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Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) privacy notice

1. Council contact details

1.1. West Northamptonshire Council
Registered Office:
One Angel Square
Angel Street
Northampton
NN1 1ED

Tel: 0300 126 7000
Website: West Northamptonshire Council

This notice explains what personal data (information) we hold about you, how we collect it, how we use it and how we may share information that we hold about you in order to deliver our services. We are required to give you this information under data protection law.

West Northamptonshire Council is committed to protecting your privacy when you use our services. The Privacy Notice below explains how we use information about you and how we protect your privacy.

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) complies with data protection legislation (the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and are registered as ‘Data Controllers’ (Reg. No. ZA896620).

This Privacy notice relates to client records relating to Houses in Multiple Occupation applications.

2. Information that we hold

2.1. The council collects your personal information to process your application. We may also use this information for enforcement purposes under the Housing Act 2004. Where we process special categories data (formerly referred to as sensitive personal data) the council relies upon substantial public interest GDPR (Article 9(2)(g)) and Data Protection Act 2018 sch 1 part 2 6 statutory and government purposes.

We will not collect any personal information from you that we do not need.

We currently collect and process the following information:

  • contact details: name, address, telephone number, email address
  • date of birth
  • convictions / refusals details
  • website user statistics
  • ID
  • proof of address

3. How the information is obtained

3.1. Most of the personal information we process is provided to us directly by you and taken from the application form that you complete.

3.2. There are a number of reasons why we need to collect and use your personal information. Generally, we collect and use personal information where:

  • it is necessary to meet our legal obligations (Housing Act 2004)
  • you have requested a service from us
  • it is required for the defence of legal cases
  • you, or your legal representative, have given us your consent
  • it is necessary for law enforcement reasons and to prevent, and detect fraud or crime
  • we need to protect individuals from harm (in an emergency)
  • it is necessary for archiving, research, or statistical purposes - for these purposes your data would be used in a pseudonymised format (name and other identifying information replaced with a unique number)

4. What we do with the information

4.1. West Northamptonshire Council collects personal information from you in order to process and assess the HMO licence application.

West Northamptonshire Council may use your information for the purpose of performing any of its statutory enforcement duties.

4.2. Who do we share your information with?

We need to share your personal information internally and where appropriate with our partner councils to process your application.

We are also obliged by law to share your information with Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service and Northamptonshire Police, and any other local authority you have referenced in your application.

We may also contact any third parties who you have told us have an interest in the property for verification purposes, and where appropriate, for investigation under any housing legislation.

No other third parties have access to your information unless the law expressly allows them to.

Your name, address and the licensed address will be placed on the public register which will appear on the register for the duration of your licence, as is required by law.

5. How long we keep your information for and how we securely dispose of it after use

5.1. We will only keep your information for the minimum period necessary to comply with legal and regulatory requirements and in line with our Corporate Retention Schedule.

The council takes data security seriously. The information you provide will be held in our dedicated secure databases and is only accessed by authorised staff.

5.2 We will securely dispose of your information in line with the council's retention schedules.

6. How we store your information

6.1. Your information is securely stored on the council’s systems.

7. Your data protection rights

7.1. The law gives you a number of rights to control what personal information is used by us and how we can use it. Please see section 15 of the council’s Corporate Privacy Notice for further information.

7.2. Please be aware that your rights may differ depending on the lawful basis for processing your personal data.

7.3. The right to withdraw consent (if applicable). You can ask that we no longer use your details for this [processing/groups of processing]. If you wish to exercise this right, please Data Protection Officer detailed in section 8.1 below.

8. Who to contact

8.1. If you would like further information about how we use your personal information, or you wish to exercise one of your data rights or you wish to complain about the use of your personal information please contact the Data Protection Officer.

8.2 If you are still dissatisfied once you have contacted the Data Protection Officer, you have the right to complain to the ICO.

The ICO’s address:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

You have a right to approach the Information Commissioner’s Office regarding your Information Rights at any time. Please visit Information Commissioner's Office website.

This privacy notice was completed on 21 March 2022
The privacy notice review date is March 2023

Last updated 06 July 2023