security measures to protect your personal data from accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure. Access is limited to employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need to know. They process personal data only on our instructions and are subject to confidentiality duties.
We have procedures to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator where we are legally required to do so.
Data Retention
We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for legal, accounting and reporting requirements.
- Tenancy, Landlord, Accounting & Maintenance Files: Customer identification, contract, repair logs, and financial transactional information are retained for six years following the end of the contractual relationship to meet legal limitation periods, property safety regulations, and HMRC tax compliance.
- Unsuccessful Applicants: Personal information from applicants who do not proceed to a tenancy will be safely destroyed or archived within 3 months of the application decision, unless required longer for statutory proof of Right to Rent compliance.
Your Legal Rights
Under certain circumstances, you have rights under data protection laws in relation to your personal data, including the right to request access, correction, erasure, restriction, or transfer of your data, or to object to its processing.
You can read more about these rights on the official ICO Individual Rights Guide. If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us at lettings@anncordey.com.
You will not have to pay a fee to access your personal data. However, we may charge a reasonable fee if your request is clearly unfounded, repetitive, or excessive. We try to respond to all legitimate requests within one month.
Review of this Notice
We keep this Notice under regular review. This Notice was updated to reflect our corporate structure, ICO registration details, and integrated operational software platforms. Any questions regarding this Notice and our privacy practices should be sent by email to lettings@anncordey.com.
