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 Renewals 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:
- Owners and occupiers of private residential properties
- Landlords and tenants applying for housing renewal assistance
- Applicants for grants, loans or other financial assistance schemes
- People receiving support through government-funded housing improvement programmes
- Residents within Portsmouth, Fareham and Gosport receiving services administered by the Council
The personal information we collect
We may collect:
- Name, address and date of birth
- Contact details, including telephone numbers and email addresses
- Information relating to financial assistance applications
- Property ownership and occupancy information
- Financial information relevant to grant, loan or assistance applications
- Records of correspondence, emails, letters and telephone calls
We may also collect information relating to:
- Family and household circumstances
- Financial circumstances
- Housing needs
- Physical and mental health where relevant
- Disabilities and support requirements
- Social care needs where relevant to the assistance being provided
Special Category Data
Some housing renewal services process special category personal data, including health information, disabilities and support needs. 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, forms, correspondence and enquiries
- From other Council services
- From Occupational Therapists and healthcare professionals where appropriate
- From contractors, builders and service providers involved in approved works
- From government departments administering funding schemes
- From organisations supporting your application where lawful and necessary
How we use your information and our lawful bases
We use personal information to:
- Deliver housing renewal services
- Administer grants, loans and other financial assistance schemes
- Facilitate and oversee works in privately rented and owner-occupied properties
- Deliver services within Portsmouth and, where applicable, properties within the jurisdiction of Fareham and Gosport Borough Councils
- Assess eligibility for financial assistance
- Process and manage funding applications
- Arrange and monitor approved works
- Work with contractors and builders to ensure works are completed to an appropriate standard
- Ensure property standards are maintained following completion of works
- Provide support and access to relevant services
- Meet the requirements of government-funded programmes and schemes
- Monitor, review and improve services
- Support service planning and development
Lawful Bases under UK GDPR
Most housing renewal activities are carried out under the lawful bases of:
- Public task
- Legal obligation
Where financial assistance agreements are entered into, processing may also be necessary for the performance of a contract.
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:
- Health or social care purposes
- Substantial public interest
- Social protection and housing functions
Who we share your information with
We may share information where necessary and lawful with:
- Other Council services
- Legal representatives
- Occupational Therapists
- Healthcare professionals where relevant
- Builders, contractors and specialist service providers
- Government departments administering funding schemes
- Partner organisations involved in delivering housing assistance programmes
Information may also be shared where necessary:
- To assess applications for assistance
- To manage and monitor approved works
- To ensure compliance with grant and funding conditions
- To protect someone from serious harm
- To prevent or detect crime or fraud
- 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.
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, including any requirements attached to grant funding or government schemes.
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 contractors, suppliers 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 7 August 2025.