Heimstaden’s privacy policy
1. Introduction
This privacy policy covers all necessary information on how Heimstaden collects, processes, shares and retains your personal data connected to your relationship with Heimstaden, in your role as a
- user/visitor of our website www.heimstaden.com/uk (the “Website”);
- supplier, entrepreneur, consultant or other business partner (a “Business Partner”);
- tenant or housing applicant;
- subtenant;
- guarantor/surety (Sw. borgensman); or
- shareholder.
The policy also describes your rights under applicable data protection law and how you can exercise them. You are always welcome to contact us if you have any questions. You can find our contact details at the bottom of this policy.
In addition to the processing activities described in this privacy policy, we may under certain circumstances also process your personal data by the use of cookies and/or camera surveillance. More information on these types of processing is available in our cookie policy and our privacy policy on camera surveillance.
Information regarding the processing of your personal data in connection with registration to and conduction of Heimstaden’s general meetings, please see Euroclear’s privacy notice for general meetings of shareholders, available at https://www.euroclear.com/dam/ESw/Legal/Privacy_notice_BOSS_final_30112020.pdf.
2. Data controller
Heimstaden UK Limited, registration number 13214989 having their registered address at One Fleet Place, London, England, EC4M 7WS, and, where applicable, the company within Heimstaden’s group of companies from which you rent your accommodation (jointly “Heimstaden”, “we” or “us”) are joint controllers of any processing of your personal data carried out by the companies and/or their subsidiaries. Tenants will find more information in the rental agreement or rental invoice regarding which company, within Heimstaden’s group of companies, that is their landlord.
3. Processing of personal data
3.1 Which types of personal data are processed by Heimstaden?
3.1.1 Information concerning Marketing Cookies
If you use or visit our Website and consent to marketing cookies in our Cookie Banner (“Marketing Cookies”), we may use third party suppliers to implement cookies and similar tools as specified in our Cookie Banner [insert]. Such cookies enable, among other things, the tracking of your activities when you use our Website. We collect the following personal data for purposes of such marketing activities: Behavior on site (clicks, pages viewed, landing pages), Traffic acquisition (search, referral url), User attributes (demographic, location, Browser information), Campaigns (ads viewed, ads click).
When you give your consent to receive marketing material from Heimstaden, we use third party suppliers to track your activities in the digital marketing emails/newsletters you receive from us. You can at any time unsubscribe from marketing emails by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of the email.
3.1.2 Business Partner
The personal data that we may process are, depending on your relationship with Heimstaden and the circumstances in general, your name, telephone number, address, email address, title, personal identity number of signatories for a company, personal identity number and credit rating in relation to Business Partners who are registered as sole traders in United Kingdom, material from potential camera surveillance and any additional information which has been provided by you in connection with your communication with us. In some situations, we may process additional types of personal data if deemed necessary in relation to the individual business relationship.
3.1.3 Tenant, subtenant and housing applicant
If you are a tenant or subtenant, we may process the following personal data concerning you: your name, personal identity number, address, telephone number and email address. We also process information on your apartment, for example information on equipment, defects that need be attended to, and any reports on disturbance or other concerns.
If you are a housing applicant, we may process the following personal data concerning you: your name, telephone number, email address and personal identity number, references and former landlord, information on employment and financial situation, which is needed in order to assess whether you meet the requirements for the apartment you have applied for. If you apply for student housing, we also need a certificate which verifies that you will be studying during the rental period.
3.1.4 Guarantor
If you are a guarantor, we may process personal data concerning you contained in the information provided in the Guarantor form issued, such as name, personal identity number and telephone number. In addition, your credit rating may be processed.
3.1.5 Shareholder
If you are a shareholder, we may process different types of personal data concerning you. We process your name, address, telephone number, personal identity number, shareholding (owned-registered or nominee-registered shares), registered number of votes, shareholder assistant, shareholder representative, food preferences and other potential personal data provided by you in connection with your communication with us.
3.1.6 Sensitive personal data
In addition to the abovementioned situations, we may process additional information about you, that you provide to us when contacting our customer service. If the contact is made by telephone, our customer service staff may take notes which include personal data – sometimes sensitive personal data – to the extent deemed necessary to attend to your matter.
