The Data Protection Act (DPA) seeks to ensure that personal details are used fairly and lawfully and are kept secure. Albyn Housing Society Limited (the Society) is a Data Controller under the DPA and so must comply with certain legal requirements. One of these requirements is to advise you of certain details regarding DPA including the purposes for which your personal details are used. This leaflet is designed to give you this information.

What does the Society use your information for?

The Society is a Registered Social Landlord and is therefore required to identify housing need, to house individuals, to create and maintain tenancies, to develop and maintain properties and to promote tenant participation. These are specific requirements of the Housing Act (Scotland) 2001. The Society shall also take steps to recover debt, and shall if necessary take steps to assist in the collection of taxes and to prevent or detect crime.

To do these things the Society uses both personal details and sensitive personal details. Particular examples of sensitive personal details may be health related issues, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, sexual orientation, and criminal record.

In the course of undertaking our business the Society will make disclosures of both personal information and sensitive personal information to local authorities (including the housing benefit department), other housing providers, health authorities, Communities Scotland. These disclosures will only be made if you have given written permission.

We may also disclose statistical information to local authorities (including the housing benefit department), other housing providers, health authorities, Communities Scotland and central government departments such as the Scottish Executive.

Personal details may be disclosed to tenant organisations to promote tenant participation.

In the course of housing individuals and developing or maintaining properties the Society may need to make certain disclosures to its suppliers or contractors. Where it is necessary in order to do the work or to keep the contractors or suppliers safe the Society may disclose sensitive personal details to such people. A written agreement is in place with our suppliers and contractors to ensure that such information is kept secure.

The Society will take steps to manage and recover money owed to it. For that purpose it may make disclosures to other housing providers, local authorities, tracing agents and central government.

The Society may make other disclosures as appropriate to prevent or detect crime (for instance, to the police) or to assist in the recovery of taxes (for instance to tax authorities) where it is considered appropriate.

Can you see what information we hold?

The DPA gives you a right of access to the personal data that the Society holds about you. You can exercise this right by making a request in writing (which can include e-mail). The Society requires payment of the £10.00 statutory fee before responding to the request.

Should you have any queries about how the Society deals with personal information under the Act contact Roddy Robertson on 01349 855965 or at our offices in Invergordon.