Guidance

PRS Pathfinders Evaluation Research: privacy notice

Published 7 October 2024

Applies to England

The following is to explain your rights and give you the information you are entitled to under UK data protection legislation.

1. The identity and contact details of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and our Data Protection Officer

MHCLG is the data controller. The Data Protection Officer can be contacted at dataprotection@communities.gov.uk.

2. What personal data we are collecting and why

Your personal data is being collected as part of an evaluation of the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Pathfinders which is a scheme being run in your area. The scheme allows local authorities to test new ways to improve landlord compliance with PRS housing standards (e.g. electrical hazards, excess cold or heat, damp and mould, carbon monoxide in your home etc.).

The purpose of the PRS Pathfinders evaluation is to provide the government with evidence about how to:

• improve the identification and enforcement of PRS housing standards
• improve landlord compliance with PRS housing standards, and
• ultimately increase housing standards in the PRS

Evidence from the evaluation will inform future government policy and help us understand how we can ensure that PRS housing standards are met to the benefit of those living in such housing.

Personal data will be used to invite you to participate in the research. It will also be used to understand how different groups of people are affected by housing issues in the Private Rented Sector, and whether they have been helped by PRS pathfinders.

The following personal data is being collected for the research:

• contact details: name, email and postal address, phone number
• demographic (some of which is referred to as special category data, i.e. sensitive data): age, gender, ethnicity, family circumstances & household makeup, benefit receipt, and health

We will also collect data relating to the property where you currently reside including EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) ratings.

For the current research we will ask Verian to store the personal data so they can invite you to repeat the questionnaire. This will allow us to measure any changes over time.

3. Lawful basis for processing the data

The data protection legislation sets out when we are lawfully allowed to process your data. The lawful basis that applies to this processing is Article 6(1)(e) of the UK GDPR – public task.

For processing of special category data, we will rely on 9 (g) - substantial public interest. The relevant substantial public interest condition in Schedule 1 of the DPIA 2018 is 6. Statutory and government purposes.

4. With whom we will be sharing the data

Anonymised data gathered using the questionnaires will be used by MHCLG to inform future PRS housing policy. The current research does not include plans to share data with other government departments. If that changes, we will update the privacy notice.

5. For how long we will keep the personal data, or criteria used to determine the retention period.

Verian (MHCLG’s data processor) will keep your personal data and store them securely until contract ends (anticipated to be June 2025). If their contract is extended the storage time will be extended in line with this.

6. Your rights, e.g. access, rectification, erasure

The data we are collecting is your personal data, and you have rights that affect what happens to it. You have the right to:

a. know that we are using your personal data
b. see what data we have about you
c. ask to have your data corrected, and to ask how we check the information we hold is accurate
d. complain to the ICO (see below)

In some circumstances you may also have the right to withdraw your consent to us having or using your data, to have all data about you deleted, or to object to particularly types of use of your data. We will tell you when these rights apply.

If you would like to exercise your rights please get in touch with the MHCLG DPO (contact details at the start of this privacy notice)

7. Sending data overseas

Your personal data will not be sent outside of the EU: it will be securely stored in the UK or EU by MHCLG and its processors.

8. Automated decision making

We will not use your data for any automated decision making.

9. Storage, security and data management

Processes are in place to ensure the secure transfer, handling, storage, and destruction of the data. These are specified in MHCLG’s Data Processing Agreement with Verian.

MHCLG’s contract with Verian sets out requirements for cyber security processes. Verian have up to date cyber security clearance from MHCLG’s cyber security team.

MHCLG will only use your data within the terms of data protection laws, will delete your data securely and only keep it for as long as necessary for our work as a public body.

MHCLG will review dates for keeping personal details and data in the future. Where relevant, some data may be kept without personal details attached (e.g. survey results) for longer periods.

This research is being carried out by Verian on behalf of MHCLG. Verian are our data processors for this research.

10. Complaints and more information

When we ask you for information, we will keep to the law, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK General Data Protection Regulation.

If you are unhappy with the way the Department has acted, you can make a complaint.

If you are not happy with how we are using your personal data, you should first contact dataprotection@communities.gov.uk.

If you are still not happy, or for independent advice about data protection, privacy and data sharing, you can contact:

The Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow, Cheshire,
SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545 745

https://ico.org.uk/