Privacy Policy
BACKGROUND:
Property118 Ltd understands that your privacy is important to you and that you care about how your personal data is used and shared online. We respect and value the privacy of everyone who visits this website,
www.property118.com (“Our Site”) and will only collect and use personal data in ways that are described here, and in a manner that is consistent with Our obligations and your rights under the law.
Please read this Privacy Policy carefully and ensure that you understand it. Your acceptance of Our Privacy Policy is deemed to occur upon your first use of Our Site
. If you do not accept and agree with this Privacy Policy, you must stop using Our Site immediately.
- Definitions and Interpretation
In this Policy the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“Account” |
means an account required to access and/or use certain areas and features of Our Site; |
“Cookie” |
means a small text file placed on your computer or device by Our Site when you visit certain parts of Our Site and/or when you use certain features of Our Site. Details of the Cookies used by Our Site are set out in section 13, below; |
“Cookie Law” |
means the relevant parts of the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003; |
“personal data” |
means any and all data that relates to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified from that data. In this case, it means personal data that you give to Us via Our Site. This definition shall, where applicable, incorporate the definitions provided in the EU Regulation 2016/679 – the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”); and |
“We/Us/Our” |
Means Property118 Ltd , a limited company registered in England under company number 10295964, whose registered address is 1st Floor, Woburn House, 84 St Benedicts Street, Norwich, NR2 4AB. |
- Information About Us
- Our Site is owned and operated by Property118 Ltd, a limited company registered in England under company number 10295964, whose registered address is 1st Floor, Woburn House, 84 St Benedicts Street, Norwich, NR2 4AB.
- Our VAT number is 990 0332 34.
- Our Data Protection Officer is Neil Patterson, and can be contacted by email at npatterson@property118.com, by telephone on 01603 489118, or by post at 1st Floor, Woburn House, 84 St Benedicts Street, Norwich, NR2 4AB.
- What Does This Policy Cover?
This Privacy Policy applies only to your use of Our Site. Our Site may contain links to other websites. Please note that We have no control over how your data is collected, stored, or used by other websites and We advise you to check the privacy policies of any such websites before providing any data to them.
- Your Rights
- As a data subject, you have the following rights under the GDPR, which this Policy and Our use of personal data have been designed to uphold:
- The right to be informed about Our collection and use of personal data;
- The right of access to the personal data We hold about you (see section 12);
- The right to rectification if any personal data We hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete (please contact Us using the details in section 14);
- The right to be forgotten – i.e. the right to ask Us to delete any personal data We hold about you (We only hold your personal data for a limited time, as explained in section 6 but if you would like Us to delete it sooner, please contact Us using the details in section 14);
- The right to restrict (i.e. prevent) the processing of your personal data;
- The right to data portability (obtaining a copy of your personal data to re-use with another service or organisation);
- The right to object to Us using your personal data for particular purposes; and
- If you have any cause for complaint about Our use of your personal data, please contact Us using the details provided in section 14 and We will do Our best to solve the problem for you. If We are unable to help, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK’s supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office.
- For further information about your rights, please contact the Information Commissioner’s Office or your local Citizens Advice Bureau.
- What Data Do We Collect?
Depending upon your use of Our Site, We may collect some or all of the following personal data (please also see section 13 on Our use of Cookies and similar technologies):
- Name;
- Date of birth;
- Address and post code;
- Business/company name and trading status;
- Number of properties owned;
- Accountants details;
- Contact information such as email addresses and telephone numbers;
- Proof of residence and ID;
- Financial information such as income and tax status;
- Landlords insurance renewal dates;
- Property Portfolio details such as value and mortgage outstanding;
- How Do We Use Your Data?
- All personal data is processed and stored securely, for no longer than is necessary in light of the reason(s) for which it was first collected. We will comply with Our obligations and safeguard your rights under the GDPR at all times. For more details on security see section 7, below.
- Our use of your personal data will always have a lawful basis, either because it is necessary for our performance of a contract with you, because you have consented to our use of your personal data (e.g. by subscribing to emails), or because it is in our legitimate interests. Specifically, we may use your data for the following purposes:
- Providing and managing your access to Our Site;
- Supplying our products and or services to you (please note that We require your personal data in order to enter into a contract with you);
- Personalising and tailoring our products and or services for you;
- Replying to emails from you;
- Supplying you with emails that you have opted into (you may unsubscribe or opt-out at any time by the unsubscribe link at the bottom of all emails;
- Analysing your use of our site and gathering feedback to enable us to continually improve our site and your user experience;
- Provide information to our partner service and product suppliers at your request.
- With your permission and/or where permitted by law, We may also use your data for marketing purposes which may include contacting you by email and or telephone with information, news and offers on our products and or We will not, however, send you any unsolicited marketing or spam and will take all reasonable steps to ensure that We fully protect your rights and comply with Our obligations under the GDPR and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003.
- You have the right to withdraw your consent to us using your personal data at any time, and to request that we delete it.
- We do not keep your personal data for any longer than is necessary in light of the reason(s) for which it was first collected. Data will therefore be retained for the following periods (or its retention will be determined on the following bases):
- Member profile information is collected with your consent and can be amended or deleted at any time by you;
- Anti-Money Laundering information and tax consultancy records are to be kept as required by law for up to seven years.
- How and Where Do We Store Your Data?
- We only keep your personal data for as long as We need to in order to use it as described above in section 6, and/or for as long as We have your permission to keep it.
- Some or all of your data may be stored outside of the European Economic Area (“the EEA”) (The EEA consists of all EU member states, plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein). You are deemed to accept and agree to this by using our site and submitting information to Us. If we do store data outside the EEA, we will take all reasonable steps to ensure that your data is treated as safely and securely as it would be within the UK and under the GDPR
- Data security is very important to Us, and to protect your data We have taken suitable measures to safeguard and secure data collected through Our Site.
- Do We Share Your Data?
- We may share your data with other partner companies in for the purpose of supplying products or services you have requested.
- We may sometimes contract with third parties to supply products and services to you on Our behalf. Where any of your data is required for such a purpose, We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that your data will be handled safely, securely, and in accordance with your rights, Our obligations, and the obligations of the third party under the law.
- We may compile statistics about the use of Our Site including data on traffic, usage patterns, user numbers, sales, and other information. All such data will be anonymised and will not include any personally identifying data, or any anonymised data that can be combined with other data and used to identify you. We may from time to time share such data with third parties such as prospective investors, affiliates, partners, and advertisers. Data will only be shared and used within the bounds of the law.
- In certain circumstances, We may be legally required to share certain data held by Us, which may include your personal data, for example, where We are involved in legal proceedings, where We are complying with legal requirements, a court order, or a governmental authority.
- What Happens If Our Business Changes Hands?
- We may, from time to time, expand or reduce Our business and this may involve the sale and/or the transfer of control of all or part of Our business. Any personal data that you have provided will, where it is relevant to any part of Our business that is being transferred, be transferred along with that part and the new owner or newly controlling party will, under the terms of this Privacy Policy, be permitted to use that data only for the same purposes for which it was originally collected by Us.
- How Can You Control Your Data?
- In addition to your rights under the GDPR, set out in section 4, we aim to give you strong controls on Our use of your data for direct marketing purposes including the ability to opt-out of receiving emails from Us which you may do by unsubscribing using the links provided in Our emails.
- Your Right to Withhold Information
- You may access certain areas of Our Site without providing any data at all. However, to use all features and functions available on Our Site you may be required to submit or allow for the collection of certain data.
- You may restrict Our use of Cookies. For more information, see section 13.
- How Can You Access Your Data?
You have the right to ask for a copy of any of your personal data held by Us (where such data is held). Under the GDPR, no fee is payable and We will provide any and all information in response to your request free of charge. Please contact Us for more details at info@property118.com, or using the contact details below in section 14.
- Our Use of Cookies
- Our Site may place and access certain first party Cookies on your computer or device. First party Cookies are those placed directly by Us and are used only by Us. We use Cookies to facilitate and improve your experience of Our Site and to provide and improve Our products AND/OR We have carefully chosen these Cookies and have taken steps to ensure that your privacy and personal data is protected and respected at all times.
- All Cookies used by and on Our Site are used in accordance with current Cookie Law.
- Before Cookies are placed on your computer or device, you will be shown a cookie prompt requesting your consent to set those Cookies. By giving your consent to the placing of Cookies you are enabling Us to provide the best possible experience and service to you. You may, if you wish, deny consent to the placing of Cookies; however certain features of Our Site may not function fully or as intended. You will be given the opportunity to allow only first party Cookies and block third party Cookies.
- Certain features of Our Site depend on Cookies to function. Cookie Law deems these Cookies to be “strictly necessary”. These Cookies are shown below in section 13.5. Your consent will not be sought to place these Cookies, but it is still important that you are aware of them. You may still block these Cookies by changing your internet browser’s settings as detailed below in section 13.9, but please be aware that Our Site may not work properly if you do so. We have taken great care to ensure that your privacy is not at risk by allowing them.
- The following first party Cookies may be placed on your computer or device:
Name of Cookie |
Purpose |
Strictly Necessary |
JSESSIONID |
Used only to collect performance data, with any identifiable data obfuscated |
No |
__cfduid |
This cookie is strictly necessary for Cloudflare's security features and cannot be turned off. |
Yes |
- Our Site uses analytics services provided by Google Analytics and Facebook. Website analytics refers to a set of tools used to collect and analyse anonymous usage information, enabling Us to better understand how Our Site is used. This, in turn, enables Us to improve Our Site and the products AND/OR services offered through it. You do not have to allow Us to use these Cookies, however whilst Our use of them does not pose any risk to your privacy or your safe use of Our Site, it does enable Us to continually improve Our Site, making it a better and more useful experience for you.
- The analytics service(s) used by Our Site use(s) Cookies to gather the required information.
- The analytics service(s) used by Our Site use(s) the following Cookies:
Name of Cookie |
First / Third Party |
Provider |
Purpose |
__utma, __utmb, __utmc, __utmt, __utmz |
First |
Google |
Helps to understand how their visitors engage with our website |
_fbp |
First |
Facebook |
Helps to understand how their visitors engage with our website |
- In addition to the controls that We provide, you can choose to enable or disable Cookies in your internet browser. Most internet browsers also enable you to choose whether you wish to disable all cookies or only third party cookies. By default, most internet browsers accept Cookies but this can be changed. For further details, please consult the help menu in your internet browser or the documentation that came with your device.
- You can choose to delete Cookies on your computer or device at any time, however you may lose any information that enables you to access Our Site more quickly and efficiently including, but not limited to, login and personalisation settings.
- It is recommended that you keep your internet browser and operating system up-to-date and that you consult the help and guidance provided by the developer of your internet browser and manufacturer of your computer or device if you are unsure about adjusting your privacy settings.
- Contacting Us
If you have any questions about Our Site or this Privacy Policy, please contact Us by email at info@property118.com, by telephone on 01603 489118, or by post at 1st Floor, Woburn House, 84 St Benedicts Street, Norwich, NR2 4AB. Please ensure that your query is clear, particularly if it is a request for information about the data We hold about you (as under section 12, above).
- Changes to Our Privacy Policy
We may change this Privacy Policy from time to time (for example, if the law changes). Any changes will be immediately posted on Our Site and you will be deemed to have accepted the terms of the Privacy Policy on your first use of Our Site following the alterations. We recommend that you check this page regularly to keep up-to-date.
Paul Shears
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Sign Up19:47 PM, 11th September 2013, About 11 years ago
I would normally be against such a thing the creates yet more red tape.
Personally I rely on reputation alone and it works for me.
However, having seen so much poor quality rental property over the years, the ability for the prospective tenant to narrow the search more efficiently might also raise standards. So I think it's an excellent idea.
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Sign Up21:44 PM, 11th September 2013, About 11 years ago
Thanks for that Paul, brilliant that you can rely on your reputation. Probably not as easy for new landlords or those with only 1 or 2 properties though. It's only red tape if it's mandatory. What I'm proposing is totally optional. So glad you think it's an excellent idea!
Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118
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Sign Up7:59 AM, 12th September 2013, About 11 years ago
Presumably there would have to be different classifications? For example, a 5 star B&B in Great Yarmouth is very different to a 5 star hotel on Park Lane or a 5 star holiday park in Torquay.
Classifications might include:-
Flats
Houses & Bungalows
HMO's (e.g. shared houses, bedsits etc.)
Student accommodation
Furnished and unfurnished.
Condition of carpets and decor would need to be taken into consideration of course, as would kitchens and bathrooms. Rating furniture and fitting on age wouldn't necessarily work as fine antique furniture might get rated badly. Wouldn't it all be rather subjective?
If buildings scored points for things like a lift, flats would have an advantage over a bungalow which would never have a lift.
Presumably double glazing would score points, same for properties fitted with burglar alarms, envirovent units etc.
Would secure/gated parking score more than a property with a garage? There are plenty of considerations to parking. If on road parking scored points my house wouldn't get any, however, I have two garages and parking for 200 cars on my own land which is secured by electric gates.
In principle I think it's a good idea (subject to cost) and could be a great differentiator. As always though, the devil is in the detail.
Out of the two options, if I was a tenant I would prefer to know that I am dealing with an landlord who is accredited through a scheme such an NLA. However, how many tenants even know that such an accreditation exists, let alone what it actually means? I can see a property with my own eyes but it is much harder to know whether a landlord knows what he/she is doing.
If star ratings do get traction, it will only be a matter of time before all landlords realise they need to get their properties rated as those that are rated will have a clear advantage in their marketing as soon as tenants become aware of the existence of a rating scheme. A lot will also depend on whether the property portals will get behind the concept and create a new upload field or whether mention of star ratings will just have to be added to the property description.
Have you considered the following? What's to stop a landlord rating all of his own properties as 5 star and adding that into his adverts? For extra credibility landlords could form clubs and all rate their own properties. How would a tenant know how much weight one rating carried over another? For example, any landlord could create the Midlands Rental Standards Rating Unit (MRSRU) tomorrow and rate all members properties as 5 star rated for a fiver each without even having seen them. Members could then put such a rating into their advertising and that would make a mockery of any well considered scheme. Ideally a kitemark for the rating body is required, e.g. ISO 9001. This wouldn't stop what I've said above but it would add further credibility to the official body and they would be far more likely to get free PR on the back of a recognised kitemark..
I hope that helps and I look forward to reading other people views, especially on what the classifications ought to be and on the aspects of the property which should be scored to determine an overall star rating.
In conclusion, if it was set up right I would probably become an early adopter but 25 years in this business has made me a cynic and I would require quite a bit of convincing, especially in regards to the detail and credibility behind the rating system.
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Sign Up9:46 AM, 12th September 2013, About 11 years ago
Phew Mark ...where do I start to answer that? Brilliant comments!
Okay...firstly we will remove any questions that aren't relevant, for example lifts in a bungalow wouldn't be answered & the rating for the bungalow wouldn't be adversely affected (nice example thanks I'll use that! :-))
But other than that, there'll be no differentiation between types of properties - eg B&Bs and hotels have different classification. We wouldn't differentiate between a HMO, student let, house or flat....why would we? They are all rental properties and just buildings after all.
Condition of interior is slightly subjective, and is probably the only thing in the rating that is. But it's about condition, not about age. If the fitted kitchen has gashes in the worktops for example, it would be marked down.
As for the rest of the furniture & things that aren't fitted units - eg sofa/chairs etc - the jury was out for a while about whether we'd treat furnished & unfurnished differently. Should you rate the quality of the sofa for example? But in the end, we decided we'd include it as part of the general view of the quality/condition of the interior. So we aren't going to inspect individual pieces of furniture. But if a landlord keeps scruffy furniture in the place, it tends to mean that other aspects (eg walls/flooring etc) are also below par. And this will be reflected in the score as condition of interior walls and flooring will be scored.
Yes -- double glazing generally scores higher (but not much higher as long as the glazing is in good condition, for example DG in a listed property may not be possible. Yes - burglar alarms score higher (even higher if they are annually serviced) & envirovent etc.
Would secure/gated parking score more than a property with a garage? - yes
With parking we would rate according to the highest/best facility available. So in your case, you wouldn't get downgraded because you didn't have on-street parking, when clearly your parking/land is far superior.
Absolutely re landlord accreditation - in time ideally we'll combine the two.
There's loads of landlord accreditation schemes - there's a debate about how useful they are in increasing standards when, as you say, tenants don't generally understand them across the market. They work very well in some pockets of the country. And not well at all in others. So what commercial benefit does a landlord get if he is accredited? Compared to the bad landlords who don't bother. Some tenants are very savvy & well educated. Others aren't. And we definitely need to help them differentiate the landlords. The market is muddled and there's no clear message. We want to start something completely different, but with the same aim of increasing standards and benefiting good landlords. So because there's so little focus on the properties themselves, we wanted to bring that in.
"If star ratings do get traction, it will only be a matter of time before all landlords realise they need to get their properties rated as those that are rated will have a clear advantage in their marketing as soon as tenants become aware of the existence of a rating scheme. " - Hope so!
"A lot will also depend on whether the property portals will get behind the concept and create a new upload field or whether mention of star ratings will just have to be added to the property description." - we are working very hard on that. When we get traction we have already been told from the major 2 portals that we will have their support. At which point, our prices will go up because there'll be much wider (national) commercial benefits. Initially, it will be down to the local landlords/agents/associations to promote locally - which will also work.
Agreed, we've already applied to register the trademark - it's with IPO at the moment.
Agreed, we are in the process of getting ISO 9001.
On our site there will be a page to check all properties listed and it will be our job to audit the market - a combination of clever technology, getting the message out to the tenant market about how to check it's a valid rating, and a lot of hard work!
