Privacy notices

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council privacy notices.

Housing Standards Privacy Notice

This Privacy Notice is designed to help you understand how and why the Housing Standards Team processes your personal data. This notice should be read in conjunction with the Council’s Corporate Privacy Notice.

 

Who are we? 

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is a ‘Data Controller’ as defined by Article 4(7) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). 

The Housing Standards Team offers housing advice to all residents and property owners of the Borough. The Housing Standards Team is a regulatory service that enforces housing and public health statute where appropriate. 

The Team also investigate complaints of nuisance/statutory nuisance (premises, accumulations and animals kept in such a state). We inspect and issue licences in relation to Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) and properties within designated Selective Licensing Areas. 

In addition, the Team also operate a ‘Warm & Well’ advice service for our residents. We offer tailored advice and signposting to grants and assistance to improve energy efficiency and reduce fuel poverty for residents across the borough.

The Housing Standards Team in partnership with Thirteen Housing also support refugees who have arrived in Redcar & Cleveland as part of the Government’s Resettlement Schemes and the Homes for Ukraine Programme.

The Council has an internal Data Protection Officer. Their contact details are:

Data Protection Officer

Redcar and Cleveland House

Kirkleatham Street

Redcar

TS10 1RT

informationgovernance@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk 

01642 444573

 

What personal information do we collect?

We collect and use information about people and businesses to enable us to carry out specific functions for which we are responsible and to provide you with a service.

These records may include; 

  • details about you, for example, name, address, date of birth, medical and financial information,
  • unique identifiers (such as your NI number or Refugee Number)
  • contact we have had with you, for example, appointments & letters of correspondence,
  • notes and reports about your relevant circumstances,
  • details and records about the service you have received,
  • relevant information from other people that we have been in contact with, in relation to the service that you have received.

 

Why do we collect your personal information? 

We collect information about residential properties, owner/occupiers, landlords and tenants and service users to enable us to carry out specific functions for which we are responsible and to provide you with a service, for example 

  • If you make a complaint of nuisance arising from a neighbouring property, we will gather information about both parties including how the nuisance affects you at your property and the detailed nature of the complaint.
  • If you are a landlord, we will gather information about you, your tenant and the property in order to carry out risk-based inspections.
  • If you operate a property that requires a HMO or Selective Licence we will gather information about the property, the applicant including a fit and proper person check on all applicants and any other relevant person in order to issue the relevant licence.
  • If you are enquiring about how to improve energy efficiency in your home we may ask for financial and medical information to signpost to relevant grants and assistance.
  • If we are providing support under the relevant Resettlement Programme or Homes For Ukraine Programme we will gather information about your support needs.

 

Who do we obtain your information from?

  • Yourself regarding applications made to the Council to hold a relevant HMO or Selective Licence.
  • Members of the public reporting a complaint about your home.
  • Yourself if you make an enquiry or a complaint.
  • Government Office/Agency. e.g. DHLUC, HO, DESNZ
  • Police / Fire Brigade/ Probation Services
  • Other Local Authorities. 
  • NHS organisations/Teams.
  • Housing providers including Social and Private Landlords.
  • Education establishments. 
  • Voluntary Sector/ Charities. e.g. CAB, MEC
  • Northumbrian Water Plc.
  • Social Services, Adults and Childrens.

 

Information will only be shared where it is necessary, proportionate and justified to do so, for example;

  • Your complaint or the investigation needs to be dealt with jointly or solely by another agency.
  • Where the health and safety of others is at risk.
  • Where an agreement to share the information exists and is relevant. 
  • Where a legal gateway to share the information exists and is relevant, proportionate, and necessary to do so.
  • Where the law requires us to pass on information under certain circumstances.
  • For the prevention and detection of crime.

 

How long do we keep your information for? 

Data held Retention period 
Case Management Records 6 years after the case is closed. This allows us to refer to previous cases when considering any future enforcement activities.
Information collected to inspect and issue the relevant HMO or Selective Licence 6 years after the case is closed. This allows us to refer to previous cases when considering any future enforcement activities.
Investigation / Prosecution Records and Files 6 years after the case is closed. This allows us to refer to previous cases when considering any future enforcement activities.

 

What is our lawful basis for processing your information?

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council relies on the following lawful basis to process your personal data:

  • UK GDPR Article 6(1)(c) – processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject
  • UK GDPR Article 6(1)(e) – processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.

For the processing of personal data relating to criminal convictions and offences, processing meets Schedule 1, Part 2 of the Data Protection Act 2018 as below:

  • (6) Statutory and Government Purposes

When processing special category data, the Council will rely on the following lawful basis:

  • UK GDPR Article 9 (2) (g) – processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest with processing meeting Schedule 1, Part 2 of the Data Protection Act 2018 as below:
  • (6) Statutory and Government Purposes

The legislations, policies and guidance that relate to this service includes, but is not limited to:

  • Housing Acts and associated legislation. 
  • Public Health Acts.
  • The Environmental Protection Act 1990.
  • The Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014.
  • Home Energy Conservation Act 1990.
  • The Electricity and Gas (Energy Company Obligation) Order 2022.

 

Your rights

There are a number of rights that you may exercise depending on the legal basis for processing your personal data.

  • Request a copy of the personal information the Council holds about you,
  • To have any inaccuracies corrected,
  • To have your personal data erased,
  • To place a restriction on the Council’s processing of your data,
  • To object to processing,
  • To request your data to be ported (data portability),
  • To object to any automated decision-making including profiling.

In most cases, these rights are not absolute and there may be compelling or overriding legal reasons why we cannot meet these rights in full. This will be explained to you in more detail should you contact us for any of the reasons detailed above.

For more information about how the Council uses your data, including your privacy rights and the complaints process, please see our Corporate Privacy Notice.