We will only process sensitive personal data if you give your consent to it. If your matter requires the processing of sensitive personal data concerning you, we cannot help you unless we have your explicit consent thereto.
In light of the above, we will always ask for your explicit consent before we process sensitive personal data concerning you.
3.2 How are your personal data collected?
Personal data are mainly collected through direct interactions initiated by you, e.g. when you contact us by telephone, email or if you register on our Website. Personal data may also be collected from your employer, references and former landlords, official records, municipalities and public authorities, and in some situations from other companies in connection with Heimstaden’s acquisition of real property, in the event that you are or have been a customer of the seller’s.
If we have a reason, we may collect your credit rating and process the information we receive from the credit-rating agency.
Heimstaden may also need to update the personal data in order not to process outdated personal data about you.
3.3 For which purposes do we process your personal data?
3.3.1 Information concerning Marketing Cookies
These tools will be used to improve the functions and user experience of our Website, as well as to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other websites. They are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. More information regarding the specific tools we use is specified in Heimstaden’s Cookie Policy.
3.3.2 Business Partner
We process personal data concerning you in order to administrate our business relationship with you or the company that you represent (including ensuring the fulfilment of commitments, management, performing follow-up of deliveries, etc.) to enable reviews of the progression of construction work and to ensure that only authorised persons have access to construction sites through, for example, camera surveillance, and to stay in contact with you. We may also process your personal data for the purpose of sending invitations to events to you (including in order to administrate such events, e.g. as regards the number of attendees, food services and food preferences).
3.3.3 Tenant and housing applicant
Personal data concerning tenants are mainly processed in order for Heimstaden to perform its duties as landlord, to prepare, administrate and perform concluded agreements and to otherwise operate our management and rental business.
We may also process tenants’ personal data in connection with marketing communication such as publication of posts, pictures, videos, etc. on social media (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram) as well as publication of posts, pictures and videos for internal use (e.g. on our intranet). In the event that we would wish to process your personal data for any of these purposes, you will receive separate information in advance and, where applicable, we will ask for your consent to process your personal data for such a purpose.
Personal data concerning housing applicants are processed for the purpose of administrating housing applications, including assessments of whether you meet the relevant requirements for the apartment applied for.
3.3.4 Guarantor
Personal data that are provided to Heimstaden in a personal guarantee to Heimstaden will be processed by Heimstaden to the extent it is necessary for the administration and performance of the personal guarantee and/or applicable legal obligations.
3.3.5 Shareholder
We process personal data concerning shareholders in order to manage registrations for and the conduction of general meetings (e.g. to check whether a shareholder’s shareholding is directly owned or registered to a nominee shareholder and to take appropriate actions in respect thereof, to administrate the general meeting including food services and food preferences, etc.) and to take any required measures in respect of the share register (e.g. to, upon request of a shareholder, disclose the share register and the information therein). We may also process your personal data for the purpose of communicating news about the company’s business operations, such as interim reports and annual reports, if you have requested to receive such news. In addition, we may process your personal data in order to communicate with you and administrate related matters that you, as a shareholder or contact person for a company that is a shareholder, initiate and which in some cases require that we take further action depending on the subject-matter. If you are a major shareholder, we may, in some situations, also process your personal data by publishing name and shareholding in interim reports, annual reports, on the Website, etc.
In some cases, we may have a reason to process your personal data by publishing pictures in interim reports, annual reports, on the Website, etc. Should we wish to process your personal data for such a purpose, you will receive separate information on the personal data processing that this will entail and, where required, we will ask for your specific consent to process your personal data for this purpose.
4. Lawful bases for the processing of personal data
4.1 Performance of a contract
4.1.1 Business Partner
Processing of personal data for the purpose of managing our business relationship in different ways is carried out in order for us to be able to perform the contract or agreement that our business relationship is based on.
4.1.2 Tenant
Personal data concerning tenants are processed in order for us to comply with our obligations as a landlord under the rental agreement and any applicable law which regulates the tenancy.
