Privacy Notice
Commercial Tenants (Leaseholders)
Effective 18 September 2023
At Plymouth Community Homes (PCH) we are committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected, and that data is used in accordance with the data protection legislation in force in England and Wales.
This privacy notice sets out why we collect personal information from you, how we use it and who we may share it with. It also explains your individual rights under the current data protection legislation.
If we ask you to provide information which can identify you, then we will only use it in accordance with this privacy notice.
We may change this notice by updating it on our website. You should check the notice from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes.
Any queries regarding this notice and our privacy practices can be sent to the company Data Protection Officer by email using governance@plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk or by writing to the Head of Governance, who is also the Data Protection Officer at -
Plymouth Community Homes
Plumer House
Tailyour Road
Crownhill
Plymouth
PL6 5DH
Alternatively, you can telephone us on 0808 230 6500
Who we are
Plymouth Community Homes Limited is a registered housing provider. Our registration number is 30637R. Our registered office is Plumer House, Tailyour Road, Crownhill Plymouth, PL6 5DH
For the purposes of data protection legislation, Plymouth Community Homes Limited is a Data Controller
Why we collect information
We collect and process your information because you have entered into, or wish to enter into a contract with us, for example, in the form of a lease for one of our commercial properties.
This is usually the legal basis for processing your information and carrying out our activities. We need the information to confirm proof of your identity, to help us assess your commercial viability and to carry out other services in relation to your commercial property.
What information we collect about you
When you apply to be a tenant for one of our commercial properties, we will collect the following information from you:
- Name
- Maiden name
- Date of birth
- Current address
- Previous home and business addresses
- Tenure of private home
- Telephone numbers
- E mail address
- Proof of identity which may include passport, driving licence, birth certificate, NI card
- Financial information - credit worthiness and liquidity information
- Bank account details
How we collect your information
Most of this information will be supplied by you directly when completing our Statement of Particulars form, although we may sometimes receive information from third parties including your accountant, current and previous landlords, credit reference agencies etc.
Telephone calls – telephone calls made to Plymouth Community Homes where a call management system is in place are recorded. A recorded message will tell you if your call will be recorded before the call starts.
Recordings of calls may be used, in pursuit of our legitimate interests, for the following reasons:
- For staff training and to improve customer service
- To check and measure whether we meet standards agreed with customers
- As evidence in investigations or disputes concerning either our customers or staff
Access to call recordings is through sampling apart from training purposes or when abusive or threatening behaviour has occurred, or a complaint has been made and requires investigation.
Special Category Information
Under data protection legislation certain personal information is classed as special category. This is information relating to racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, genetic data, biometric data, data concerning health, data about sexual orientation.
We minimise our holding and use of special category personal information and it is not normally necessary to collect this type of data from a commercial tenant.
What we do with it
We may use the information you give us:
- to fulfil our obligations under the contract as your landlord
- to undertake reference checks
- for internal record keeping
- to undertake credit ratings or similar and affordability checks
- to comply with our legal obligations, which include carrying out checks to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing
- to enforce your obligations under your contract
How long we keep your information
We will only store your information for as long as is reasonably necessary for us to fulfil the purposes set out in this guide. Personal data is generally kept for the length of the contract, although it may be retained for longer to ensure obligations under the lease are fulfilled or we are required to do so by law. If we are in dispute with you, we will keep your personal data until legal proceedings have ended.
If your application is unsuccessful, we will securely destroy all your personal data once it is no longer required.
How we store your information
We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. Some information is stored on paper, but most is stored electronically. To prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information.
Sharing your information
We will only share your information where we are legally obliged or able to do so, for example:
- to comply with the law
- to seek legal advice or in connection with court proceedings
- where there is a clear health and safety risk
- child protection and safeguarding issues
- where there is a clear risk to yourself, staff and others
- to provide you with the services you require
- for the detection and prevention of crime, prosecution of offenders and for the detection and prevention of fraud
We may therefore share your information with third parties from time to time, such as:
- Police
- HMRC
- Local authorities, the NHS and Primary Care Trusts
- Partner landlords
- Legal Advisors, the courts and our insurers and auditors
- Contractors providing maintenance and other related services
- Consultants providing services to us
- Trade/professional referees
- Language translation services
- Utility and telephone companies
- Credit checking agencies and debt recovery agents
- A nominated third party where you have given us permission
- Organisations to carry out payments through a secure service (e.g., to set up a direct debit)
- Financial institutions to confirm affordability
- Companies that help us mail out newsletters
- Training providers or learning organisations – where you have agreed to a referral
Your Rights in relation to your personal data
In certain circumstances, data protection legislation gives you a number of individual rights in relation to your personal data. These are as follows:
- The Right to be Informed about how your data is managed – this right is met by this privacy notice and a range of other notices which relate to specific aspects of PCH, such as the CCTV privacy notice and the website privacy notice.
- The Right of Access to your personal information – so that you can be aware of and verify what personal data we hold. Click here for details on how to apply for this right or ask us for more information.
- The Right of Rectification - to have any personal data corrected if it is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date.
- The Right of Erasure of your personal data – this only applies in certain circumstances, such as where you have given consent for us to hold information and you withdraw that consent.
- The Right to restrict processing – in certain circumstances you have the right to block or restrict how we process your data.
- The Right to data portability – which in certain circumstances allows you to obtain obtain and reuse your personal data for your own purposes across different services.
- The Right to object - in certain circumstances, to the processing of personal data. In particular you have the right to object to being sent direct marketing information.
- The Right not to be subject to automated decision making – Plymouth Community Homes does not do this.
More information on the individual rights and how they apply can be obtained by clicking here, by requesting a paper copy of our individual rights guidance information or you can visit the ICO website (ico.org.uk).
If you wish to exercise any of the above rights, please contact:
Governance Team
Plymouth Community Homes
Plumer House
Tailyour Road
Crownhill
Plymouth
PL6 5DH
Alternatively, you can make a request electronically, by email, to governance@plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk. or telephone the Governance Team on 01752 388134 or 388152
Making a complaint
If you believe that Plymouth Community Homes has not handled your personal information correctly you have the right to make a complaint. You can raise a complaint in a number of different ways:
- To a PCH staff member
- At our offices at Plumer House, Tailyour Road, Crownhill, Plymouth, PL6 5DH
- Through our website
- Using social media
- By telephone
- In writing
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioners Office at:
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 if you prefer to use a national rate number.
This privacy notice was drafted with brevity and clarity in mind. It does not provide exhaustive detail of all aspects of Plymouth Community Homes collection and use of personal information. However, we are happy to provide any additional information or explanation needed. Any requests should be sent to the PCH Data Protection Officer at the above address.
If you or someone you know would like this information in large print, braille, or translated into another language, please contact our Communications Team on 0808 230 6500 or email info@plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk
Plymouth Community Homes Group
Registered Office: Plumer House, Tailyour Road, Plymouth, PL6 5DH
Legal Status:
Plymouth Community Homes Ltd is a registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 (which consolidates the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts) and is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (registration 30637R) and the Regulator of Social Housing (registration L4543).
At the time of issuing this Notice, Plymouth Community Homes Ltd has two wholly owned subsidiaries, Plymouth Community Homes Regeneration Company Ltd (PCHR), company number 7272688 and Plymouth Community Homes Energy Ltd (PCHE), company number 8028170. Both subsidiaries are incorporated under the Companies Act 2006