Well as you can tell, we are a long way down the line to doing exactly this. So I look forward to hearing other landlords/agents thoughts. We've built the rating system based on feedback we've had so far, and although we are about to launch, we still have a little time to amend the content. I want to make sure it's something that landlords value and believe in. And I have the content of the rating programme open in front of me, to add any brilliant ideas that are suggested here and now. So keep them coming, all comments welcome & this will help create the final product.
So t.Thanks for your comments Mark & I hoped you'd be an 'early adopter'. We look forward to giving some of your properties a rating in the near future!
Steven Burnell
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Sign Up23:16 PM, 12th September 2013, About 11 years ago
I think the theory & the practice are too difficult to reconcile for the above proposal to be viable, As per Mark's comments (echo my own off-the-cuff thoughts), it sounds too complicated to be practical if it is to be independent & credible & not to be abused or too costly.
An alternative theory:
If I offer good flats / houses at fair rents & if I get this offer to the market effectively either directly or via an agent then I would hope to rent them without too much difficulty in the current market, especially if the tenant believes I will be a good (but not soft) landlord?
But if the rental market dips, then buying market must have picked up so good opportunity to realise assets at capital profit & reduce rental supply so good property @ fair rent from reputable landlords will still let to remaining demand from good tenants?
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Sign Up23:26 PM, 12th September 2013, About 11 years ago
Reply to the comment left by "Steven Burnell" at "12/09/2013 - 23:16":
Hi Steven
Give us a chance! We can make it work practically - it's not just a theory.
Out of interest, what price would you say was viable for, say a 2 year rating?
But agreed, in areas where there's no voids and rental market is strong, it may not be worth it to a landlord in the early days (however as the brand gets more recognition, not having a rating could be detrimental - much as with the hotel industry, no star rating says a thousand words!). So...what if your "competitor" landlord did it? And you didn't? As long as the tenant education is there, it won't take much for the message to spread and a tipping point to be reached - even if that only happens in local pockets around the country.
Gina Blomefield
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Sign Up8:53 AM, 13th September 2013, About 11 years ago
Looking from a different perspective tenants with small budgets might be rather depressed that they could only search for properties with the least stars and what good landlord would want to have a property on the lowest ratings? I am all for increasing the recognition of the landlord accreditation schemes and encouraging more landlords to qualify.
Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118
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Sign Up9:07 AM, 13th September 2013, About 11 years ago
Reply to the comment left by "Gina Blomefield" at "13/09/2013 - 08:53":
Hi Gina
Could the same be said for holiday makers and hoteliers though? It seems to work in that market so why not ours?
I'm sure that 5 star bedsits exist, in fact, I know a former chairman of Norwich City football club used to let the most amazing student rooms to weathly foreign students (mainly Chinese I seem to recall) attending UEA in Norwich for more than £1,000 and that was over 10 years ago! I've not spoken to him recently so I'm not sure he's still in the business but that was his market for several years.
On the other hand, if the budget is say £60 a week wouldn't a person be looking for 1 star HMO's in much the same way that they would be looking at B&B's or cheap camp sites for their next holiday?
Gina Blomefield
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Sign Up9:19 AM, 13th September 2013, About 11 years ago
Reply to the comment left by "Mark Alexander" at "13/09/2013 - 09:07":
Hmmm well I just feel that as the ratings for B & Bs, hotels etc are undertaken by local councils they are independently evaluated - don't think the AA do them any more? However trying to make a fair and realistic system of star ratings for a properties in which people plan to live is much more complicated - bad hotel or B & B you can just leave not so easy if you have signed an AST.
I think the professionalism of the landlord is also as important as the state of the property itself. You could get a brilliant looking property but still have a bad landlord who does not fix problems, protect deposits etc - unlikely perhaps but possible. Equally there are perhaps rather tired properties where the landlord is excellent in caring for the tenants.
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Sign Up9:27 AM, 13th September 2013, About 11 years ago
Reply to the comment left by "Gina Blomefield" at "13/09/2013 - 09:19":
Hi Gina
Thanks for your post - yes I understand what you mean, but I think Mark is right. We would really like to think that a 1* property would be a min standard for an LHA tenant for example, and it's a fact of life that better quality things cost more than others - and we can't all afford the best there is.
Completely agree that landlord accreditation is very important - and hopefully in time we could have a joint kitemark. But there are so many landlord schemes around already, it's a very dis-jointed market. However the market for property ratings really doesn't exist - certainly not in this form anyway.
We have been tending to find however that a good landlord generally means a good property...it's a natural progression to just being professional.