Privacy Policy

RoomFlex Housing is the data controller responsible for your personal information. We provide supported exempt accommodation across the United Kingdom and work with local authorities, support providers, landlords and other organisations to deliver safe, high-quality housing for individuals in need.

For the purposes of data protection law, the data controller is:

• RoomFlex Housing
• Company Number: 17301078
• Email: Enquiries@RoomFlexHousing.com

If you have any questions about how we handle your personal data, or if you wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact us using the details above.

We may collect and process the following categories of personal information, depending on how you interact with us:

Information you provide directly

• Contact form submissions: first name, last name, email address, phone number, organisation name (if provided), enquiry type, and the content of your message.
• Referral form submissions: first name, last name, date of birth, email address, and phone number of the individual being referred, along with any additional information submitted as part of the referral process.
• Correspondence: any personal information contained in emails, letters, or telephone conversations with our team.
• Partnership and professional enquiries: contact details and organisational information provided by local authorities, landlords, managing agents, support providers and other professional contacts.

Information collected automatically

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain technical information, including:

• IP address and general geographic location (country/region level)
• Browser type and version
• Device type and operating system
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, and navigation paths
• Referring website or source
• Date and time of access

This information is collected through cookies and similar technologies where applicable. See Section 9 for further details.

Special category and sensitive data

In the course of providing supported accommodation and processing referrals, we may receive special category personal data — such as information relating to health, disability, or other vulnerable circumstances — where this is necessary and relevant to the accommodation or support being provided. We only process such information where we have a lawful basis to do so and where it is strictly necessary for the purposes described in this policy.

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

• To respond to enquiries submitted through our website contact form or by email
• To receive, assess and process referrals for supported exempt accommodation
• To communicate with referring organisations, local authorities and support providers regarding placements and accommodation
• To manage and administer our accommodation services, including tenancy arrangements and resident welfare
• To maintain our properties and fulfil our obligations as a housing provider
• To establish and manage professional partnerships with landlords, managing agents and other organisations
• To comply with legal and regulatory obligations, including housing, health and safety, and safeguarding requirements
• To improve our website, services and the experience of users and residents
• To protect the security and integrity of our website and systems
• To establish, exercise or defend legal claims where necessary

We will only use your personal information for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason that is compatible with the original purpose. If we need to use your data for an unrelated purpose, we will notify you and explain the legal basis that allows us to do so.

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis to process your personal data. Depending on the circumstances, we rely on one or more of the following:

• Consent: where you have given clear consent for us to process your personal data for a specific purpose, such as submitting a contact or referral form. You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us.
• Contract: where processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, such as arranging accommodation.
• Legal obligation: where we need to process your data to comply with a legal or regulatory requirement, including housing law, safeguarding duties and health and safety obligations.
• Vital interests:where processing is necessary to protect someone's life or physical safety in an emergency.
• Legitimate interests: where processing is necessary for our legitimate interests (or those of a third party) and your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. This may include responding to general enquiries, managing our business operations, and ensuring the security of our website. We will always balance our interests against your rights before relying on this basis.

Where we process special category personal data, we will additionally ensure we have a valid condition under Article 9 of UK GDPR, such as explicit consent, substantial public interest, or the provision of health or social care.

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your data with the following categories of recipients where necessary and appropriate:

• Local authorities and commissioning bodies involved in funding or overseeing supported accommodation placements
• Support providers and care organisations working with residents placed in our accommodation
• Landlords and managing agents where relevant to property management and tenancy arrangements
• Professional advisers including solicitors, accountants and auditors acting on our behalf
• Service providers who assist us in operating our website, communications, and business systems, subject to appropriate data processing agreements
• Regulators and law enforcement where required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, safety and property of our residents, staff or others

All third parties with whom we share data are required to respect the security of your personal information and to treat it in accordance with the law. We only permit them to process your data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions.

We will only retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

Indicative retention periods include:

• Website enquiries: up to 2 years from the date of last contact, unless a longer period is required
• Referral records: for the duration of any placement and up to 6 years thereafter for regulatory and safeguarding purposes
• Tenancy and accommodation records: for the duration of the tenancy and up to 6 years after it ends, in line with legal and regulatory requirements
• Website technical logs: typically up to 12 months

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymise it so that it can no longer be associated with you.

Under UK data protection law, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

• Right of access — to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification — to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to erasure — to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances
• Right to restrict processing — to request that we limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability — to receive your data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable
• Right to object — to object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing
• Rights related to automated decision-making — including profiling, where applicable
• Right to withdraw consent — where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at Enquiries@RoomFlexHousing.com. We will respond within one month of receiving your request. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

There is no fee for making a request, although we may charge a reasonable fee or refuse to comply if your request is manifestly unfounded, excessive or repetitive.

We take the security of your personal information seriously and have implemented appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Secure storage of physical and electronic records
• Access controls limiting data access to authorised personnel only
• Staff training on data protection and confidentiality
• Secure communication channels for sensitive information
• Regular review of our security practices and policies

While we strive to protect your personal data, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but will notify you and any relevant regulator of a breach where we are legally required to do so.

Our website may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience and help us understand how visitors use our site. Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website.

Types of cookies we may use

• Strictly necessary cookies: essential for the website to function correctly. These cannot be switched off.
• Analytics cookies: help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting anonymous usage data, so we can improve our content and services.
• Functional cookies: enable enhanced functionality and personalisation, such as remembering your preferences.

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website. For more information about cookies, visit www.aboutcookies.org.

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including embedded maps or resources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those websites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

Our services are not directed at children under the age of 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children through our website without appropriate consent and involvement of a parent, guardian, or responsible organisation.

Where we provide accommodation to young people (such as care leavers aged 16 or over), personal data is processed in accordance with this policy and with the involvement of the relevant local authority, support provider or responsible adult as appropriate.

If you believe we have collected information from a child without proper authority, please contact us immediately and we will take steps to delete that information.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of our website after any changes constitutes your acknowledgement of the updated policy.

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, we would like the opportunity to resolve your concerns. Please contact us in the first instance using the details in Section 14.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues:

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

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us:

• RoomFlex Housing
• Company Number: 17301078
• Email: Enquiries@RoomFlexHousing.com

You can also reach us through our contact page.