Privacy Policy

Auckland Estates Limited (referred to as “Auckland Estates”, “us”, “we”, or “our” in this Privacy Notice) is a company registered in England under company number 11926729, with its registered address at 36 The Broadway, Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 2HW. We are committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected and our use of your personal information is governed by this Privacy Notice.

This Privacy Notice applies to all majority-owned subsidiaries of Auckland Estates and their respective businesses, representative offices, branches, and applicable third parties. Any reference to “you” or “your” refers to anyone whose personal information we process.

We may update this Privacy Notice if there are changes to how we use your personal information. For substantial changes, we will endeavour to inform you directly.

1. Who we are

The appropriate data controller, which determines the purpose and means of processing your personal information, will be the business you have instructed. If in doubt, you can ask your usual contact or representative or refer to any documentation we provide. The ICO Registration number of Auckland Estates is ZA594801.

Auckland Estates Limited acts as a controller for the personal information it collects and uses about you. We may also act as a processor in some instances. In all cases, we treat your personal information as confidential and in accordance with applicable data protection legislation, sharing it only as outlined in this Privacy Notice.

2. What personal information is covered in this privacy notice

Personal data – Any information that tells us something about you, such as your name, contact details, date of birth, bank account details, or any information about your needs or circumstances.

Special Category data – Sensitive information under data protection legislation, including health data, religion, or sexual orientation. Additional lawful bases under the Data Protection Act 2018 are required to collect, store, and process this data.

3. What personal information we collect

We collect your full name and necessary contact details (such as phone number, email address, and address) whenever you engage with us. Depending on the service we provide, we may collect additional personal information as detailed below:

Buying, selling, or letting a property, or applying for a mortgage product or service:

Personal information we may collectWhy we collect it
Your name, postal address, phone number, email address, and details of your requirementsTo provide estate agency, land and new homes developments, auction, rental or lettings services.
Previous names, mother’s maiden name, previous addresses, health and family history, information about your status and dependentsTo apply or inquire about mortgage or protection products, and to offer alternative properties.
Marital status, gender, date of birth, nationality, and tax statusTo carry out referencing and credit checks.
Employment details, national insurance number, residential status, bank details, and credit historyTo create and manage accounts and to provide customer surveys.
Proof of identity, such as passport, driving licence, and address documentsFor ‘know your client’, anti-money laundering, counter terrorist financing requirements, and right to rent checks.
Bank account details or payment card informationFor processing payments and transactions.
Financial information, such as bank statements, proof of deposit, payslips, tax documentsTo support mortgage and/or insurance applications.
Evidence of right to let a property (for landlords)To provide letting services.
Details relating to your property, such as photographs, floor plans, energy performance certificate ratingsTo market and manage your property.
Move in and move out dates, utility meter serial numbers, and meter readingsFor tenancy management.
Facial recognition technologyFor client ID verification checks.
IP address, browser type, operating system, URL informationTo improve our services through insight.
Communication and marketing preferencesTo ensure relevant communication.

We may request additional information relevant to the specific services we provide during our relationship with you.

We do not offer products or services to children. However, in certain circumstances, such as tenant or mortgage applications, we may need to collect information about children.

Telephone calls to or from our customer service teams or branches may be recorded for training, monitoring, compliance, and security purposes.

4. How we collect your personal information

  • Direct interactions – Personal information disclosed when you fill in forms, surveys, or correspond with us by post, phone, email, live chat, web, social media, or otherwise.
  • Third-party sources – Information from third parties for anti-money laundering checks, fraud prevention, and identity verification.

5. How we use your personal information

We process the information you provide or obtain from other sources to provide you with products and services and answer your questions. Our legal bases for processing your personal information include:

  • Performance of a contract – Necessary for the performance of a contract or to take steps at your request prior to entering into a contract.
  • Legal obligation – Compliance with legal obligations, such as identity verification and fraud prevention.
  • Consent – Clear and unambiguous consent for marketing information.
  • Legitimate interest – For purposes such as network and information security, web analytics, customer details updates, and core services.

We process special categories of personal information and criminal conviction information under additional lawful bases of the Data Protection Act, including explicit consent or legal claims.

6. Who we share your personal information with

6.1 Personal data we share within Auckland Estates

6.2 Sharing with third parties

We share personal information with regulators, governmental or quasi-governmental organisations, law enforcement authorities, courts, tribunals, and arbitrators to comply with regulatory and legal obligations. We also share information with third-party service providers for business operations and services on our behalf, ensuring they protect your information securely and use it only for the requested service.

Indicatively, but not limited to, we may share your information with the following third parties for the purposes listed:

Third partyWhy we share it
Vendor, buyer, house builder, other estate agentsTo support a sale progression.
Land and New Homes DevelopersTo support your enquiry or purchase.
Affiliate international partnersTo support international property sales.
Approved contractors and suppliersFor installing for sale or to let boards, appointing managing agents, and arranging safety tests.
SurveyorsTo undertake structural or Homebuyers surveys.
Firms on our conveyancing panelTo provide home conveyancing services.
Firms on our mortgage lender panelFor mortgage and insurance applications.
Referencing Companies, Credit and Risk agenciesFor creditworthiness checks, fraud prevention, and money laundering checks.
Rent and Legal insurance providersTo set up landlord insurances and handle claims.
Solicitors and lawyersTo pursue tenancy breach claims.
Debt collection companiesTo recover owed and overdue monies.
Law enforcement bodiesTo comply with court orders or legal obligations.
The Property OmbudsmanFor dispute resolution services.
Land Registry OfficeFor conveyancing services.

6.3 Automated Decision Making

Some third-party services may involve automated decision-making, matching, and credit scoring processes. These methods are regularly tested for fairness, effectiveness, and unbiased outcomes.

7. How we keep your personal information secure

We have measures in place to protect your personal information from damage, destruction, misuse, and unauthorized access. These include:

  • Client software systems – Protections against unauthorized access and external factors.
  • Hard copy paper files – Secure storage with restricted access.
  • Data protection training – Provided to employees and workers who need access to personal information.

Where information is shared with third parties, similar security measures are used.

8. How long we keep your personal information

We retain your information as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this Privacy Notice and to fulfill legal and regulatory obligations. Typically, information is kept for 7 years after last contact, but this period may vary depending on the type of service or product and any legal or contractual obligations.

9. Overseas transfers of your personal information

We are based in the UK, but some third parties may be outside the European Economic Area (EEA). We ensure your information is protected during transfers by using safeguards such as transferring to countries with adequate protection levels or using specific contractual protections.

For details on data protection during transfers, contact us at info@aucklandestates.com.

10. Your rights in relation to your personal information

  • Your right of access – You can request copies of your personal information.
  • Your right to rectification – You can request inaccurate information be corrected.
  • Your right to erasure – You can request the deletion of your personal information.
  • Your right to restrict processing – You can request the restriction of processing in certain circumstances.
  • Your right to object to processing – You can object to the processing of your personal information.
  • Your right to data portability – You can request information on data transfers.
  • Rights related to automated decision making and profiling – You can opt out of decisions based solely on automated processing.

To exercise any of these rights, email info@aucklandestates.com with details of your request. We will respond within recommended timescales.

11. How to contact us

If you have questions, comments, or requests regarding this Privacy Notice or how we handle your personal information, please contact us at:

Email: info@aucklandestates.com
Address: Auckland Estates Limited, 36 The Broadway, Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 2HW
Phone: +44 (0) 1707 664 400

For unresolved concerns, you can also contact the Information Commissioner’s Office at www.ico.org.uk.

Update: 17th July 2024