Aberletting.com is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that your personal information is handled safely, fairly and lawfully.

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This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and share personal information when you use our website, contact us, enquire about a property, rent a property, let a property through us, or use any of our services.

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, “Aberletting”, “we”, “our” and “us” refers to Aberletting.com.

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1. Introduction

Aberletting is a letting agent based in Aberystwyth. We provide property letting services for students, professionals, tenants and landlords.

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When we collect and use your personal information, we act as a data controller. This means we are responsible for deciding how and why your personal information is used.

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We will treat your personal information as confidential and in accordance with applicable data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This Privacy Policy explains:

• what personal information we collect

• how we collect your personal information

• how we use your personal information

• the lawful basis for using your personal information

• who we may share your personal information with

• how long we keep your personal information

• how we keep your personal information secure

• your rights in relation to your personal information

• how to contact us or make a complaint

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be published on this page.

2. What is personal information?

Personal information is any information that can identify you as an individual.

This may include your name, address, email address, telephone number, date of birth, identification documents, financial information, tenancy details, property details or any other information that relates to you.

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Some personal information is classed as more sensitive under data protection law. This may include information about health, disability, racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, political opinions, sexual orientation or criminal convictions. We will only collect this type of information where it is necessary, lawful and relevant to the service we are providing.

3. What personal information do we collect?

The personal information we collect will depend on how you interact with us and the services we provide to you.

We may collect the following information:

• your name

• your address

• your email address

• your telephone number

• your date of birth

• your current and previous addresses

• your student status or employment status

• details about your property search

• details about a property you own or let through us

• identification documents, such as a passport or driving licence

• proof of address, such as a utility bill or bank statement

• bank account details, where needed for rent payments, deposits or landlord payments

• tenancy information

• guarantor information, where applicable

• references from employers, landlords or educational institutions

• information needed for affordability, referencing or right to rent checks

• maintenance requests and property access information

• communication records, including emails, phone calls and enquiry forms

• website usage information, where cookies or analytics are used

We may also collect information about any specific access, health or personal requirements you choose to tell us about, where this is relevant to helping you find or rent a suitable property.

4. How do we collect personal information?

We may collect personal information directly from you when you:

• contact us by phone, email or through the website

• submit an enquiry form

• arrange a viewing

• apply to rent a property

• enter into a tenancy agreement

• provide identification or referencing information

• report a maintenance issue

• ask us to let or manage a property

• interact with us through social media

• leave a review or testimonial

We may also receive personal information from third parties, including:

• landlords

• tenants

• guarantors

• referencing agencies

• credit checking providers

• employers

• previous landlords

• maintenance contractors

• legal advisers

• deposit protection providers

• public authorities, regulators or law enforcement bodies where required

5. How we use your personal information

We use personal information to provide our letting and property services.

This may include using your information to:

• respond to enquiries

• arrange property viewings

• help you find suitable accommodation

• process rental applications

• carry out tenant referencing

• carry out identity, fraud prevention or right to rent checks where required

• prepare tenancy agreements and related documents

• manage deposits and rental payments

• communicate with tenants, landlords and guarantors

• manage repairs, maintenance and property access

• manage landlord accounts and property listings

• arrange contractor visits

• meet legal, regulatory and tax obligations

• manage complaints, disputes or legal claims

• improve our services and website

• send relevant service updates

• send marketing communications where permitted by law or where you have consented

6. Lawful basis for using your personal information

Under UK data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for using your personal information. The ICO explains that organisations must identify a valid lawful basis whenever they handle personal information. 

Depending on the circumstances, we may rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We may use your personal information where it is necessary to provide services to you, take steps before entering into a contract, arrange a tenancy, manage a tenancy or provide letting services.

Legal obligation

We may use your personal information where we need to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation. This may include identity checks, anti-money laundering requirements, tax obligations, deposit requirements, right to rent checks where applicable, health and safety duties, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate interests

We may use your personal information where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and interests do not override those interests.

This may include:

• managing enquiries

• operating and improving our website

• keeping business records

• preventing fraud

• communicating with tenants, landlords and contractors

• promoting our services to existing or previous customers

• managing complaints or disputes

• protecting our business, staff, tenants, landlords and properties

Consent

We may rely on your consent where we ask you to agree to a specific use of your personal information, such as certain types of marketing or the use of non-essential cookies.

You can withdraw consent at any time where consent is the lawful basis for processing.

Vital interests

In rare cases, we may use personal information where it is necessary to protect someone’s life or safety.