4.2 Balancing of interests
4.2.1 General
For processing activities which are based on a balancing of interests, Heimstaden has made the assessment that the processing is necessary for the purposes of Heimstaden’s legitimate interests, and that it does not infringe on your privacy to a large extent.
4.2.2 User/visitor of the Website
Processing of personal data concerning visitors and users of the Website is carried out based on a balancing of interests where Heimstaden’s interests of examining and analysing the traffic on the Website, making your visit on the Website as good as possible and to direct marketing towards you override the potential risks for infringement of your privacy that may arise as a result of these types of processing activities.
4.2.3 Business Partner
Processing of personal data which is not directly connected to the performance of the contract or agreement that our business relationship is based on may be carried out based on a balancing of interests. This includes processing of your personal data for the purpose of contacting you and sending event invitations to you.
4.2.4 Tenant and housing applicant
Processing of personal data which is not directly connected to the performance of the rental agreement may be carried out based on a balancing of interests. This includes the development and sale of products and services, distribution of information or newsletters to tenants, offering services through our Business Partners, such as home insurance or, in some cases, camera surveillance in common spaces of properties, within the scope of our rental or administration business. If you do not wish to receive our newsletter, you can deregister either by contacting us using the contact details below, or through the link in the email received.
When you apply for an apartment we process your personal data based on our legitimate interest of collecting relevant information about you, in order to allocate apartments within our rental business.
If you are a registered guardian or administrator of a tenant, we process your personal data based on our legitimate interest of administrating the tenancy relationship with the tenant in question.
4.2.5 Guarantor
If you are a guarantor, we process your personal data based on our legitimate interests of preparing, administrating and performing the personal guarantee, or based on a legal obligation.
4.2.6 Shareholder
Processing of your personal data for the purpose of sending you news about our business or invitations to events, as well as any potential publication of information about you in the annual report or similar, is carried out based on a balancing of interests. This also applies to Heimstaden’s management of matters that you, as a shareholder or contact person of a company that is a shareholder, initiate.
4.3 Compliance with a legal obligation
We retain accounting documentation to the extent required by applicable law.
Processing of a shareholder’s personal data for the purpose of administrating the share register is carried out based on a legal obligation.
4.4 Information concerning Marketing Cookies
The use of the Marketing Cookies is based on your consent collected through Heimstaden’s Cookie Banner. Should you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent by clicking on icon in the left down corner.
5. For how long do we retain your personal data?
5.1 General
Your personal data will be retained and processed by us until processing no longer is necessary in respect of the abovementioned purposes, unless the data must be retained for a longer period of time in accordance with a legal obligation.
The information required for our book-keeping (e.g. information about all orders, invoices, rental invoices and payments) and tax documentation must, by law, be retained for at least seven years. Please note that some data are retained for a longer period of time. For example, information pertaining to invoices are retained for longer than seven years, for follow-up purposes.
If we process your personal data based on your consent, we only retain such personal data for as long as we still have your consent thereto.
5.2 Information concerning Marketing Cookies
We keep your personal data contained in the Marketing Cookies for a period of time, details is available in Heimstaden’s Cookie Banner.
5.3 Business Partner
Personal data are, as a main rule, retained until we no longer have a business relationship with the company that you represent, or until you no longer represent the company. Personal data which are processed in order to send you invitations to events are retained as long as you are a contact person for the company that you represent. Personal data which are processed in order to administrate events are deleted no later than three months after the event has taken place.
5.4 Tenant
Much of the personal data concerning you, as a tenant, are retained during the rental period and until all claims have been finally settled. Electronic logs from electronic booking and key management systems as well as material from potential camera surveillance of public spaces are normally retained for two to four weeks and are deleted on a regular basis during the rental period. If the rental agreement is terminated due to negligence/the tenant’s breach of his or her duty of care , we may retain a note on the reason for your vacating the apartment, for two years.
If you are a tenant’s registered guardian or administrator, your personal data are retained during the same period as the represented tenant’s personal data.
5.5 Housing applicant
If you are a housing applicant, your personal data are processed only for as long as you wish to remain an applicant. Information on notices of interest of individual rental objects are deleted shortly after the apartment in question has been assigned. If you have not been assigned an apartment, due to that you have not met our tenant requirements, a short description thereof will be retained for three months.
