Fair processing notices - Private sector housing: development, enforcement and empty homes

How we use your data

At Stoke-on-Trent City Council we take your privacy seriously and will only keep and use your personal information for reasons law requires or allows.  We are a data controller for the personal information we hold about you in relation to Private Sector Housing.  In order to comply with data protection legislation we must be sure you understand how we use this information.

When you use the Private Sector Housing service we collect information about

  • Complainant name, address and contact details,
  • Occupiers names, address, contact details and ages
  • Potential occupiers’ names and ages for the purpose of UK Entrance Clearance
  • Owners name, address and contact details, together with details such as disabilities or the age of owners, (if this information is provided).  This information ensures that we can offer the most appropriate support to owners in order to bring their empty property back into use
  • Agents/Landlord names, addressed, and contact details,
  • Property Licensee, name, address, contact details, date of birth, proof of address, proof of identification and information on any unspent convictions.
  • Bank account details for the purpose of paying the Landlord Accreditation Empty Homes Grant

We only keep this data for the time specified in our retention schedule or as required by law.

We use this data to-

  • Investigate complaints regarding private residential properties and their management.
  • Improve property standards
  • Carry out housing inspections for the purpose of UK Entrance Clearance
  • Carry out functions in order to license required properties under provisions of the Housing Act 2004
  • Overseeing the effective management of the Council owned Gypsy and Traveller site, administration of the Caravan Site Register and enforcement of unauthorised enactments on Council owned land.
  • Bring empty properties back into use
  • Developing Landlords
  • Administer Landlord Accreditation and Empty Homes Grants
  • Ascertain why a empty home owner may be having difficulty in bringing a property back into use and enables the team to offer appropriate assistance.

We are able to do this because the law says that we can do it. This Includes The Environmental Protection Act 1990, Housing Act 2004, Housing Act 1985, Prevention of Damaged by Pests Act 1949, Housing and Planning Act 2016, Building Act 1984, Protection from Eviction Act 1977, Public Health Act 1936, Public Health Act 1961, Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1986, Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Local Government and Housing Act 1989, Water Industry Act 1991, The Mobile Homes Act 1983, Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, Protection from Harassment Act 1997, Cleaner Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform Act 2013 and regulation or orders made thereunder. The processing of personal data for these purposes is allowed under Article 6, 1(e) of the UK GDPR and processing of personal data in the special categories is allowed under and Article 9, 2(b).

You should be aware that we have a duty to protect public funds.  We may therefore use the information we have for the prevention and detection of fraud.  We may share this information with other bodies for these purposes. We may also share this information with other parts of the council or other relevant organisations for purposes which may include enforcement.

Data protection law provides you with certain rights, however not all of these rights will be available to you in all situations.  Where we are under a legal duty to use data for a particular purpose you will not have the right to prevent it being used in that way.

A full list of the rights you may have, under data protection law, is given below:

  • You can ask to see the information we hold about you.
  • You can ask what is being done with the information we hold about you.
  • You can ask to have some of the data we hold about you deleted.
  • You can ask us to review a decision made about you by a computer, and ask for a new decision to be made by a person.
  • You can ask us to stop processing the data we hold about you
  • You can ask us to make changes to data about you that you believe is inaccurate.
  • In some circumstances you can ask us to help you move your information to another organisation.
  • You can ask us to restrict or limit what we do with your data, for example if you believe the data we hold is inaccurate, or if you believe the processing in unlawful.

If you want to speak to someone about this service please contact: Private Sector Housing on 01782 232087.

Who to contact if you have questions

If you wish to contact us in relation to any of your information rights, email foi@stoke.gov.uk or write to Information Rights Team, Floor 2, Civic Centre, Glebe Street, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 1HH.

Complete the online form

If you wish to complain about how your personal information has been handled by Stoke-on-Trent City Council, contact the information rights team in the first instance using the details above. If you are not satisfied you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, or call 03031231113 or you can visit their website at www.ico.org.uk.

You can find details of how we handle your personal information by visiting stoke.gov.uk/dataprotection

For any general enquiries you can contact the council by phone on 01782 234234, via email to enquiries@stoke.gov.uk or by writing to us at Civic Centre, Glebe Street, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 1HH.