Privacy

PRIVACY NOTICE FOR CUSTOMERS

This Privacy Notice explains how Eden Housing Association collects, uses, stores and shares personal data for;

• Perspective tenants, current and former tenants
• Perspective, current and former customers for home ownership
• Individuals contacting us via our website, email, telephone, letter or in person. People visiting our offices or housing schemes.

It includes the personal data of customers of other housing associations whose properties we manage.

Eden Housing Association may change this Privacy Notice from time to time by updating this page.  This page was last updated on 9th June 2026.

• Who we are
• What information is collected and why
• Data relating to children
• Who we share your data with
• How long we keep your data for
• Data stored outside the UK
• Your rights
• How to make a complaint about your personal data

Who we are

Eden Housing Association Limited (EHA) is a Registered Provider of Social Housing under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 and an exempt Charity Number 28435R.   Our registered Office is

Blain House
Bridge Lane
Penrith
Cumbria
CA11 8QU

We are registered as a data controller with the Information Commissioners Office and our registration number is Z4644919

Our data Protection Officer can be contacted at the above address, by phone on 01768 864100 or email [email protected]

WHAT INFORMATION IS BEING COLLECTED AND WHY

Eden Housing Association will collect your personal data if you apply, or have previously applied for a property with us (rented or home ownership).  The reason we are processing this data is because the allocation of social housing is a task carried out in the public interest and because you are applying to enter into a contract (the tenancy, lease or sale agreement) with us. We will process the following types of personal data that you provide to us when applying for housing, including applying via Cumbria Choice system;

• Names, dates of birth, National Insurance numbers, photographs, contact details and preferences
• Identification, such as passports, driving licence details
• References from landlords, support providers or other people vouching for applicants’ suitability as a tenant
• The details of other family members or people in your household
• Financial information
• Residency status
• Details of criminal offences
• Medical conditions, disabilities and support needs
• Equality Diversity and Inclusion data, such as ethnicity and sexuality

If you live in one of our properties, or have lived in one of our properties we will also collect

• Rent Account information, bank account and benefit details
• Property condition/repairs
• Records relating to your contact with us, such as emails, letters and telephone calls.
• Information relating to tenancy management including behaviour information if you are involved in an Anti-Social Behaviour case
• Details about your personal circumstances where these effect the management of your tenancy, including support information that may be provided to us from other organisations
• Information relating to complaints – if you make a complaint

This is because you have entered into a contract with us.  In some instances, we have a legal obligation to process information, for example for right to rent checks or  management of anti-social behaviour.

We may apply markers to your information (for example, in relation to your vulnerability or health status) to enable us to tailor and deliver services to you. It is important that you notify us of any changes to your personal information.

The information we collect from you can come from many different methods, the main sources we receive information from are as follows

• Customer Portal (MyAccount)
• Customer Service center when you contact us directly
• Personal Interviews whether that is face to face or using other forms of communication.
• Local Authorities/Government Agencies

From time to time we, or an organisation acting on our behalf may collect data via surveys to understand more about your view of our services.  It is a regulatory requirement that we collect Tenant Satisfaction data. This information is collected directly from you.

We also have a legitimate interest in collecting data, such as Equality  Diversity and Inclusion data to understand more about our services and ensure we are meeting the needs of our tenants and communities.  You do not have to provide this information.  This data may include details relating to;

• race
• ethnic origin
• religion
• health
• sex life or
• sexual orientation

We may also hold details of support needs and support plans; nominated persons who can speak on your behalf; including name, contact telephone numbers and address.  We process this information because we have a legitimate interest in assisting you to maintain your tenancy and supporting our tenants and residents.   We may also process data required for your vital interest such as emergency contact details and if needed a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan.  This information may be collected directly from your self or provided by a support service. We may also share your information with emergency services and local authorities, where this is necessary to help them respond to an emergency situation that affects you.

Telephone calls are recorded to and from our organisation.  This is so we can

• identify staff training needs;
• assist in protecting staff from abusive or nuisance calls;
• establish the facts in the event of a complaint or dispute, either by a customer or a member of staff and so assist in resolving it;

This is to assist us in providing our contract to you and meet our legal obligation to protect the health and safety of our staff.

EHA operates CCTV at some of our housing schemes and in our offices.  This is for

• The prevention and detection of antisocial behavior and/or criminal activities
• The health and safety of employees, residents or members of the public
• The security of our premises
• To survey our properties

We will always have signage in place in locations where we use CCTV.

Data relating specifically to children

As an organisation we will collect information about household members of a tenancy which may include details of any children in that property.  This data is used only specifically to ensure we hold the correct details of the tenancy or to help assess and allocate appropriate housing.  This data will not be used for any other purpose than of that relating to the tenancy or housing application.

We may collect and store data relating to children where we are dealing with welfare issues encountered within our housing management processes.  This information is not shared for any other purposes but for the support for the child’s welfare.  Their data will not be used for any direct marketing, or services.  We will use this data to ensure we can produce necessary support plans or to store certain child protection plans.

Who we may share data with

CONTRACTORS AND SUPPLIERS

 We may share your personal information with our suppliers who enable us to provide services to you, or who provide services on our behalf. Examples of those suppliers are repairs and maintenance contractors who carry out work in tenants’ homes; the contractor who handles the out of hours service calls for us; companies that assist us in mailing out our notices and letters. The data shared is the specific information the supplier requires to carry out their task, as well as any information that ensures we fulfil our health & safety obligations to the people carrying out the task.  We will make sure there is a written agreement in place setting out our Data Protection requirements.

