Privacy Policy
1. Introduction
This policy applies to all products, services, websites and applications operated by StudentTenant.com and applies to personal data, defined as information concerning an identified natural person (who hereafter will be called the “Data Subject”).
This Privacy Notice sets out how we collect, use, process and share your personal data in conjunction with your use of the StudentTenant.com platforms (and any associated web platforms operated by StudentTenant.com) and applications.
Reference to “StudentTenant.com”, “we”, “us”, ”our” means Student Tenant Lettings Limited (a limited company registered in England; registration number 09456136; registered office 467a Smithdown Road, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, L15 5AE;) who is the company responsible for your information under this Privacy Policy (hereafter the “Data Controller”).
2. Information we collect
Information you provide
We collect information which you provide directly to us when you use our website, apps or services. The types of personal information we may collect directly from you includes the following:
Account information:
Email addresses, phone numbers, usernames, information about the type of service required and what type of user you may be (e.g. student or landlord), as well as any communications, enquiries, contact or other information you choose to provide during your use of our platforms.
Profile and listing information:
Your home address, your rental property address, marketing preferences, transactional information (e.g. property booking information), property photographs, profile photographs
Booking information
Your debit/credit card details, tenancy information such as details about who will be your nominated guarantor, their personal information such as name, email address, telephone number, employment history, employment salary information and residential status. We will also collect and process information about your new property address, the contract start date and any information relating to the tenancy agreement.
Communications with other registered users of StudentTenant.com
When you communicate with other users of the platform, through either the direct messaging platform, the forum, or the Find a Housemate tool we collect information about your communications and the contents of it.
Information we collect automatically
When you visit any of our platforms or use our application, we may collect certain information automatically from your device on how you are using them. This could include:
Usage information
We collect and process information relating to your use of our website or applications, including information about your page views, property searches, bookings and any other actions on the StudentTenant.com platform.
Geo-location information
We collect and process information relating to your location determined through either your mobile GPS location settings or your IP address. You are able to control or disable the use of location services on your own device if required.
Device information
We collect information about the device you are using to access our website and applications including your operating system and browser information
Cookies and Similar Technologies
We use cookies and other similar technologies on our web platforms and applications to track your use of the site. For more information on our use of these technologies, see our Cookie Policy.
Information we obtain from third parties
StudentTenant.com may collect personal information that others provide about you when they use our website or application. We may also receive information from partner portals such as Rightmove or Zoopla where you may have provided such information to them when enquiring about any properties we advertise there.
We may also collect and information from other sources including publicly available databases and websites, or third party organisations for marketing purposes. This assists us in updating, expanding and analysing our records, as well as identifying new customers who may have an interest in our services.
Hotjar Recording
We use Hotjar in order to better understand our users’ needs and to optimize this service and experience. Hotjar is a technology service that helps us better understand our users experience (e.g. how much time they spend on which pages, which links they choose to click, what users do and don’t like, etc.) and this enables us to build and maintain our service with user feedback. Hotjar uses cookies and other technologies to collect data on our users’ behavior and their devices (in particular device's IP address (captured and stored only in anonymized form), device screen size, device type (unique device identifiers), browser information, geographic location (country only), preferred language used to display our website). Hotjar stores this information in a pseudonymized user profile. Neither Hotjar nor we will ever use this information to identify individual users or to match it with further data on an individual user. For further details, please see Hotjar’s privacy policy by clicking on this link.
You can opt-out to the creation of a user profile, Hotjar’s storing of data about your usage of our site and Hotjar’s use of tracking cookies on other websites by following this opt-out link.
3. How we use your data
We may use the information we collect from you for a range of different purposes, including:
Information you give us
We will use the information you give us for the following reasons:
- To carry out our obligations arising from any contractual arrangements we may have with you, for example obligations under any property booking or tenancy agreement.
- To provide you with information about products and services that we offer that may be related to those you have already purchased or expressed an interest in.
- To carry out credit checks and referencing to determine your suitability to enter into a contract.
- To provide third party partners with your information to allow them to offer you related services, where you have opted in to receive such information.
- To provide to landlords or managing agents, where you have opted to view their property to ensure they can conduct the viewing accordingly.
- To process payments in relation to any of our services.
