Privacy Policy

Factotum (Scotland) Ltd, 63 Dublin Street, Edinburgh, EH3 6NS, (“we” or “us”) take the issue of security and data protection very seriously and strictly adhere to guidelines published in the Data Protection Act of 1998 and the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 which is applicable from the 25 May 2018, together with any domestic laws subsequently enacted.

We are notified as a data controller with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) under registration number Z9133879 and we are the data controller of any personal data that you provide to us.

We need to gather and use certain information about individuals.  These can include customers (tenants, landlord clients etc.), employees and other individuals that we have a contractual relationship with.  We manage a significant amount of data, from a variety of sources.  This data contains “personal data” and “sensitive personal data” (known as “special categories of personal data” under the GDPR).

This policy sets out our duties in processing that data, and the purpose of this policy is to set out the procedures for the management of such data.

Our point of contact is Chris Boisseau, [email protected], Tel: 0131 290 2929.

Any questions relating to this notice and our privacy practices should be sent to [email protected], Tel: 0131 290 2929.

Legislation

  • General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (the GDPR)
  • Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (as may be amended by the proposed Regulation on Privacy and Electronic Communications)
  • Any legislation that, in respect of the United Kingdom (UK), replaces, or enacts into UK domestic law, the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the proposed Regulation on Privacy and Electronic Communications or any other law relating to data protection, the processing of personal data and privacy as a consequence of the UK leaving the European Union.

What we collect

We hold a variety of data relating to individuals, including customers and employees (also referred to as “data subjects”) which is known as personal data.

We collect information about you:

  • When you apply for housing with us, become a tenant, request services/repairs, enter in to a tenancy agreement with ourselves howsoever arising or otherwise provide us with your personal details
  • From your use of our online services, whether to report any tenancy related issues, make a complaint or otherwise
  • From your arrangements to make payment to us (such as bank details, payment card numbers, employment details, benefit entitlement and any other income and expenditure related information).

We may collect the following information:

  • Name
  • Contact information including email address and phone number
  • Address
  • National Insurance number
  • Next of kin
  • Guarantor details
  • Other information relevant

We receive the following information from third parties:

  • Benefits information, including awards of Housing Benefit/Universal Credit
  • Payments made by you to us
  • Complaints or other communications regarding behaviour or other alleged breaches of the terms of your contract with us, including information obtained from Police Scotland
  • Reports as to the conduct or condition of your tenancy, including references from previous tenancies, and complaints of anti-social behaviour

Processing data

We are permitted to process personal data on behalf of data subjects provided it is doing so on one of the following grounds:

  • Processing with the consent of the data subject
  • Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract between us and the data subject or for entering into a contract with the data subject
  • Processing is necessary for our compliance with a legal obligation
  • Processing is necessary to protect the vital interests of the data subject or another person
  • Processing is necessary for the purposes of legitimate interests

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

We need your information and will use your information:

  • To undertake and perform our obligations and duties to you in accordance with the terms of our contract with you
  • To enable us to supply you with the services and information which you have requested
  • To enable us to respond to your repair request, housing application and complaints made
  • To analyse the information we collect so that we can administer, support and improve and develop our business and the services we offer
  • To contact you in order to send you details of any changes to our services or supplies which may affect you
  • For all other purposes consistent with the proper performance of our operations and business
  • To contact you for your views on our products and services

Sharing of your information

The information you provide to us will be treated by us as confidential. We may disclose your information to other third parties who act for us for the purposes set out in this notice or for purposes approved by you, including the following:

  • If we enter into a joint venture with or merge with another business entity, your information may be disclosed to our new business partners or owners
  • If we instruct repair or maintenance works, your information may be disclosed to any contractor
  • If we are investigating a complaint, information may be disclosed to Police Scotland, local authority departments, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service and others involved in any complaint, whether investigating the complaint or otherwise
  • If we are updating tenancy details, your information may be disclosed to third parties (such as utility companies and local authority)
  • If we are investigating payments made or otherwise, your information may be disclosed to payment processors, local authority and the Department for Work & Pensions
  • If we are asked by HMRC in regard to taxation, your information may be accordingly disclosed

Unless required to do so by law, we will not otherwise share, sell or distribute any of the information you provide to us without your consent.

Security

We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

How long we will 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 relevant activity, or as required by law (we may be legally required to hold some types of information), or as set out in any relevant contract we have with you.

How we use cookies

A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer’s hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.

We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about web page traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system.

Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.

You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.

Analytics

When someone visits www.factotum.co.uk, we use the third party service Google Analytics to collect standard internet log information and details of visitor behaviour patterns. We do this to find out things such as the number o visitors to the various parts of the site. This information is only processed in a way which does not identify anyone. We do not make, and do not allow Google to make any attempt to find out the identities of those visiting our website.

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

Mailing Lists

As part of our registration process for landlords and tenants, we collect personal information. If you have opted in to our newsletter, we use your information to contact you with relevant information, news, industry trends and blogs. We may contact you if we need to obtain or provide additional information, to check our records are up-to-date and that you’re satisfied with our service. We don’t rent or trade email lists with other organisations and businesses.

We use a third-party provider, Campaign Monitor, to deliver our newsletter. We gather statistics around email opening and clicks using industry standard technologies to help us monitor and improve our newsletter. For more information, please see Campaign Monitor’s privacy policy. You can unsubscribe to general mailings at any time of the day or night by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any of our emails or by emailing our Data Protection Officer, Chris Boisseau.

Controlling your personal information

If you have previously agreed to us using your personal information for direct marketing purposes, you may change your mind at any time by writing to or emailing us at [email protected].

You have the right at any time to:

  • Ask for a copy of the information about you held by us in our records
  • Require us to correct any inaccuracies in your information
  • Make a request to us to delete what personal data we hold about you
  • Object to receiving any marketing communications from us

If you would like to exercise any of your rights above please contact us at [email protected].

Should you wish to complain about the use of your information, we would ask that you contact us to resolve this matter in the first instance. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in relation to our use of your information.  The ICO’s contact details are noted below:

The Information Commissioner’s Office – Scotland

45 Melville Street, Edinburgh, EH3 7HL

Telephone: 0131 244 9001

email: [email protected]

 

The accuracy of your information is important to us – please help us keep our records updated by informing us of any changes to your email address and other contact details.

This policy was reviewed and amended in May 2018.