Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Capital Letting & Estate Agents Ltd ("we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your personal information, and outlines your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We are registered as a data controller and are responsible for your personal data. If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your information, please contact us using the details at the end of this document.

2. Personal Data We Collect

Depending on your relationship with us, we may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

• Full name, address, date of birth, and contact details (email, telephone)
• Financial information, including bank details and credit history
• Identification documents (e.g. passport, driving licence)
• Details of properties you are interested in renting, buying, or selling
• References from employers or previous landlords
• Email address (where you subscribe to our mailing list)
• Call recordings made for monitoring, security, and service improvement purposes
• Any other information you voluntarily provide to us

3. How We Use Your Personal Data

We process your personal data for the following purposes, relying on the lawful bases indicated:

3.1 Lettings

• To contact prospective tenants and landlords regarding available properties
• To share tenant information with referencing agencies for credit and background checks
• To pass tenant and landlord details to utility companies to ensure charges are correctly directed
• To notify guarantors in cases of rent arrears
• To notify joint tenants of shared rent arrears obligations
• To share forwarding addresses with utility companies upon a tenant vacating a property
• To instruct tracing agents or debt collection companies where a tenant vacates without paying rent and without making any arrangement to pay

3.2 Sales

• To contact prospective buyers regarding available properties and to arrange viewings
• To share seller and buyer details with conveyancing solicitors once a sale is agreed
• To share seller contact details with surveyors and any other parties required to assist in the sale

3.3 Landlords

• To arrange appointments for valuations and viewings
• To maintain contact throughout the letting process
• To share landlord contact details with tenants who have committed to a tenancy

3.4 Marketing Communications

Where you have subscribed to our mailing list, we will use your email address to send you marketing communications, including property updates, news, and promotional offers. By signing up to our mailing list, you are giving your express consent to receive these communications.

You have the right to withdraw your consent and unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any marketing email, or by contacting us directly. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out prior to withdrawal.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process your personal data on the following lawful bases:

• Contract: where processing is necessary to perform a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract
• Legal obligation: where processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation
• Legitimate interests: where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided these are not overridden by your rights and interests
• Consent: where you have given us clear and specific consent to process your data for a particular purpose (e.g. marketing emails)

5. Sharing Your Personal Data

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your data with the following categories of third parties, only to the extent necessary and in accordance with this policy:

• Referencing agencies, for the purpose of conducting tenancy reference checks
• Utility companies, to ensure charges are correctly directed on change of occupancy
• Conveyancing solicitors, surveyors, and other professionals involved in a property transaction
• Tracing agents and debt collection companies, in cases of unpaid rent or debts
• Government bodies, regulators, and law enforcement authorities (e.g. Police, HMRC, Local Authorities), where we are required to do so by law or where a lawful exemption applies
• Our mailing list and email marketing service provider, solely for the purpose of sending you communications you have consented to receive

We will always verify the legitimacy of any requests from authorities and confirm that an appropriate legal basis exists before disclosing information.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this policy, and in accordance with applicable laws. Our standard retention periods are:

• Failed tenancy applications: up to one year from the date of the decision
• Accepted tenancy agreements: up to seven years from the expiry of the tenancy
• Marketing mailing list: until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent

On expiry of the relevant retention period, your data will be securely deleted or destroyed. Manual records will be shredded and hard drives of redundant computers will be wiped.

7. Storage and Security of Your Data

We take the security of your personal data seriously. All personal data is stored securely using appropriate technical and organisational measures, including:

• Storage in lockable rooms or filing cabinets with controlled access
• Password-protected computer systems and databases
• Daily backups to external hard drives stored in fireproof cabinets, both on-site and off-site
• Screen locks and password-protected screensavers on all workstations

All staff are trained on their data protection obligations and are required to handle personal data in accordance with this policy. Appropriate disciplinary action may be taken against any member of staff found to be in breach of these obligations.

8. Telephone Call Recording

All telephone calls to and from our offices are recorded for the purposes of monitoring, security, and service improvement. Call recordings are treated as personal data and are handled in accordance with this policy.

9. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

• Right of access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification: to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to erasure: to request that we delete your data in certain circumstances
• Right to restriction of processing: to request that we limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability: to receive your data in a structured, commonly used format
• Right to object: to object to our processing of your data, including for direct marketing
• Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, to withdraw that consent at any time
• Right to lodge a complaint: to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you believe we have not handled your data correctly

To exercise any of the above rights, please submit your request in writing to the contact details below. We will respond within 30 days of receiving your request. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling the request.

10. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data that we have not been able to resolve to your satisfaction, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the ICO, the UK's data protection supervisory authority.

ICO website: www.ico.org.uk | Helpline: 0303 123 1113

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any significant changes will be communicated to you directly where required. The most current version of this policy will always be available upon request.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: