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Privacy Policy

Lillingtons Estate Agents is the trading name of Lillingtons Ltd registered at 32 Brenkley Way, Blezard Business Park, Seaton Burn, Newcastle upon Tyne NE13 6DS.

Lillingtons Estate Agents are committed to protecting the privacy of all our clients. This privacy policy explains what personal information we collect about you, why we collect it, how we use it and how long we will keep it. It also informs you of certain rights you have regarding this personal data and how you can access the data we hold if desired.

We regularly review our privacy notice. You can find the most up to date version on our website or by contacting your local branch.

Individuals rights under the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)

Under the GDPR individuals have a number of rights. Those that are relevant to the work of Lillingtons Estate Agents include:

  • The right to be informed - Using our privacy notice we offer a clear description of how we will use your data.
  • The right of access - See ‘How can you gain access to the personal data we hold?’
  • The right to rectification - See ‘How can you correct inaccurate personal information held by Lillingtons?’
  • The right to erasure – You have the right to “be forgotten” and ask to have your data erased. For circumstances where we may have to refuse see ‘How long will we keep your data?’
  • The right to restrict processing – you have the right to block the processing of personal data unless our legitimate interests override those of the individual. You also have the right to ask us to retain your data after we no longer need it if in respect of a legal claim.
  • The right to object – You may ask us to stop processing data for the purposes of marketing or statistics/research. We may only refuse if we need to process the data for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims or we have legitimate grounds that override your rights, interest and freedom.

What information do we collect?

In the course of performing our role we are required to obtain and hold certain personal data. This could include your name, location data, email address, contact telephone numbers, other information you provide through messaging via our email, web & social media channels. In certain situations this could also include verification identification & relevant financial information, landlord references and credit reports.

We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.

Our website does not use cookies, however there are links to other websites. These include review sites, social media sites and video/floorplan hosting platforms. These websites are not owned by us and as a result Lillingtons are not responsible for the content of such sites, the privacy policy of such sites or for any personal data these sites might collect or place on your computer. We suggest reviewing the privacy policy of any sites you visit in this way.

How will we use this personal data?

Lillingtons collect your personal data solely for the purpose of securing a property sale, property purchase or property rental. We will not use this data for any marketing or profiling purpose nor will we sell your information to third parties for marketing purposes.

To be able to process your personal data we must have a lawful reason. Lillingtons collect and use your data on the following basis:

  • Contractual Necessity – When the processing of your data is necessary for the performance of a contract which you are involved in, or to take steps at your request prior to entering into a contract. For example: To arrange a viewing or some property marketing advice at your request, to check a chain in order to represent an offer you have made on a property or to arrange for maintenance to be carried out on a property you are renting through us. This will also include providing your data to legal representatives who are involved in your house sale/purchase.
  • Compliance with legal obligations – As estate and letting agents we have a number of legal obligations to adhere to. These may include performing Anti Money Laundering checks, submitting a Suspicious Activity report to the National Crime Agency, tenant referencing or verifying your financial ability to purchase.
  • Obtaining Consent – Lillingtons will only process your data for marketing purposes if we have obtained your specific consent and documented this clearly and precisely on your electronic/paper file. Consent will be specific to a certain practice and is valid only for that practice.

You can choose whether you wish to receive information from us or continue to receive information at any stage. Once consent has been given, the means by which we would contact you, whether by email or post will have a clear option to opt in or out of various preferences.

How long will we keep your data?

We will hold your personal data only for as long as it is necessary to carry out the activity or contract unless to comply with legal obligations or for the defence of legal claims.

At the end of any contractual transaction your data will be retained securely in order to comply with the code of conduct/requirements of HMRC and The Property Ombudsman.

Where will your personal data be stored?

The majority of work Lillingtons undertake utilises two different pieces of software. Our residential sales departments work with a system provided by Dezrez, one of our data processors. Your data is uploaded and held within their secure data centres and servers which are all based within the European Union.

The Lettings Department use a system called CFP Winman. Its database is held on a secure server in one of our own branches. This server is monitored by a third party and access to it is restricted, the security measures being updated regularly. The server is backed up each night and these protected back-up drives are held securely off site.

We also store your data in paper form. Your file is kept in a locked filing cabinet. Archived paper files are kept in a secure location in one of our branches until the time limit required by our regulatory body has passed, when they are destroyed.

Who else will your personal data be shared with?

In the course of performing our role we sometimes need to utilise the services of third parties. These could include software providers, tenant referencing services, maintenance contractors, surveyors, EPC and floorplan providers amongst others.

In these instances Lillingtons acts as a data controller. This means that we determine the purpose and means by which your personal data is processed. We will disclose only the data which is necessary to deliver the service required for you to the third party (data processor) and we have contracts in place with these data processors which cover certain compulsory terms around the processing and the security of the data supplied to them.

How can you gain access to the personal data we hold?

Should you wish to access the personal data we hold on you, in the first instance please write to:

The Data Protection Officer

Lillingtons Estate Agents

58 Lowther Street

Whitehaven

Cumbria CA28 7DP

We will aim to compile this information within one month of receiving the access request. This information will be provided free of charge and after verifying your identification in person. Under GDPR there are legitimate reasons why we may need to refuse access to your personal data. Should we be prevented in disclosing certain elements of data to you we will provide reasoning for this refusal.

How can you correct inaccurate personal information held by Lillingtons?

You have a right to have inaccurate personal data we hold corrected. If you believe we may hold inaccurate data or you change any of your contact information, please contact the Data protection officer at the address given above. We may request that you provide means of identification to enable us to comply with any corrections and will then ensure these changes are made within a 30 day period.

How can I complain about how my personal data is being handled?

You have a right to complain to The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you think there is a problem with the way we are handling your personal data.

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow SK9 5AF