- To enable you to communicate effectively with other members who are registered to any of the StudentTenant.com platforms.
- To send you service or support messages, updates about our services, account notifications, security alerts and updates to any of our terms and conditions.
- To improve our platforms, application and services.
Information we collect automatically
We will use the information we collect automatically for the following reasons:
- To improve our websites and applications and ensure that you are receiving the optimum experience on your device.
- For troubleshooting, internal administration, testing, research and data analysis.
- To personalise and measure our advertising and specifically target this to your needs.
- To ensure the most optimum security of our web platforms and applications.
- To make relevant suggestions about additional products or services that may be suitable provided by either us or a third party partner.
Information we receive from third parties
Information we receive from third parties may be used in any of the ways mentioned above. Any information collected from third parties may also be combined with information you give to us, and again used for any of the purposes set out above.
If we have collected your data from a third party source, we will inform you which source it has come from at the first point of contact. You will have the ability to refuse any future processing at this point, after which we will cease to hold or process your data.
Processing of data collected in this way will be based on ‘legitimate interest’ as a lawful basis for the processing as per Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation, determined by a detailed assessment as to how our services may be of benefit to you.
4. Disclosure and sharing of your information
Any information we collect, either directly from you, from a third party or automated means may be shared with any member of our group, any subsidiaries or ultimate holding company and its subsidiaries as defined in section 1159 of the Companies Act 2006.
We may share your information with landlords, property management agents or purpose built accommodation providers where you have a viewing or booking. This is to facilitate such viewings where you have consented to share such information, and/or for the purposes of meeting a contractual obligation through a tenancy or booking arrangement.
We may also share your information with selected third parties who offer related services, where you have consented for us to do so. A current list of our third party providers can be found below:
- Housing Hand
- Split the Bills
- Seven Seas Worldwide
- Insurance
5. Storage of your information
When you register a user account on the StudentTenant.com website or application you will be responsible for setting your own password and keeping this safe.
All of the data we collect about you will be stored on our secure servers. These are located in ... Our website is secured by SSL technology, but the security of the transmission of data through the internet may not be completely secure. We will ensure we have the utmost security measures in place to protect this information and to prevent unauthorised access.
The length of time your data will be stored will either be in accordance with the relevant law, or for a reasonable time period based on your user type.
Landlord and agent profiles
Landlord profiles will remain on the StudentTenant.com web platforms and applications for a period of 3 years, after which time you will be asked to determine if you still require your account, and to reaffirm your communication preferences.
Student profiles
Student profiles will remain on the StudentTenant.com web platforms and applications for a period of 3 years, after which time you will be asked to determine if you still require your account, and to reaffirm your communication preferences.
Private hall provider profiles
Private hall provider profiles will remain on the StudentTenant.com web platforms and applications for a period of 3 years, after which time you will be asked to determine if you still require your account, and to reaffirm your communication preferences.
6. Your rights in relation to your data
Below sets out your rights in relation to the personal data we collect and process.
Right to rectification
The Data Subject has the right to rectification of any inaccurate personal data that we may hold about them. We will endeavor to correct any incorrect information within a reasonable time frame from instruction to do so. This also includes the right to have incomplete information completed.
Right to erasure, restriction and objection
Where requested we will remove and/or cease processing all data we hold on a Data Subject on their request where:
- The data is no longer relevant for the purposes it was collected for
- If the Data Subject withdraws consent for the processing
- The Data Subject objects to the processing and there are no other legal basis for doing so
- The data does not relate to any other legal obligation that needs to be fulfilled
The Data Subject can also object to processing for direct marketing purposes. You will be given the opportunity at the point of collection and/or first contact if we intend to use your data for these purposes for which you can object.
Right to access and data portability
If required we will transmit any data we hold about you to a third party data controller, where consent has been given for you to do so. This will be provided in electronic format, in a format that is suitable to be accessed and transmitted for both us and the third party data controller.
Right to withdraw consent
Data Subjects can withdraw consent for any of the processing purposes at any times through their online account. These can be altered in the user profile section of their account on the StudentTenant.com website or applications.
The right to lodge a complaint
You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s office if you are concerned about the data processing activities carried out by StudentTenant.com Ltd.