Empty homes

Summary

What personal information does this service use?

In order to carry out activities and obligations as providers of services to you, we may process the following personal information:

* Name

* Title

* Address

* Telephone number

* Email address

* Date of birth

* Gender

* Marital status and civil partnerships

* Council tax details for a property

* How many, and the types of, properties held by an individual/organisation in the borough

* Names of the registered title holders, addressees, lease terms linked to you and any other personal information published by the Land Registry

* Copies of formal notices served in relation to enforcement action for an empty residential dwelling

* Property ownership details, grants of probate proof of title and any charges on property

* Tenancy details in respect of privately rented properties, such as occupier name/s, household composition, type and length of tenancy agreement and rent charged

* Bank account details

* Employment details

* Payroll and tax/national insurance status information

* Income, savings and details of allowable expenses

* Benefit entitlements

* Credit history

* Tenancy rent account history and payment transactions

* Company information such as directors’ information and company registration

numbers

* Photos

* Audio recordings

* Video recordings

* Electronic messages such as texts and emails

* Case files, incident reports, timeline of events, crime reference numbers

***Please note that this is not an exhaustive list***

We may also collect, store and use special categories of more sensitive personal information. This may include, but is not limited to:

* Information about your race/ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation and

political opinions (including ensuring meaningful equal opportunities

monitoring and reporting).

* Offences (including alleged offences), criminal proceedings, outcomes and

sentences.

* Identification numbers, location data, online identifier and factors specific to a

person’s physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social

identity. This could include reports from the Police, Court Information / orders

Health information e.g. DNA.

***Please note that this is not an exhaustive list***

What is your personal information used for?

The main purposes for processing your personal information are:

• To authenticate and verify the identity of an individual
• To enable the Council to provide general advice and support, and ad hoc initiatives, to private sector residential owners and investors, and to enable research into the private housing sector to support this. This could include:

1. To provide empty home owners with updates that could potentially affect their property
2. To invite owners of empty properties to events that may be of interest relating to empty homes
3. To help property owners understand the support available to them from external sources or organisations
4. To build up a better understanding of the nature of empty homes in the borough through collation of data and information for monitoring, business intelligence, market, demographic and statistical research, and service improvement purposes.

• To maintain our records and accounts

What is the lawful basis we are relying on?

We collect and use this information:

• In line with Schedule 2 to the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (c.18) relating to vacant dwellings.
• where you have given clear consent for us to process your personal data for a specific purpose.

We use special categories of personal data:

• for reasons of substantial public interest based on the council's functions to help assist vulnerable citizens maintain independence and to help address safety needs, and also to ensure equality of opportunity (Art 9(2)(g) of the UK GDPR);
• where it is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims (Art 9(2)(f) of the UK GDPR).

We also process special category data where it is necessary for archiving, research, or statistical purposes (Art. 9(2)(j) UK GDPR).

Where has the personal information come from?

Who will we share your personal information with?

In addition to the general reasons for information sharing described in the Council’s

Primary Privacy Notice:

We may share information with and collect information from other teams within the

Council where it is necessary to do so.

We may share information with or receive information from the following Council

Teams or Departments:

* Legal Services

* Civil Enforcement/Anti-Social Behaviour/Community Resilience

* Housing Support

* Homelessness Solutions

* Environmental Enforcement

* Financial Services

* Adult’s and Children’s Social Care.

* Council Tax

This is done in order to provide appropriate, timely and effective services or where it is necessary to:

• find and stop crime, anti-social behaviour or fraud
• because there are serious risks to the safety and security to the public, our staff or other people
• to protect children
• to protect adults at risk especially those who are most vulnerable

We may also share information with external organisations where necessary in order

to fulfil the purposes for which the information was collected, or to fulfil a public task,

or comply with legal obligations. Principally, but not solely, we may share information with the following:

* The Police

* Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service

* The Judiciary

* Voluntary sector organisations, such as Citizen’s Advice or Shelter

* The local provider of the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme

* The local organisation awarded with the Legal Aid Agency contract for housing matters

* Both Greater Manchester and National Rogue Landlord Databases

* HM Land Registry

* Appointed solicitors or legal representatives

* National Anti-Fraud Network and other such multi-agency data sharing platforms

We also collect or receive information from external parties such as:

* The Police

* Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service

* HM Land Registry

* Other individuals involved in or with knowledge pertaining to any dispute or case under question

* Voluntary sector organisations already involved in a given case, or where the desire for a referral has been expressly given

* Appointed solicitors or legal representatives

* Utility providers

* Credit reference agencies

* National Anti-Fraud Network and other such multi-agency data sharing platforms

How long will we keep your information?

Automated decision making

The Council does not use your personal data in automated decision making or profiling.

Your personal information and your rights

Contacting us about your data and updates