Privacy Policy
BACKGROUND:
Property118 Ltd understands that your privacy is important to you and that you care about how your personal data is used and shared online. We respect and value the privacy of everyone who visits this website,
www.property118.com (“Our Site”) and will only collect and use personal data in ways that are described here, and in a manner that is consistent with Our obligations and your rights under the law.
Please read this Privacy Policy carefully and ensure that you understand it. Your acceptance of Our Privacy Policy is deemed to occur upon your first use of Our Site
. If you do not accept and agree with this Privacy Policy, you must stop using Our Site immediately.
- Definitions and Interpretation
In this Policy the following terms shall have the following meanings:
| “Account” |
means an account required to access and/or use certain areas and features of Our Site; |
| “Cookie” |
means a small text file placed on your computer or device by Our Site when you visit certain parts of Our Site and/or when you use certain features of Our Site. Details of the Cookies used by Our Site are set out in section 13, below; |
| “Cookie Law” |
means the relevant parts of the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003; |
| “personal data” |
means any and all data that relates to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified from that data. In this case, it means personal data that you give to Us via Our Site. This definition shall, where applicable, incorporate the definitions provided in the EU Regulation 2016/679 – the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”); and |
| “We/Us/Our” |
Means Property118 Ltd , a limited company registered in England under company number 10295964, whose registered address is 1st Floor, Woburn House, 84 St Benedicts Street, Norwich, NR2 4AB. |
- Information About Us
- Our Site is owned and operated by Property118 Ltd, a limited company registered in England under company number 10295964, whose registered address is 1st Floor, Woburn House, 84 St Benedicts Street, Norwich, NR2 4AB.
- Our VAT number is 990 0332 34.
- Our Data Protection Officer is Neil Patterson, and can be contacted by email at npatterson@property118.com, by telephone on 01603 489118, or by post at 1st Floor, Woburn House, 84 St Benedicts Street, Norwich, NR2 4AB.
- What Does This Policy Cover?
This Privacy Policy applies only to your use of Our Site. Our Site may contain links to other websites. Please note that We have no control over how your data is collected, stored, or used by other websites and We advise you to check the privacy policies of any such websites before providing any data to them.
- Your Rights
- As a data subject, you have the following rights under the GDPR, which this Policy and Our use of personal data have been designed to uphold:
- The right to be informed about Our collection and use of personal data;
- The right of access to the personal data We hold about you (see section 12);
- The right to rectification if any personal data We hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete (please contact Us using the details in section 14);
- The right to be forgotten – i.e. the right to ask Us to delete any personal data We hold about you (We only hold your personal data for a limited time, as explained in section 6 but if you would like Us to delete it sooner, please contact Us using the details in section 14);
- The right to restrict (i.e. prevent) the processing of your personal data;
- The right to data portability (obtaining a copy of your personal data to re-use with another service or organisation);
- The right to object to Us using your personal data for particular purposes; and
- If you have any cause for complaint about Our use of your personal data, please contact Us using the details provided in section 14 and We will do Our best to solve the problem for you. If We are unable to help, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK’s supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office.
- For further information about your rights, please contact the Information Commissioner’s Office or your local Citizens Advice Bureau.
- What Data Do We Collect?
Depending upon your use of Our Site, We may collect some or all of the following personal data (please also see section 13 on Our use of Cookies and similar technologies):
- Name;
- Date of birth;
- Address and post code;
- Business/company name and trading status;
- Number of properties owned;
- Accountants details;
- Contact information such as email addresses and telephone numbers;
- Proof of residence and ID;
- Financial information such as income and tax status;
- Landlords insurance renewal dates;
- Property Portfolio details such as value and mortgage outstanding;
- How Do We Use Your Data?
- All personal data is processed and stored securely, for no longer than is necessary in light of the reason(s) for which it was first collected. We will comply with Our obligations and safeguard your rights under the GDPR at all times. For more details on security see section 7, below.
- Our use of your personal data will always have a lawful basis, either because it is necessary for our performance of a contract with you, because you have consented to our use of your personal data (e.g. by subscribing to emails), or because it is in our legitimate interests. Specifically, we may use your data for the following purposes:
- Providing and managing your access to Our Site;
- Supplying our products and or services to you (please note that We require your personal data in order to enter into a contract with you);
- Personalising and tailoring our products and or services for you;
- Replying to emails from you;
- Supplying you with emails that you have opted into (you may unsubscribe or opt-out at any time by the unsubscribe link at the bottom of all emails;
- Analysing your use of our site and gathering feedback to enable us to continually improve our site and your user experience;
- Provide information to our partner service and product suppliers at your request.
