Privacy Policy & Notice

1. Data Controller

Excel Housing is the data controller for the personal data we collect through this website. This means we are responsible for deciding how and why we process your personal data.

• Organisation: Excel Housing
• Email: info@excelhousing.co.uk
• Phone: 0121 401 1101

We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and comply with the UK Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect the following types of personal data:

• Contact form: Name, email address, phone number, and message content.
• Referral form: Referrer details, applicant name, contact information, housing situation, support needs, and consent status.
• Landlord/Property form: Name, contact details, property address, and property details.
• Feedback form: Name, email, phone, feedback type, and message content.
• Technical data: IP address, browser type, pages visited (via Vercel Analytics, only if you consent to analytics cookies).

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. Our lawful bases are:

• Consent (Article 6(1)(a)) — When you submit a form, you consent to us processing your data for the purpose of responding to your enquiry or processing your referral.
• Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) — We process technical data (with your consent via cookies) to improve our website and services.
• Legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c)) — We may process data to comply with legal obligations, such as safeguarding or housing regulations.

4. How We Use Your Information

• To respond to your enquiries and provide our services
• To process referrals and assess housing/support needs
• To communicate with you about your application or enquiry
• To share with relevant third-party agencies, local authorities, and landlords for the purpose of securing accommodation (referrals only, with your explicit consent)
• To improve our website and services (analytics only with your consent)
• To comply with legal and regulatory obligations

5. Data Sharing

We may share your personal data with the following recipients, only where necessary and with your consent where required:

• Local authorities and housing providers — For referral processing and accommodation placement.
• Support agencies — For coordinating support services (referrals only, with your consent).
• Email service provider (Resend) — To send and receive emails on our behalf. See Resend's Privacy Policy.
• Vercel Analytics — Anonymous website traffic data, only if you consent to analytics cookies. See Vercel's Privacy Policy.
• Microsoft 365 — For email hosting and communication. See Microsoft's Privacy Statement.

We do not sell your personal data to third parties.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected:

• Contact form enquiries: 12 months after resolution.
• Referral applications: 24 months from submission, or longer if required for audit or legal purposes.
• Landlord/property submissions: 12 months after the property is no longer listed or the relationship ends.
• Feedback: 12 months after resolution.
• Analytics data: 12 months (Vercel Analytics default retention).

7. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of access — Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification — Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to erasure — Request deletion of your personal data ('right to be forgotten').
• Right to restrict processing — Request that we limit how we use your data.
• Right to data portability — Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Right to object — Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Right to withdraw consent — Withdraw consent at any time (this does not affect processing already carried out).

To exercise any of these rights, email us at info@excelhousing.co.uk. We will respond within one month.

8. Cookies

We use cookies on this website in accordance with PECR and the UK GDPR. For full details of the cookies we use and how to manage your preferences, please see our Cookie Policy.

9. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. This includes encryption in transit (TLS/SSL), secure email hosting (Microsoft 365), and access controls. In the event of a personal data breach, we will notify the ICO and affected individuals where required by law within 72 hours.

10. International Data Transfers

Some of our third-party service providers (e.g. Vercel, Resend) may process data outside the UK. We only use providers that offer adequate safeguards, such as International Data Transfer Agreements or UK adequacy regulations, to ensure your data is protected to UK GDPR standards.

11. Complaints

If you have a concern about how we handle your personal data, please contact us first at info@excelhousing.co.uk. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

• Website: ico.org.uk
• Phone: 0303 123 1113
• Post: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting the updated policy on this page. We recommend reviewing this page periodically.