PARTNER AGENCIES

We may enter into partnerships with other organisations such as local authorities and the Police. For example, we may join a partnership to help prevent and control anti-social behaviour.  We will enter into a formal data sharing agreement to govern the process and ensure it is lawful. That agreement will be approved by our Data Protection Officer before it is implemented.

We are in partnership with Cumbria Choice to offer a Cumbria-wide housing allocation service.  When becoming an applicant on Cumbria Choice you will specify the landlord who you wish to manage your application.  If you chose Eden Housing Association, we will ensure all of your personal data is kept secure in accordance with the Cumbria Choice Privacy Statement and our own Data Protection Policy.  For further information on the Cumbria Choice Privacy Statement please visit www.cumbriachoice.org.uk.

UTILITY COMPANIES

In order to assist utility providers (gas, electricity and water, etc) charge the right person for the water, gas, electric (or other utilities), we will provide on request names and contact details of new tenants, and forwarding addresses of former tenants and tenancy dates.  We may also provide copies of tenancy agreements as evidence that you were liable for the utilities.

PUBLIC BODIES

 We will share specific and relevant information with law enforcement and government agencies or public bodies where we are legally required to do so. Examples may include:

• The prevention or detection of crime and fraud
• The apprehension or prosecution of offenders
• The assessment or collection of tax or duty owed to customs and excise
• Sharing in connection with legal proceedings
• Sharing in relation to the physical or mental health of an individual, where disclosure is required to protect them, or others from serious harm
• Research and statistical purpose

We are legally obliged to share information about lettings with the Government (CORE lettings) you can find out more about this here

Other Organisations

Eden Housing Association may use other organisations to process personal data on our behalf, for example some processors we use, but are not limited to are:

• Allpay – for the secure processing of card payments
• Survey Monkey – for the purpose of gathering service satisfaction data from our customers
• The Deposit Protection Service – to deposit payments received for our Lakeland and Borders Private tenancies – this is a legal requirement
• Acuity Research and Practice (market research company) – for carrying out tenant satisfaction surveys

In addition, we may also be required to share information with other organisations\agencies, where we have lawful reason or a legitimate interest to do so.  Some examples of these additional organisations/agencies are listed below but are not limited to:

• TV license company if you are entitled to a subsidised licence if you live in sheltered/extra care accommodation.
• Local GP/Pharmacies specific to your care
• Local support services specific to your care and wellbeing

Where the sharing of your personal data does not meet a lawful reason or a legitimate interest to share we will seek to obtain your consent.

Non-Personal Property Information Sharing

We may share non-personal property information with contractors, partners, regulators, and service providers to enable the effective management and maintenance of our housing stock.

This includes information such as property specifications, repair histories, compliance data, and asset management records.  This information does not identify individuals and is therefore not treated as personal data under UK GDPR.

Where such information is shared, we ensure it is used only for appropriate business purposes and in line with our organisational controls and contracts.

HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA

Our retention schedule is based on the Good Practice Guidance issued by the National Housing Federation. Please contact [email protected] if you wish to discuss further.

DATA STORED OUTSIDE THE UK

We will only store information that is personally identifiable outside the UK if

• The country where your data is being stored has been approved by the Information Commissioners Office as providing sufficient protection of personal data.
• There is a written contract in place that includes the standard contractual clauses approved by the Information Commissioners Office to make sure your data is safeguarded to the same standard as the UK
• There is an exemption that is applicable in law.

YOUR RIGHTS

 You have rights under data protection legislation including:

Right of access – you have the right to ask us for a copy of your personal information. There are some exemptions which means you may not receive all the information you ask for. You can read more about this right here

Right to rectification – you have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate.  You also have the right to ask us to complete the information if you think is incomplete. You can read more about this right here.

Right to erasure – you have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances. You can read more about this right here.

Right to restrict processing – you have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances. You can read more about this right here.

Right to object to processing – you have the right to object to us processing your personal information in certain circumstances. You can read more about this right here.

Right to data portability – you have the right to ask us to transfer your personal information to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances. You can read more about this right here.

Your right to withdraw consent – When we use consent as our lawful basis you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. You can read more about this right here

These rights will change dependent upon the reason and lawful basis under which we are processing your personal data.  We may also refuse requests or apply exemptions.

Please contact our Data Protection Officer if you would like any more information about how we process your data or if you would like to make any requests in relation to your data.

HOW TO MAKE A COMPLAINT ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL DATA

If you have any concerns or complaints about how we handle your personal data, you have the right to lodge a formal complaint with us. Under UK data protection laws, you must attempt to resolve your complaint with us directly before escalating it to the regulator.

How to contact us:

By Email: [email protected]
Post: Blain House, Bridge Lane, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 8QU
Online Portal: https://myaccount.edenha.org.uk

What happens next:

Acknowledgement: We will officially acknowledge your complaint within 30 days of receipt.
Investigation: We will investigate your concerns thoroughly, fairly, and without undue delay.
Outcome: We will contact you to provide our final decision, or to give you an active progress update if your case is highly complex.

Escalation to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

If you remain unsatisfied with our final response, or if we fail to respond to you within the required timeframe, you have the right to escalate your complaint to the UK data protection regulator:

• • 1. • Website: https://ico.org.uk
       • Helpline: 0303 123 1113
       • Address: Wycliffe House, Water lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF