Privacy Policy
Affordable Housing and Communities Ltd (AHCL) ("we", "us") is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, share and retain personal data when you interact with us, whether as a resident, an applicant, a visitor to our website, or a job applicant.
This notice covers the personal data we process through this website and our general dealings with you. For the fuller resident and tenant notice, please refer to the AHCL Privacy Notice (PDF). A separate notice applies to Platinum Skies retirement living customers, and a separate Employee Privacy Notice applies to employees, contractors and board members.
1. Who we are
Affordable Housing and Communities Ltd (AHCL) is a Registered Provider of social housing, regulated by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH). We provide affordable rented and shared-ownership homes and manage housing services for our residents.
AHCL is registered as a data controller with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
Data Controller: Affordable Housing and Communities Ltd
ICO Registration Number: ZB257337
Registered Office: Tringham House, 3rd Floor, 580 Deansleigh Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH7 7DT
Company Registration Number: 09901606
RSH Registration Number: 4836
Data Protection Officer: Grace Robinson
Email: gl@ahh.org.uk
Telephone: 01202 531 635
2. Who this notice applies to
This privacy notice applies to you if you are:
- a current or former resident or tenant of AHCL
- an applicant for social housing managed or allocated by AHCL
- a shared ownership leaseholder or applicant
- a member of a resident's household or someone named on a tenancy
- a visitor to our offices, website or communal areas
- someone who contacts us by phone, email, letter or social media
- someone who enquires about our homes or services, or signs up to receive information from us
- a candidate applying for a role with AHCL through this website
A separate Employee Privacy Notice applies to employees, contractors and board members. A separate notice applies to Platinum Skies retirement living customers.
3. What information we collect
3.1 Standard personal information
We may collect and hold the following about you:
- full name, date of birth and identity documents
- contact details: address, telephone number, email address
- National Insurance number
- household composition and details of people living with you
- income, employment and financial information (for eligibility and arrears management)
- tenancy or lease details, including rent and service charge accounts
- records of repairs, maintenance requests and property inspections
- correspondence and records of contact with us
- complaints, feedback and survey responses
- enquiry and marketing preferences, including details you provide through web forms
- CCTV images where cameras are in use on our estates
3.2 Special category (sensitive) data
We may also hold sensitive data about you where it is necessary to provide appropriate services. This includes information about:
- health or disability, to tailor our services, arrange adaptations or assess housing needs
- mental health or vulnerabilities, where relevant to tenancy support or safeguarding
- racial or ethnic origin, for equality monitoring
- alleged or actual criminal offences, where relevant to anti-social behaviour cases
We handle special category data with extra care under UK GDPR Article 9 and will only process it where there is a clear legal basis.
3.3 Information we collect when you use our website
When you visit our website, our web server automatically records certain technical information in its logs, some of which is personal data under UK GDPR. This includes:
- your IP address and approximate location derived from it
- device, browser and operating system information
- the pages you view, the time and duration of your visit, and the site that referred you
We use this information to operate and secure the site and to keep it running reliably. We do not currently use this information for analytics, personalisation or advertising, and we do not currently use cookies or similar tracking technologies (see section 14).
4. Why we use your information and our lawful basis
Under UK GDPR we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. The table below sets out the main purposes for which we use your information and the basis we rely on.
| Purpose | Lawful Basis |
|---|---|
| Processing housing applications and allocations | Legal obligation (Art. 6c); Public task (Art. 6e) |
| Managing your tenancy or lease, including rent and service charges | Contract (Art. 6b) |
| Carrying out repairs, maintenance and property inspections | Contract (Art. 6b); Legal obligation (Art. 6c) |
| Managing rent arrears and service charge debts | Contract (Art. 6b); Legitimate interests (Art. 6f) |
| Investigating and responding to anti-social behaviour | Legal obligation (Art. 6c); Public task (Art. 6e) |
| Safeguarding residents, including children and vulnerable adults | Legal obligation (Art. 6c); Vital interests (Art. 6d) |
| Neighbourhood and estate management | Legitimate interests (Art. 6f) |
| Responding to complaints and enquiries | Legal obligation (Art. 6c); Legitimate interests (Art. 6f) |
| Providing tenancy support and floating support services | Contract (Art. 6b); Consent (Art. 6a) where required |
| Preventing and detecting fraud, money laundering and crime | Legal obligation (Art. 6c) |
| Meeting obligations to the RSH, Homes England and other regulators | Legal obligation (Art. 6c) |
| Meeting obligations to lenders and funders | Legal obligation (Art. 6c) |
| Equality monitoring and diversity reporting | Legal obligation (Art. 6c); Substantial public interest (Art. 9(2)(g)) |
| Operating, securing and improving our website | Legitimate interests (Art. 6f) |
| Sending you marketing and service information you have asked for | Consent (Art. 6a); Legitimate interests (Art. 6f) where the law allows |
| Handling job applications | Legitimate interests (Art. 6f); steps prior to a contract (Art. 6b) |
| Statistical analysis and service improvement | Legitimate interests (Art. 6f) |
Where we rely on legitimate interests, we have carried out a balancing assessment to confirm your rights do not override those interests, and you can ask us for details of that assessment.
5. Who we share your information with
We only share your information where there is a lawful basis to do so. We may share your information with:
- contractors carrying out repairs, maintenance or other services on our behalf, bound by data processing agreements
- local authorities, for housing registers, council tax, and support referrals
- the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) and Homes England, as required by our regulatory obligations
- our lenders and funders, where required under loan covenants
- the police and law enforcement agencies, to prevent or detect crime or protect public safety
- social services and safeguarding authorities, where there is a safeguarding concern
- debt collection and legal services, in cases of unresolved arrears or legal proceedings
- utility companies and Council Tax offices, when you move in or out
- our external auditors and the ICO, for audit and compliance purposes
- IT, cloud hosting, analytics and advertising providers, who process data on our behalf under strict contractual controls
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for third party marketing purposes without your explicit consent.
