Privacy notice - Rent Service Scotland

Rent Service Scotland is a department in Scottish Government. Our rent officers make decisions about rent disputes and carry out our other legal duties.

Scottish Government is the data controller for personal data we process.

A data controller determines how and why personal data is processed.

Why we need to use your data

We may use data you provide to:

• set fair rents and keep the register of fair rents for regulated tenancies under the Rent (Scotland) Act 1984 and Rent (Agriculture) Act 1976
• meet our legal duties for rent adjudication and to keep a list of market rents
• meet our legal duty to provide information to local councils and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for some benefits

The data we provide to local councils and DWP is to help them make decisions about applications for:

• Housing Benefit
• Local Housing Allowance
• Universal Credit

What data we collect

The categories of personal data we process depends on the purpose.

Making decisions about rent disputes

Data we process can include:

• the tenant’s contact details
• the landlord’s contact details
• the letting agent’s contact details
• the type and terms of the tenancy
• details of the rental property, including the type and size (such as number of bedrooms)

Keeping a list of rents and market rent comparisons

Data we process can include:

• the type and terms of the tenancy or licence
• details of the rental property, including the type and size (such as number of bedrooms)
• contact details for the letting agent, organisation, tenant or landlord who provided the data

Setting and publishing Fair Rents for regulated tenancies

Data we process can include:

• the tenant’s contact details
• the landlord’s contact details
• the letting agent’s contact details
• the type and terms of the tenancy
• details of the rental property, including the type and size (such as number of bedrooms)

Making Housing Benefit decisions

Data we process can include:

• contact details for the person applying for the benefit
• the type and terms of the tenancy or licence
• details of the rental property, including the type and size (such as number of bedrooms)
• the number of people in the household and their relationship to the person applying for the benefit

Our legal basis for processing your data

The legal basis for processing your data is the exercise of official authority. This is part of Article 6 of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).

Who else can provide us with data

The following people and organisations can provide us with data:

• tenants
• landlords
• letting agents
• local councils
• DWP
• professional bodies representing letting agents, property managers and landlords
• publicly available sources
• Valuation Office Agency
• Rent Service Wales

When we share data with third parties

We will not share your data with other parties unless it’s lawful to do so.

When required, we share your data with:

• DWP for the purpose of making decisions about benefit applications
• rent officers in Welsh Government, to carry out their functions
• rent officers in the Valuation Office Agency in England, to carry out their functions
• The Office for National Statistics, for research and statistical purposes

Research and statistical purposes include:

• private rental market statistics
• the Index of Private Housing Rental Prices
• national accounts and measures of inflation

How long we keep your data

We aim to hold your data for only as long as is necessary to undertake our functions. We keep it in line with our retention and disposal policy.

We’ll adhere to any legal or regulatory requirements for keeping or deleting the information.

Your rights

You have the right to request:

• a copy of the personal data about you that we hold
• that anything inaccurate in your personal data is corrected immediately

You can also:

• raise an objection about how your personal data is processed
• request that your personal data is erased if there is no longer a justification for it
• ask that the processing of your personal data is restricted in certain circumstances

Exemptions

There can be exemptions to these rights in some circumstances.

For example, where compliance with a right would likely prejudice the:

• prevention or detection of crime
• apprehension or prosecution of offenders
• assessment or collection of a tax or duty

Contact us or make a complaint

You can contact us to request a copy of data we hold about you or to make a complaint.

Email

rss.dundee@gov.scot

Phone

0300 244 7000
Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.30pm.
Find out about call charges on GOV.UK.

Contacting our Data Protection Officer

You can also email our Data Protection Officer:dpa@gov.scot

Make a complaint to the Information Commissioner

If you’re unhappy with how we’ve used your data, you can make a complaint to the Information Commissioner. This is an independent regulator.

Email

icocasework@ico.org.uk

Phone

Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Textphone: 01625 545860
Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.30pm
Find out about call charges on GOV.UK.

Website

You can also make a complaint on the Information Commissioner’s website.

Changes to this privacy notice

We may change this privacy notice. In that case, the 'last updated' date on this page will change.