- With your permission and/or where permitted by law, We may also use your data for marketing purposes which may include contacting you by email and or telephone with information, news and offers on our products and or We will not, however, send you any unsolicited marketing or spam and will take all reasonable steps to ensure that We fully protect your rights and comply with Our obligations under the GDPR and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003.
- You have the right to withdraw your consent to us using your personal data at any time, and to request that we delete it.
- We do not keep your personal data for any longer than is necessary in light of the reason(s) for which it was first collected. Data will therefore be retained for the following periods (or its retention will be determined on the following bases):
- Member profile information is collected with your consent and can be amended or deleted at any time by you;
- Anti-Money Laundering information and tax consultancy records are to be kept as required by law for up to seven years.
- How and Where Do We Store Your Data?
- We only keep your personal data for as long as We need to in order to use it as described above in section 6, and/or for as long as We have your permission to keep it.
- Some or all of your data may be stored outside of the European Economic Area (“the EEA”) (The EEA consists of all EU member states, plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein). You are deemed to accept and agree to this by using our site and submitting information to Us. If we do store data outside the EEA, we will take all reasonable steps to ensure that your data is treated as safely and securely as it would be within the UK and under the GDPR
- Data security is very important to Us, and to protect your data We have taken suitable measures to safeguard and secure data collected through Our Site.
- Do We Share Your Data?
- We may share your data with other partner companies in for the purpose of supplying products or services you have requested.
- We may sometimes contract with third parties to supply products and services to you on Our behalf. Where any of your data is required for such a purpose, We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that your data will be handled safely, securely, and in accordance with your rights, Our obligations, and the obligations of the third party under the law.
- We may compile statistics about the use of Our Site including data on traffic, usage patterns, user numbers, sales, and other information. All such data will be anonymised and will not include any personally identifying data, or any anonymised data that can be combined with other data and used to identify you. We may from time to time share such data with third parties such as prospective investors, affiliates, partners, and advertisers. Data will only be shared and used within the bounds of the law.
- In certain circumstances, We may be legally required to share certain data held by Us, which may include your personal data, for example, where We are involved in legal proceedings, where We are complying with legal requirements, a court order, or a governmental authority.
- What Happens If Our Business Changes Hands?
- We may, from time to time, expand or reduce Our business and this may involve the sale and/or the transfer of control of all or part of Our business. Any personal data that you have provided will, where it is relevant to any part of Our business that is being transferred, be transferred along with that part and the new owner or newly controlling party will, under the terms of this Privacy Policy, be permitted to use that data only for the same purposes for which it was originally collected by Us.
- How Can You Control Your Data?
- In addition to your rights under the GDPR, set out in section 4, we aim to give you strong controls on Our use of your data for direct marketing purposes including the ability to opt-out of receiving emails from Us which you may do by unsubscribing using the links provided in Our emails.
- Your Right to Withhold Information
- You may access certain areas of Our Site without providing any data at all. However, to use all features and functions available on Our Site you may be required to submit or allow for the collection of certain data.
- You may restrict Our use of Cookies. For more information, see section 13.
- How Can You Access Your Data?
You have the right to ask for a copy of any of your personal data held by Us (where such data is held). Under the GDPR, no fee is payable and We will provide any and all information in response to your request free of charge. Please contact Us for more details at info@property118.com, or using the contact details below in section 14.
- Our Use of Cookies
- Our Site may place and access certain first party Cookies on your computer or device. First party Cookies are those placed directly by Us and are used only by Us. We use Cookies to facilitate and improve your experience of Our Site and to provide and improve Our products AND/OR We have carefully chosen these Cookies and have taken steps to ensure that your privacy and personal data is protected and respected at all times.
- All Cookies used by and on Our Site are used in accordance with current Cookie Law.
- Before Cookies are placed on your computer or device, you will be shown a cookie prompt requesting your consent to set those Cookies. By giving your consent to the placing of Cookies you are enabling Us to provide the best possible experience and service to you. You may, if you wish, deny consent to the placing of Cookies; however certain features of Our Site may not function fully or as intended. You will be given the opportunity to allow only first party Cookies and block third party Cookies.
- Certain features of Our Site depend on Cookies to function. Cookie Law deems these Cookies to be “strictly necessary”. These Cookies are shown below in section 13.5. Your consent will not be sought to place these Cookies, but it is still important that you are aware of them. You may still block these Cookies by changing your internet browser’s settings as detailed below in section 13.9, but please be aware that Our Site may not work properly if you do so. We have taken great care to ensure that your privacy is not at risk by allowing them.
- The following first party Cookies may be placed on your computer or device:
| Name of Cookie |
Purpose |
Strictly Necessary |
| JSESSIONID |
Used only to collect performance data, with any identifiable data obfuscated |
No |
| __cfduid |
This cookie is strictly necessary for Cloudflare's security features and cannot be turned off. |
Yes |
- Our Site uses analytics services provided by Google Analytics and Facebook. Website analytics refers to a set of tools used to collect and analyse anonymous usage information, enabling Us to better understand how Our Site is used. This, in turn, enables Us to improve Our Site and the products AND/OR services offered through it. You do not have to allow Us to use these Cookies, however whilst Our use of them does not pose any risk to your privacy or your safe use of Our Site, it does enable Us to continually improve Our Site, making it a better and more useful experience for you.
- The analytics service(s) used by Our Site use(s) Cookies to gather the required information.
- The analytics service(s) used by Our Site use(s) the following Cookies:
| Name of Cookie |
First / Third Party |
Provider |
Purpose |
| __utma, __utmb, __utmc, __utmt, __utmz |
First |
Google |
Helps to understand how their visitors engage with our website |
| _fbp |
First |
Facebook |
Helps to understand how their visitors engage with our website |
- In addition to the controls that We provide, you can choose to enable or disable Cookies in your internet browser. Most internet browsers also enable you to choose whether you wish to disable all cookies or only third party cookies. By default, most internet browsers accept Cookies but this can be changed. For further details, please consult the help menu in your internet browser or the documentation that came with your device.
- You can choose to delete Cookies on your computer or device at any time, however you may lose any information that enables you to access Our Site more quickly and efficiently including, but not limited to, login and personalisation settings.
- It is recommended that you keep your internet browser and operating system up-to-date and that you consult the help and guidance provided by the developer of your internet browser and manufacturer of your computer or device if you are unsure about adjusting your privacy settings.
- Contacting Us
If you have any questions about Our Site or this Privacy Policy, please contact Us by email at info@property118.com, by telephone on 01603 489118, or by post at 1st Floor, Woburn House, 84 St Benedicts Street, Norwich, NR2 4AB. Please ensure that your query is clear, particularly if it is a request for information about the data We hold about you (as under section 12, above).
- Changes to Our Privacy Policy
We may change this Privacy Policy from time to time (for example, if the law changes). Any changes will be immediately posted on Our Site and you will be deemed to have accepted the terms of the Privacy Policy on your first use of Our Site following the alterations. We recommend that you check this page regularly to keep up-to-date.
Rob Crawford
12:15 PM, 27th March 2017, About 7 years ago
Hi Louisa,
If you have not agreed to the contract termination fee then you do not have to pay it. Most agents, however, will have a termination clause in the agreed terms of business so you do need to check this.
I would write a letter addressed to the agents principle, keep it short and to the point. This is a closing letter. You have terminated the agreement due to the dispute that will be determined by the Ombudsman. If the Ombudsman's concludes is in favour of the agent you will then satisfy any termination clause agreed within the terms of business. Explain that from the date when they were originally informed, you will be assuming responsibility of managing the tenancy and that you will be making arrangements for the tenant to forward rent directly to you. No further communication with the agent is necessary. The threat of debt collection is a threat, I would not worry about this. Write a letter to your tenant that introduces you as the landlord informing him/her that the agent no longer manages the property and that you would like to meet him/her to introduce yourself and discuss how things will change. At the meeting explain that all future rent should be paid to your account, get the tenant to complete a standing order mandate whilst you are there. Instruct him to cancel the current arrangement. Take a completed section 21 with you. If the tenant declines to accept the change then serve him/her with the notice. Explain that don't want to loose her/him as a tenant but you have no option if your wishes as landlord are not respected. Provide tenant with contact details of Shelter and Citizens Advice Bureau and advise him/her to seek legal advice. You need to give the tenant time to confirm their position, there are lots of scammers out there. Your name address should be in the AST, show the tenant this with some ID. Ask them to inform you of their conclusion within a few days. Explain that once the standing order has been arranged you would be willing to cancel the section 21. Basically you have to take control. All the best.
Graham Bowcock
12:50 PM, 27th March 2017, About 7 years ago
Dear Louisa
Basically I agree with Rob and would reiterate that the agent cannot force your tenant to pay him rather than you. The agent is, after all, your agent and should act on your instructions. There is a formal notice under the Landlord and Tenant Act that you should perhaps give the tenant to avoid confusion. this confirms your name and contact details (and in any event is a legal requirement, although if served before, perhaps within the tenancy agreement may have had your agent down as contact previously).
You should check the terms of business your have with your agent as these should set out any charges which are due. If he's trying to raise charges not in the terms then don't pay. Leave it to him to sue you, but if he hasn't got decent terms of business it is unlikely that he will do anything.
It sounds like you need to walk away from this agent if he is not at the very least prepared to have a proper discussion with you. His fees may be justified in terms of the extra work required for compliance matters and the like, but he should be able to explain this.
Good luck
Graham
Edwin Cowper
16:29 PM, 27th March 2017, About 7 years ago
I wonder whether you should start at an earlier point. You casually mentioned that the agent had changed names several times since 2006.
The starting point should be: do you have any contractual agreement with this person? If so, how? If so what is it?
You need to consider what you have signed or agreed by action with this agent using this name. Its possible that there is no contract between you, if you are no longer employing the same legal entiry.
For example, if you started using ABC Limited run by X but now XYZ limited run by X is running it, you may not have any contract between you and XYZ. Read what if anything you have been sent by XYZ and agreed.
Work from there.
One occasional downside to this site is that people assume that there are binding agreements when there may not be. Also I wouldn't be surprised if the Ombudsman made the same assumption.
Bill O'Dell
17:26 PM, 27th March 2017, About 7 years ago
The payment of rent is a matter of contract and will be specified in the Lease. If the Agent used a lease that is written in their favour, then it may not be as easy as is suggested above. If you establish a good working relationship with the tenant then you can move mountains. Check the lease your Tenant holds and see what that says, then the agreement with the agent. You might be pleasantly surprised and it is all under your control, but you may not. Good luck!
Kate Mellor
18:47 PM, 27th March 2017, About 7 years ago
Reply to the comment left by "Bill O'Dell" at "27/03/2017 - 17:26":
Hi Bill, even if the AST stipulates instructions for paying rent, the agreement is between Tenant & Landlord and therefore any instructions from Landlord to pay in a different method constitutes a variation of the AST
louisaa91@gmail.com
21:05 PM, 27th March 2017, About 7 years ago
Reply to the comment left by "Rob Crawford" at "27/03/2017 - 12:15":
Hello Rob,
Thanks for reply. The tenant has been made to believe by the Letting Agency that the contract is with them. This is a quote of an email from Letting Agent sent to him : "Please be advised that as your contract is with us you should continue to pay rent to X agency until either your contract expires or until further notice from us."
I have sent him page one of the Tenancy Agreement which clearly states that "this agreement is between the Landlord and the tenant" but I could not convince him. The manager of that agency is a skilled bully...
I cannot be in control unfortunately due to location and the Letting Agent knows it. I could regain control by being ruthless and threaten the tenant with eviction
but that would not be right, so I refuse to go down that path.
louisaa91@gmail.com
21:14 PM, 27th March 2017, About 7 years ago
Reply to the comment left by "Graham Bowcock" at "27/03/2017 - 12:50":
Hi Graham! What is this notice you are referring to? If you have a link to it, kindly share it with us.
Thanks for input and good wishes.
louisaa91@gmail.com
21:15 PM, 27th March 2017, About 7 years ago
Hi Graham! What is this notice you are referring to? If you have a link to it, kindly share it with us.
Thanks for input and good wishes.
Graham Bowcock
21:20 PM, 27th March 2017, About 7 years ago
Dear Louisa
From what you have now said it looks like you do have a bit of a problem that may not be easy to sort out for yourself, especially if you are remote.
As your agent is obviously not going to co-operate you do need to take some positive action quickly. It is probably worth going to a good property solicitor to get this sorted; the longer it goes on the greater the risk for you that something will go wrong and you will finish up out of pocket. It may cost a few hundred pounds for a solicitor to read the paperwork and get some letters out to both agent and tenant but that is probably going to be money well spent.
It is unfortunate that the tenant does not accept your position as landlord; depending how things go he may well be a casualty of the situation. Not his fault, but if you need to make him take notice of you, a s21 notice may be needed. I do wonder though if your agent is up to date with the necessary compliance - if he's a wrong 'un you may find a few skeletons in the cupboard.
Graham
louisaa91@gmail.com
21:29 PM, 27th March 2017, About 7 years ago
Reply to the comment left by "Edwin Cowper" at "27/03/2017 - 16:29":
This is a very pertinent point, Edwin. The one-page document I signed is under one company name but the so-called brochure is under another. The so-called agreement (one page) I was sent by email and signed does not mention the terms of business. At the time of signing it I honestly thought that a proper contract would follow then I got busy with my day-to-day life and forgot all about it, till I was hit by management increase and demand I must pay three times the rent value plus VAT to come out of agreement, something that one page document does not mention a word about.