Do you share our information with third parties?

In particular, please be aware that we have duty to share your current or forwarding addresses with utility companies and council tax offices to ensure billing details are correct and that debts are collected. If you default upon any tenancy/license conditions, information about you and people who reside or visit you may be provided to third parties such as police, social services, council tax and local authorities if there is a potential of you losing your home. We have legitimate grounds to share this information and shall do so fairly, lawfully and securely.

We may also share your information with debt recovery agencies if you leave owing us a debt. This may affect future applications for tenancies, credit and insurance. We may discuss your financial situation, rent payments (including any arrears) and any claims made for welfare benefits with an external debt advice agency, welfare rights advisor, the housing benefit department or the local authority’s housing advice and homeless prevention team to make sure that benefits are paid correctly.

We may have to share information where we believe there is a serious risk to your own or somebody else’s health or well-being.

We also have some special sharing information arrangements in place. For our general needs and sheltered housing tenants, this includes sharing details of your tenancy and rent payment information with the credit referencing agency Experian. This is to help to provide you with a credit reference and online identitity. You will be provided with details of this scheme at the start of your tenancy and will be given the opportunity to ‘opt out’ if you do not wish your information to be shared in this way. The aim of the scheme is to ensure that should you need to do so you will be more able to borrow money from responsible lenders. There may be ‘markers’ put on to your Experian record for approved lenders to see, this is to enable lenders to lend responsibly and ensure they carry out affordability tests when required.