Privacy Policy

Home Counties Estate Agents Ltd

1. Introduction

Home Counties Estate Agents Ltd is committed to protecting and processing your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (together, the legislation).

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data when you interact with us, including through our website and during property-related transactions. This policy is reviewed regularly and may be updated from time to time.

Any questions regarding this policy or our privacy practices should be sent by email to rlowry@home-counties.com, or in writing to:

Home Counties Estate Agents Ltd
108 High Street
Potters Bar
Hertfordshire
EN6 5AT

2. Who We Are

Home Counties Estate Agents Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales under company number 09644134.
We operate our business under licence from Home Counties Estate Agents Ltd.

This Privacy Policy applies to all personal data you provide directly to us.

3. Personal Data We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide Directly

We may collect the following personal information when you:

  • register for property viewings;

  • request sales or lettings valuations;

  • sign up for property alerts;

  • book mortgage appointments;

  • submit general enquiries.

This information may include:

  • full name;

  • telephone number;

  • email address;

  • property address.

3.2 Additional Information

Depending on the services provided, we may also collect:

  • details submitted on enquiry forms relating to solicitors, mortgages, property insurance, life insurance, critical illness cover, or income protection;

  • financial and transactional data, including bank details, tax reference numbers, income and expenditure details, where required to manage payments or transactions;

  • marital status, date of birth, nationality, and tax status for sales or lettings agreements;

  • proof of funds, deposits, and source of funds for property purchases;

  • mortgage details and ownership history;

  • property information including photographs, floor plans, EPC ratings, surveys, inventories, and descriptions;

  • landlord compliance documentation and right-to-let evidence;

  • tenancy information including move-in/out dates, utilities, deposits, arrears, and references.

3.3 Payments

We do not store payment card details. Payments are processed securely by third-party payment providers who operate under contractual agreements requiring compliance with data protection legislation.

4. How We Use Your Information

We may use your personal data to:

  • provide and manage our services;

  • fulfil contractual obligations;

  • process job applications;

  • communicate service updates;

  • request feedback;

  • send marketing communications (where consent has been given);

  • conduct advertising and analytics;

  • meet legal and regulatory obligations;

  • manage our business administration.

Where consent is the lawful basis for processing, you may withdraw consent at any time.

5. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil contractual, legal, or legitimate business purposes. Where possible, data will be anonymised once it is no longer required.

6. Sharing Your Personal Data

We may share your personal data with trusted third parties where necessary, including:

  • financial, insurance, and protection advisers;

  • tenant referencing providers;

  • property CRM and client management platforms;

  • conveyancing providers;

  • email marketing platforms;

  • auction houses;

  • website hosting providers;

  • surveyors and contractors;

  • utility companies;

  • debt recovery firms;

  • legal representatives;

  • block management providers;

  • call recording, lead management, and telephone answering services;

  • licensed Home Counties Estate Agents partners (where requested).

All third parties are required to process your data securely and in accordance with applicable law.

7. Marketing Preferences

You may choose whether to receive marketing communications from us by selecting the relevant options at the point of data collection. You can change your preferences at any time.

8. Your Data Protection Rights

You have the right to:

  • Access your personal data;

  • Rectification of inaccurate or incomplete data;

  • Erasure (the “right to be forgotten”) where consent is the lawful basis;

  • Restriction of processing in certain circumstances;

  • Object to processing based on legitimate interests.

We will respond to data access requests within 30 days. Fees are not charged unless requests are excessive or unfounded.

9. Updating Your Information

You may notify us of changes to your personal data or withdraw consent at any time by contacting our Data Controller at the address listed above.

10. Complaints

If you are dissatisfied with how we handle your data, you may lodge a complaint with the UK supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

11. Security Measures

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data. While we strive to safeguard all information, transmission over the internet cannot be guaranteed to be completely secure.

12. Cookies and Online Identifiers

We may collect information such as IP address, browser type, and operating system for analytics and system administration purposes.

Cookies are used to:

  • analyse site usage;

  • store preferences;

  • personalise content;

  • improve site performance.

You may disable cookies via your browser settings, although this may affect site functionality.

13. External Links

This Privacy Policy applies only to our website. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites linked from our site.

14. International Data Transfers

Your personal data may be processed outside the UK or EFTA where our service providers are based. Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data.

15. Call, Website, and CCTV Recording

  • Telephone calls are recorded for training and compliance.

  • Website interaction recording may be used to improve usability.

  • CCTV is in operation at our premises.

All such data is used solely for legitimate business purposes.

16. Children’s Privacy

We do not knowingly collect personal data from individuals under the age of 18 without parental or guardian consent.

Last updated: [Insert date]

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