Portsmouth City Council ("the Council", "we", "us") is the data controller for the personal information described in this notice. We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) (Registration Number Z5578313).
This privacy notice explains how Portsmouth City Council collects, uses, shares, stores and protects personal information relating to private sector housing, housing regulation, property licensing, mobile homes, empty homes and building safety services.
Who we are and how to contact us
Data Controller: Portsmouth City Council (Registration Number Z5578313)
Address: Civic Offices, Portsmouth, PO1 2AL
Data Protection Officer Email: DataProtection@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
Telephone: 023 9282 2251
If you have questions about this notice or want to exercise your data protection rights, contact the Data Protection Officer using the details above.
Who this notice applies to
This notice applies to:
- Private landlords and property owners
- Tenants and occupiers of privately rented properties
- Property licence holders and applicants
- Mobile home site owners and residents
- Owners of empty properties
- Property managing agents
- Contractors working with the service
- People involved in housing regulation or enforcement cases
The personal information we collect
We may collect:
- Name, address and date of birth
- Contact details, including telephone numbers and email addresses
- Photographs, images and video recordings
- Property ownership and tenancy information
- Licence application and licensing records
- Records of correspondence, emails, letters and telephone calls
- Official identification documents, including passports and driving licences where required
- Information relating to complaints, investigations, inspections and enforcement activities
- Information obtained from other organisations where lawful
We may also collect information relating to:
- Family and household circumstances
- Financial circumstances
- Housing needs
- Physical and mental health where relevant
- Social care and support needs
- Next of kin, power of attorney or authorised representatives
Information may be received from:
- Other local authorities
- Council departments
- The Department for Work and Pensions
- Police and law enforcement agencies
- Government departments and public bodies
- Tracing agents and genealogist firms where appropriate and lawful
Special Category Data
In some circumstances, housing regulation services may process information relating to health, disabilities, vulnerabilities or support needs where relevant to delivering services, safeguarding individuals or exercising regulatory powers. We only process this information where the law allows and with appropriate safeguards in place.
Where we get your information from
We obtain information:
- Directly from you through applications, correspondence, inspections and enquiries
- From other Council services
- From landlords, tenants, managing agents and contractors
- From government departments and public bodies
- From other local authorities
- From police and law enforcement agencies
- From tracing agents and genealogist firms where appropriate
- From organisations involved in supporting you or investigating complaints
How we use your information and our lawful bases
We use personal information to:
- Carry out housing regulation and enforcement functions
- Administer property licensing schemes, including HMO licensing
- Monitor compliance with licence conditions
- Facilitate and oversee works in privately rented, owner-occupied and empty properties
- Support the management and regulation of mobile home sites
- Regulate mid-rise and high-rise residential buildings
- Investigate complaints and reports relating to housing conditions
- Address issues relating to empty properties
- Recover costs associated with enforcement or works carried out by the Council
- Ensure satisfactory student accommodation across the city
- Support community engagement and neighbourhood improvement activities
- Deliver advice, support and access to relevant services
- Conduct investigations and gather evidence
- Detect and prevent crime and fraud
- Take enforcement action where required by law
- Support service monitoring, planning and development
Use of Images and Body Worn Cameras
Officers may use body worn cameras and photographic evidence during inspections, investigations and enforcement activities.
Images and recordings may be used:
- To record evidence of property conditions
- To support investigations and enforcement action
- To protect officers and members of the public
- To meet legal and regulatory requirements
Public Registers
Certain information may be published where legislation requires this, including information contained within statutory property licensing registers.
Lawful Bases under UK GDPR
Most private sector housing and regulatory activities are carried out under the lawful bases of:
- Public task
- Legal obligation
Where consent is relied upon, this will be made clear when information is collected.
Special Category Data (Article 9 UK GDPR)
Where special category information is processed, the Council relies on conditions including:
- Substantial public interest
- Safeguarding of children and adults at risk
- Health or social care purposes where relevant
- Housing and regulatory functions carried out in the public interest
Who we share your information with
We may share information where necessary and lawful with:
- Other Council services
- Other local authorities
- Police and law enforcement agencies
- Government departments and public bodies
- Mortgage providers where appropriate
- Licensing and regulatory bodies
- Contractors and consultants working on behalf of the Council
- Housing providers and managing agents
- Health and social care organisations where relevant
- Interested parties where disclosure is required by legislation
Information may also be shared where necessary:
- To investigate non-compliance with legal requirements
- To administer licensing schemes
- To support enforcement action
- To prevent or detect crime or fraud
- To protect someone from serious harm
- To meet legal and statutory obligations
We will only share information necessary for the organisation to provide services, support or carry out its statutory responsibilities.
We do not share personal information for third-party marketing purposes.
CCTV and Body Worn Cameras
The service may use CCTV systems and body worn cameras as part of inspections, investigations and enforcement activities.
CCTV and body worn camera recordings that are stored and catalogued may be accessed through a Subject Access Request.
Access may be restricted where recordings contain other identifiable individuals or where disclosure would prejudice the prevention or detection of crime or where another legal exemption applies.
Portsmouth City Council may not record CCTV at all locations displaying CCTV signage and not all cameras will be operational at all times.
How long we keep your information
Personal information is only kept for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and in accordance with the Council's corporate retention schedule.
Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the purpose for which it was collected.
Further information can be found in the Council's corporate retention schedule.
How we keep your information secure
Technical and organisational measures are used to protect personal information, including:
- Access controls and permissions
- Staff training and awareness
- Secure storage and IT systems
- Regular monitoring and validation processes
- Information security and data protection policies
- Contractual controls with suppliers, contractors and service providers
Anyone processing personal information on behalf of Portsmouth City Council is required to do so securely and only for authorised purposes.
Your data protection rights
Under data protection law, you may have the right to:
- Access your personal information (Subject Access Request)
- Request correction of inaccurate information
- Request erasure in limited circumstances
- Request restriction of processing
- Object to processing in certain circumstances
- Request data portability in limited circumstances
- Exercise rights relating to automated decision-making and profiling
Right to object
You have the right to object to processing carried out under public task or legitimate interests in certain circumstances. Requests can be made by contacting the Data Protection Officer.
How to exercise your rights
You have the right to know whether Portsmouth City Council holds personal information about you.
Requests can be made by contacting the Data Protection Officer or by visiting the Council's subject access request and Freedom of Information pages.
You will usually be entitled to access your personal information, although access may be restricted where information relates to other individuals or where a legal exemption applies.
Complaints
If you are unhappy with how your personal information has been used, please contact the Data Protection Officer in the first instance.
If you remain dissatisfied, you may complain to:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Links to other websites
The Council's website may contain links to other websites. This privacy notice does not cover those websites. Please read the privacy notices published on any external sites you visit.
Changes to this privacy notice
This privacy notice was last reviewed on 29 August 2025.