Special category data

If we need to process special category data, such as health or accessibility information, we will only do so where we have a lawful basis and an additional condition under data protection law. The ICO confirms that special category data needs extra protection and requires both a lawful basis and a separate condition for processing. 

7. Tenants and prospective tenants

If you enquire about or apply to rent a property through Aberletting, we may use your personal information to:

• respond to your enquiry

• arrange viewings

• assess your suitability for a property

• carry out referencing checks

• contact your guarantor, where applicable

• verify your identity

• prepare tenancy documentation

• manage deposit and rent arrangements

• communicate with you during the tenancy

• arrange maintenance, inspections or access

• deal with tenancy-related issues, complaints or disputes

If you do not provide information we reasonably need, we may not be able to process your application, arrange a tenancy or provide our services to you.

8. Landlords

If you are a landlord or property owner using Aberletting’s services, we may use your personal information to:

• discuss your property and letting requirements

• market your property

• arrange viewings

• communicate with prospective tenants

• prepare letting documentation

• manage rental payments or landlord statements

• arrange maintenance or contractor visits

• comply with legal and regulatory obligations

• communicate with you about your property

• manage complaints, disputes or legal claims

We may also collect bank details where needed to transfer rent or other payments to you.

9. Guarantors

If you act as a guarantor for a tenant, we may collect and use your personal information to:

• confirm your identity

• carry out affordability or referencing checks

• prepare guarantor documentation

• contact you about the tenancy where necessary

• manage any obligations connected to the tenancy agreement

10. Contractors and suppliers

If you provide services to Aberletting, or carry out work at properties we let or manage, we may collect and use your personal information to:

• contact you about repairs, maintenance or services

• arrange access to properties

• manage invoices and payments

• keep records of work carried out

• meet our legal and accounting obligations

11. Marketing communications

We may use your contact details to send you information about our services, available properties or updates that may be relevant to you.

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We will only send marketing communications where we are permitted to do so by law or where you have given consent.

You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by contacting us using the details below or by following any unsubscribe instructions included in the communication.

12. Website, cookies and analytics

When you use our website, we may collect information about how visitors use the site. This may include pages viewed, time spent on the website, device type, browser type and general location information.

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This information helps us understand how the website is used and how we can improve it.

Where required, we will ask for your consent before using non-essential cookies or analytics tools. More information should be provided in our separate Cookie Policy.

13. Who we share your personal information with

We may share your personal information where necessary with:

• landlords

• tenants

• guarantors

• referencing agencies

• credit checking providers

• deposit protection schemes

• maintenance contractors

• inventory providers

• utility providers, where relevant

• legal advisers

• accountants

• insurers

• IT service providers

• website and software providers

• payment providers

• regulators or public authorities

• law enforcement agencies where required by law

We will only share personal information where it is necessary, lawful and relevant to the service being provided.

Where third parties process personal information on our behalf, we expect them to handle it securely and in accordance with data protection law.

14. International transfers

We do not routinely transfer your personal information outside the UK.

However, some website, email, cloud storage or software providers may process data outside the UK. Where this happens, we will take reasonable steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

15. How long we keep your personal information

We will only keep your personal information for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.

The length of time we keep information may depend on:

• the type of service we have provided

• legal or regulatory requirements

• accounting or tax obligations

• tenancy or property records

• the need to respond to complaints or disputes

• the possibility of legal claims

When personal information is no longer needed, we will securely delete it, anonymise it or archive it where appropriate.

16. How we keep your personal information secure

We take appropriate steps to protect personal information from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

This may include:

• secure electronic systems

• password protection

• restricted access to files and systems

• secure storage of documents

• staff access limited to those who need the information

• use of trusted service providers

• appropriate technical and organisational safeguards

However, no website, email system or online service can be guaranteed to be completely secure. You should take care when sending personal information online.

17. Your rights

Under data protection law, you have rights in relation to your personal information.

These may include the right to:

• be informed about how your personal information is used

• request access to the personal information we hold about you

• ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information

• ask us to delete your personal information in certain circumstances

• ask us to restrict how we use your personal information

• object to certain uses of your personal information

• request a copy of your personal information in a portable format, where applicable

• withdraw consent where we rely on consent

• object to direct marketing

• complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office

Your rights may not apply in every situation. For example, we may need to keep certain information to comply with legal obligations or to defend a legal claim.

If you would like to exercise your rights, please contact us using the details below.

18. Complaints

If you have a concern about how we use your personal information, please contact us first so that we can try to resolve the issue.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, which is the UK regulator for data protection.