1. Residents
  2. Council & Democracy
  3. Privacy Notices
  4. Privacy Notices: F - K
  5. Privacy Notice - Housing
  6. Privacy Notice - Housing

Privacy Notice - Housing

Privacy Notice

This notice explains what the Council does with the personal information you provide to us, how we use it, the conditions under which we may disclose it to others and how we keep it secure.  It also applies to applicants to the Private Sector Housing Grant (PSHG) assistance, which includes private owners, tenants or landlords. The leaflet sets out how we use personal information, the conditions under which we may disclose it to others and how we keep it secure.

Any questions regarding data protection or our privacy notices should be sent to the Council’s Data Protection Officer, Karen Donnelly, dpo@eastdunbarton.gov.uk

Alternatively, you can telephone: 0300 123 4510.

Who are we?

East Dunbartonshire Council was established in 1996 and is located in central Scotland.  We are the sixth smallest local authority area in Scotland. East Dunbartonshire Council shares its borders with City of Glasgow, West Dunbartonshire, Stirling and North Lanarkshire Councils. It provides the full range of local government services to the people of East Dunbartonshire.

How do we collect information from you?

We obtain information about individuals if you:
 

  • Sign up for tenancy
  • Complete a Discretionary Grant Application form
  • Make a Scheme of Assistance enquiry
  • Complete a Health and Access Needs Form to inform us of your medical needs.
  • Apply for housing or apply as homeless
     

If you make one of the above applications, your personal information and household details are recorded and held securely on our computer system within the UK and in some instances held within secure paper files.

You are entitled to make a request for your personal information. To do so contact the Council’s Data Protection Officer; Karen Donnelly who can be contacted on the below noted details;

12 Strathkelvin Place, Kirkintilloch, G66 1TJ
Email: DPO@eastdunbarton.gov.uk
0300 123 4510

What type of information is collected from you?

The personal information we collect includes your name, address, email address, date of birth and medical information if necessary. For PSHG applications we also require title deeds and evidence of eligible passport benefits.

The lawful basis on which we use this information

We collect and process your information under a number of different pieces of legislation;

  • Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004
  • Housing (Scotland) Act 1987/2006 Scheme of Assistance.
  • Housing (Scotland) Act 2O14
  • Housing Support Services (Homelessness) (Scotland) Regulations 2012
  • Homelessness Code of Guidance
  • Housing (Scotland) Act 2001
  • Homelessness etc.(Scotland) Act 2003
  • Antisocial Behaviour etc.(Scotland) Act 2004
  • Housing (Scotland) Act 2006
  • The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (to ensure proper administration of the Council’s financial affairs) (including the detection and/or prevention of fraud)
  • The Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000 (disclosure of data to Audit Scotland for data matching)

How is your information used?

  • We may use your information to:
  • Seek your views or comments on the services we provide
  • Notify you of changes to our services
  • Process and determine applications for rehousing: and  designate   housing points
  • Check for eligibility for any fraudulent applications (before being made an offer)
  • Make an offer of one of our properties
  • Send you communications with your previous consent that may be of interest to you. These may include information about changes to Council policy or to advise of activities within your community.
  • Assess the eligibility of PSHG applications
  • Organise repairs to maintain council and guide the maintenance of private property
  • Offer general advice on adaptations, repairs and maintenance
  • Provide technical support as part of the Scheme of Assistance for the purposes of improving the general condition of privately owned housing
  • Ask you to voluntarily complete our customer surveys
  • Carry out an annual review of our housing waiting list
  • Assist in the prevention and detection of crime.
  • Register your details if you are operating as a landlord.

How long will we keep your information

East Dunbartonshire Council has adopted the Scottish Council on Archives Records Retentions Schedules (SCARRS) which means we are legally required to hold some types of information to fulfil our statutory obligations. Such as housing and homelessness application forms, tenant house files and PHSG applications (for 10 years).

We will hold your personal information on our   housing allocations and rent system until you are no longer are a tenant or have a live housing application with us.  At this point the SCARRS retention period will take effect and after 5 years your information will be deleted (10 years if you had legal action taken out on you during the period of your tenancy). Where a Statutory Notice or a Repayment Charge/Order has been served on a property this will be kept for 10 years. It will also be recorded on the property Title Deeds until the Notice has been discharged.

Detailed SCARRS information can be found on the Scottish Archives website [opens in a new window].

Your rights

•    Right of Access
You have the right to access the personal information the Council holds about you. This right is called a Subject Access Request, often referred to as a SAR. 
You can receive a copy of your personal data held by the Council, details on why it is being used, who it has been/ will be shared with, how long it will be held for, the source of the information and if the Council uses computer systems profile or take decisions about you. Details on how to submit a Subject Access Request can be found on the Subject Access Request page [opens in a new window].

•    Right to rectification
You have the right to request the Council correct any information held about you that is inaccurate. 

•    Right to erasure
You have the right to request that the Council delete the personal information about you. This right is known as the right to be forgotten.

•    Right to restrict processing
You have the right to request that the Council stops using your personal information, while retaining a copy of it.

Third Party Service Providers working on our behalf

We may pass your information to our third party service providers, agents subcontractors and other associated organisations such as Care & Repair for the purposes of completing tasks and providing services to you on our behalf (for example Disabled adaptations, Common Private Repairs, or during decant work or providing housing nominations to other housing providers). However, when we use third party service providers, we disclose only the personal information that is necessary to provide the service and we have a contract in place that requires them to keep your information secure and not to use it for their own direct marketing purposes.

Please be reassured that we will not release your information to third parties beyond the East Dunbartonshire Council Network.

This personal information may also be shared with other departments within East Dunbartonshire Council, the Council’s committees and/or boards, local councillors in the area of the application or other organisations for the same purpose and also to:-

  • check the information we hold is accurate;
  • prevent and/or detect crime; and
  • protect public funds.

Other organisations may include bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds, public sector agencies, governmental departments, regulatory and law enforcement bodies including Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, private contractors used by the Council and bodies carrying out data matching exercises.