Last updated: 22 October 2026
This policy explains how Social Housing Connect collects, uses and protects personal information when you use our website, join our membership or waiting list, use our Member Portal, or work with us as a landlord, investor or housing provider.
1. Who we are
Social Housing Connect Ltd (“SHC”, “we”, “us”) is the controller of the personal information described in this policy.
- Company number: 17030395 (registered in England and Wales)
- Registered office: Unit 27 Trent South Industrial Park, Nottingham, NG2 4EQ
- ICO registration number: ZC281167
- Contact: Jessica Garner, socialhousingconnect@gmail.com, 07791 801065
2. Who this policy covers
Landlords and property investors (including members and people on our waiting list), housing, supported living and care providers and their staff, people who contact us through our website, email, phone or social media, and visitors to our website.
3. The information we collect
- Contact details: your name, email address, phone number, postal address and postcode, and the organisation you work for.
- Membership details: the plan you choose, your agreement to our Terms and Conditions, your membership status, and any documents you sign with us (such as our Non-Disclosure Agreement).
- Payment information: membership payments are collected by GoCardless. We do not see or store your full bank details. We receive confirmation of your payments and a payment reference.
- Property information: addresses, photos, floor plans, specifications, documents and any other details you send us or upload about a property.
- Provider information: contact details for provider staff and the details of the accommodation they are looking for.
- Member Portal account: your sign-in email address, your password (stored encrypted, so we cannot see it), when you last signed in, the properties, enquiries and call requests you send us, and your email preferences.
- Communications: emails, messages, call notes and any other correspondence with us.
- Technical information: your IP address, browser type and the pages you visit, collected by our website for security and to keep it working.
We do not ask for sensitive information (such as health information) about you. Provider requirements describe client groups in general terms only. Please do not send us personal information about the people a provider supports.
4. How we use your information and our lawful basis
| What we use it for | Lawful basis |
|---|---|
| Setting up and running your membership and Member Portal account | Contract |
| Taking payments and managing your membership, including cancellations | Contract, and legal obligation (keeping financial records) |
| Sharing provider requirements with members and matching properties with providers | Contract (members) and legitimate interests (providers and other business contacts) |
| Introducing landlords and providers where a property may meet a requirement | Contract and legitimate interests, and only with your agreement |
| Replying to enquiries and requests for a call | Legitimate interests, or taking steps at your request before entering a contract |
| Emailing members about new requirements and portal updates | Contract (you can turn off new requirement emails on your “My account” page) |
| Sending waiting list updates and news about our services | Consent (you can unsubscribe at any time) |
| Protecting confidential information shared under an NDA | Contract and legitimate interests |
| Keeping our website and portal secure and working properly | Legitimate interests |
| Meeting our legal and regulatory obligations | Legal obligation |
5. Who we share your information with
- Housing, supported living and care providers: if you ask us to put your property forward, we share the property details and the contact details needed for the provider to consider it. We do this only with your agreement. Requirements shared with our members do not name the provider.
- Service providers who work on our behalf: our website hosting provider and website developer, GoCardless (payments), Jotform (online forms and e-signatures) and Google (email and website tools). They may only use your information to provide their service to us. GoCardless also acts as a controller for some payment information under its own privacy notice.
- Professional advisers such as accountants, lawyers and insurers, where needed.
- Authorities and regulators where we are required to by law.
We never sell your personal information.
6. International transfers
Some of our service providers (such as Google, Jotform and GoCardless) may store or process information outside the UK. Where this happens, we make sure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as UK adequacy regulations or the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or Addendum.
7. How long we keep your information
- Membership and Member Portal information: for as long as you are a member, and up to 12 months after your membership ends.
- Payment and financial records: 6 years from the end of the financial year they relate to, as required by HMRC.
- Enquiries from non-members: up to 2 years from our last contact.
- Waiting list: until you join, ask to be removed, or 12 months after our membership launches, whichever comes first.
- Property details: while they are relevant to matching with providers, and no more than 2 years from our last contact, unless you ask us to delete them sooner.
8. Your rights
You have the right to:
- ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you;
- ask us to correct information that is wrong or incomplete;
- ask us to delete your information;
- ask us to limit how we use your information;
- object to us using your information, including for direct marketing at any time;
- ask us to transfer your information to you or another organisation;
- withdraw your consent at any time, where we rely on consent.
To use any of these rights, email socialhousingconnect@gmail.com. It is free, and we will reply within one month. We do not make decisions about you using solely automated processes.
9. Cookies
Our website uses essential cookies to keep you signed in to the Member Portal, remember your choices on forms, and keep the website secure. These are needed for the website to work, so they cannot be switched off. We do not currently use advertising or analytics cookies. If that changes, we will update this policy and ask for your consent first.
10. Keeping your information safe
Our website uses an encrypted (HTTPS) connection, Member Portal passwords are stored encrypted, and access to your information is limited to people who need it to run our services.
11. Children
Our services are for adults and businesses. They are not intended for anyone under 18.
12. Other websites
Our website links to other websites, such as GoCardless and Jotform. Their privacy policies apply when you use them.
13. Complaints
If you have a concern about how we use your information, please contact us first and we will do our best to put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint, or call 0303 123 1113.
14. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be on this page, with the date it was last updated at the top.