Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Newcroft Estate Agents Ltd is a residential lettings and property management company operating in East London. We are registered in England and Wales under company number [XXXXXXXX].

Our registered address is: [Insert registered address]

For data protection queries, contact us at: hello@newcroftestates.co.uk or 07903 574 348.

2. What Personal Data We Collect

Depending on your relationship with us, we may collect the following types of personal data:

Landlords and property owners:

• Full name, address, phone number, and email address
• Bank account details (for rent remittance)
• Property details and documentation
• National Insurance number or company number (for HMRC compliance)
• Anti-Money Laundering (AML) verification documents (ID, proof of address)

Tenants and applicants:

• Full name, date of birth, current and previous addresses
• Contact details (phone, email)
• Employment details and income information
• Bank details (for rent payment setup)
• Government-issued identification (passport, driving licence)
• Right-to-Rent documentation (as required by law)
• Credit check results (obtained via third-party referencing)
• Previous landlord references
• Next of kin and emergency contact details

Website enquiries:

• Name, email address, phone number
• Property address (if provided)
• Content of your enquiry message

3. Why We Collect Your Data

We collect and process your personal data for the following purposes:

• To provide our services — managing your property, arranging tenancies, collecting rent, coordinating repairs
• Legal compliance — verifying Right-to-Rent, registering deposits, Anti-Money Laundering checks, HMRC reporting
• Contractual obligations — fulfilling the terms of management agreements and tenancy agreements
• Communication — responding to enquiries, sending monthly statements, notifying you of maintenance or compliance issues
• Legitimate interests — keeping records required for tax purposes, resolving disputes, and improving our service

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we rely on the following lawful bases for processing your data:

• Contract performance — processing is necessary to manage your property or tenancy
• Legal obligation — we are required by law to verify identity, register deposits, and conduct AML checks
• Legitimate interests — maintaining business records, resolving disputes, managing our operations
• Consent — for marketing communications, where you have opted in

5. Who We Share Your Data With

We only share your personal data where necessary to provide our services or comply with the law. This may include:

• Deposit Protection Service (DPS) — tenant deposit registration
• Tenant referencing providers — for credit checks and employment verification
• Contractors and maintenance companies — limited data (name, property address, contact number) to arrange repairs
• HMRC — for AML supervision and tax reporting obligations
• The Property Ombudsman — if a complaint is referred for adjudication
• Legal professionals — in the event of a dispute or legal proceedings
• Our software and systems providers — who process data on our behalf under data processing agreements

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We do not use your data for unsolicited marketing without consent.

6. How Long We Keep Your Data

• Tenancy records — retained for 6 years after the tenancy ends (for tax and legal purposes)
• AML verification documents — retained for 5 years after the business relationship ends (legal requirement)
• Financial records — retained for 6 years (HMRC requirement)
• Enquiry records — retained for 12 months if no tenancy or management agreement results
• CCTV / inspection photos — retained for the duration of the tenancy plus 6 years

7. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:

• Right to access — you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification — you can ask us to correct inaccurate data
• Right to erasure — you can ask us to delete your data, where we are not legally required to retain it
• Right to restrict processing — you can ask us to limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability — you can request your data in a portable format
• Right to object — you can object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@newcroftestates.co.uk. We will respond within 30 days.

8. Data Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, disclosure, or loss. This includes:

• Storing documents in password-protected systems
• Using encrypted email where possible for sensitive documents
• Limiting access to personal data to those who need it to do their job
• Maintaining a separate, ringfenced client account for all client money

In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you and the ICO within 72 hours of becoming aware of it.

9. Cookies

Our website (newcroftestates.co.uk) does not use tracking cookies or third-party analytics. We use Google Fonts, which may load assets from Google's servers. Our contact form is processed by Formspree, which has its own privacy policy.

10. Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

• Website: ico.org.uk
• Helpline: 0303 123 1113

We would, however, appreciate the opportunity to address your concern directly before you contact the ICO. Please email us first at hello@newcroftestates.co.uk.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. The "last updated" date at the top of this page will reflect any changes. We will notify landlords and tenants of any significant changes by email.