6. Transfers outside the UK
We aim to keep your personal data within the UK. Some of our IT, hosting and cloud suppliers may store or process limited data, such as website server logs, outside the UK, including in the United States. Where that happens, we make sure the data is protected by an appropriate safeguard recognised under UK data protection law, such as the International Data Transfer Agreement, the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses, or transfer to a country covered by UK adequacy regulations. You can ask us for more detail on the safeguards that apply to a particular transfer.
7. How long we keep your information
We only keep your information for as long as it is needed, in line with our Data Retention Policy. As a guide, we will usually keep:
| Type of record | Typical retention period |
|---|---|
| Housing application records (unsuccessful) | 2 years from decision |
| Tenancy file and related correspondence | 6 years from end of tenancy |
| Rent account records | 6 years from end of tenancy |
| Repairs and maintenance records | 6 years from completion |
| ASB case records | 6 years from case closure |
| Safeguarding records | As directed by statutory guidance; may be permanent |
| Complaints records | 6 years from resolution |
| Legal proceedings and court orders | 12 years from conclusion |
| CCTV footage (where applicable) | 31 days unless required for investigation |
| Equality monitoring data (anonymised) | Indefinitely in anonymised form |
| Recruitment records (unsuccessful applicants) | 6 months from conclusion of the recruitment process |
| Website enquiry and marketing records | 2 years from your last interaction with us, or until you opt out |
8. How we keep your information safe
- Personal data is stored in secure IT systems with access controls, accessible only to staff who need it.
- Paper records are held in secure, locked environments.
- All staff with access to personal data receive data protection training and are bound by confidentiality obligations.
- We use encryption for data in transit and at rest.
- Any data processors acting on our behalf are required by contract to maintain equivalent security standards.
- We will notify the ICO within 72 hours of becoming aware of a serious data breach, and will notify affected individuals where required.
9. Where we get your information from
Most of the information we hold comes directly from you. We also receive information about you from:
- local authorities and housing registers, in connection with applications and allocations
- referees, previous landlords and credit or fraud prevention agencies, where relevant to an application or tenancy
- contractors and service providers acting on our behalf
- public sources and regulators, where relevant to our obligations
10. Your data protection rights
Under UK GDPR you have the following rights. Contact us using the details in section 12 to exercise any of them. We will not charge you and must respond within one month.
| Right | What it means |
|---|---|
| Right to be informed | To know how and why we process your personal data. This notice fulfils that obligation. |
| Right of access (DSAR) | To request a copy of the personal data we hold about you. |
| Right to rectification | To ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data. |
| Right to erasure | To ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances (we may have legal obligations to retain some records). |
| Right to restrict processing | To ask us to pause processing your data in certain circumstances. |
| Right to data portability | To receive your data in a portable format in certain circumstances. |
| Right to object | To object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing. |
| Right to withdraw consent | Where we rely on your consent, to withdraw it at any time without affecting processing carried out before you withdrew it. |
| Rights re automated decisions | Not to be subject to solely automated decisions that significantly affect you without human review. |
11. Job applicants and candidates
When you apply for a role with us, or use our online interview booking tool to self-schedule an interview, we collect and process personal information about you as part of our recruitment process. This may include:
- your full name and contact details, including email address and telephone number
- information provided in your CV, cover letter or application, such as employment history, education and qualifications
- interview scheduling information, including your selected appointment time and any notes you provide when booking
- references and information obtained during pre-employment checks where applicable
- any other information you voluntarily share with us during the recruitment process
We use this information to assess your suitability for the role, communicate with you about your application, and arrange and conduct interviews. If your application is unsuccessful, we will retain your recruitment data for up to 6 months from the conclusion of the process, after which it will be securely deleted, unless you have consented to us retaining it for a longer period to consider you for future roles.
12. How to contact us
To exercise your rights, make a Subject Access Request, ask a question about how we use your data, or report a concern, please contact our Data Protection Officer:
Data Protection Officer: Grace Robinson
Email: gl@ahh.org.uk
Telephone: 01202 531 635
Post: Data Protection Officer, Affordable Housing and Communities Ltd, Tringham House, 3rd Floor, 580 Deansleigh Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH7 7DT
13. Your right to complain to the ICO
If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your personal information, you have the right to complain to the ICO, the UK's data protection regulator. We would welcome the opportunity to resolve any concern directly first, so please contact us before approaching the ICO.
Website: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Post: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
14. Cookies and website tracking
Marketing
We may invite you to complete surveys or take part in market research, although you do not have to respond. Where you have asked to hear from us, or where the law otherwise allows, we may send you information about our homes and services. You can ask us to stop contacting you for marketing purposes at any time, either by using the unsubscribe link in any marketing email or by emailing marketing@ahh.org.uk.
Cookies
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. We do not currently use cookies or similar tracking technologies on this site. We do not use analytics, preference, or advertising cookies, and we do not track your activity across other websites.
If we introduce cookies in future, we will update this notice and, where the cookies are not strictly necessary, ask for your consent through a cookie banner before they are set. Further general information about cookies is available at ico.org.uk.
15. Changes to this notice
We may update this notice from time to time to reflect how we are processing your data. If we make significant changes, we will notify residents by letter, email or by posting a notice in our communal areas and on our website. The current version is always available on request.
Last updated: June 2026 | Version 002