5.6 Guarantor
Heimstaden retains personal data concerning guarantors until the rental agreement, for which the personal guarantee was signed, expires, or for as long as is necessary to monitor potential claims
5.7 Shareholder
Data concerning your shareholding in Heimstaden are retained, by law, for at least ten years, for shareholding history purposes.
Data processed in order to manage communication with you as well as related matters initiated by you, as a shareholder or contact person for a company that is a shareholder, are retained for as long as the data are relevant in relation to the subject of the communication and/or matter.
Data which are processed in order to send you news are retained as long as you wish to receive such news.
Data which are published in annual reports are retained for at least ten years.
6. Security measures
Heimstaden has drafted policies and established standards to ensure that the processing of your personal data is carried out in a secure manner. As a main rule, access to personal data is only granted to employees of the company, who need such access in order to carry out their work tasks.
In relation to sensitive personal data, we have established certain access control measures which entail a better protection of your personal data.
Our security systems are developed with a focus on your privacy and they provide high protection against intrusion, deletion and other modifications which could pose risks to your privacy.
We only transfer personal data in accordance with this policy.
7. To whom do we disclose your personal data?
7.1 General
We may disclose your personal data to other companies in Heimstaden’s group of companies for the purpose of sharing relevant contacts and to pass on information deriving from communications with you, for cooperation when choosing Business Partners, etc.
Heimstaden may also disclose your personal data in order to comply with legal obligations, and they may be disclosed to public authorities when so required by law.
7.2 Information concerning Marketing Cookies
More detailed information about the third parties we disclose personal data to, and their respective privacy and cookie policy and contact details is available in Heimstaden’s Cookie Banner.
7.3 Business Partner
To the extent necessary for them to fulfil their obligations, we may disclose your personal data to our Business Partners providing services on our behalf. Collected personal data would first and foremost be shared with our IT suppliers, in order to withhold and maintain our IT systems and, depending on the business relationship, with our accountants and our bank.
7.4 Tenant and housing applicant
To the extent they need the personal data to carry out their services, your personal data may be disclosed to our Business Partners in connection with, inter alia, allocation of apartments, customer surveys, debt collection, property maintenance, electricity supply networks, telecommunication, home insurance, external standby disturbance duty, accounting, security and provision of systems. Your personal data may also be disclosed to public authorities or municipalities for crime investigation purposes, reports of disturbances or contract terminations to social services, and housing adaptations. In connection with rental negotiations, your personal data will be disclosed to tenants’ associations. In case of divestment of the property you live in, or in certain cases where you have previously been living, personal data may be disclosed to potential buyers and their advisors.
8. Where do we process your personal data?
For more information regarding whether we have transferred your personal date to a country outside the EU/EEA, which countries the personal data has been transferred to and which measures and safeguards that have been taken in relation to the transfer, please contact us by sending a written request to gdpr@heimstaden.co.uk
9. Your rights
You have the right to request information regarding what personal data concerning you that we are processing and how they are being used. This information will be delivered in the form of a register extract.
In case the personal data we process about you are inaccurate or incomplete, you can request correction or completion thereof.
To a certain extent, you have the right to “be forgotten”, which means deletion of your personal data processed by us. However, we are entitled to deny such requests under certain conditions, e.g. if we need to process your personal data for compelling reasons.
Under certain conditions, you have the right to request that the processing of your personal data is restricted to certain given purposes.
You have the right to object to any processing of your personal data which is carried out based on our legitimate interests.
You have the right to data portability, which means that under certain conditions you are entitled to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, in order to transmit them to another data controller.
Should you wish to exercise any of the rights mentioned above, please contact us by using the contact details below. When assisting you with such matters, we may ask you for identification to protect your privacy and your personal data.
10. Changes to this privacy policy
We may change the terms of this privacy policy. The latest version of it is available on the Website.
11. Contact details
If you have any questions related to this privacy policy or if you want to contact us regarding our processing of your personal data, please contact us on gdpr@heimstaden.co.uk