In this policy, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Tŷ Surveys Ltd.
2. The information we collect
Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect and process:
your name, address, telephone number and email address;
the address and details of the property being inspected;
information supplied when requesting a quotation or instructing us;
purchase details and information relevant to the service requested;
access arrangements and contact details for estate agents, vendors, occupiers or other representatives;
correspondence, telephone notes and records of discussions;
inspection notes, measurements, plans, photographs and videos;
reports, advice and other documents produced as part of our services;
invoicing, payment and transaction information;
information relating to complaints, claims or enquiries;
technical website information, including your IP address, browser, device, pages visited and how you use our website; and
any other information you choose to provide to us.
We do not normally request special-category personal information, such as medical or health information. Where you voluntarily provide such information—for example, to explain an accessibility requirement—we will only use it where reasonably necessary.
3. How we obtain information
We may receive information:
directly from you;
through our website enquiry or quotation forms;
by telephone, email or other correspondence;
from estate agents, vendors, occupiers, solicitors, mortgage advisers or other people involved in a property transaction;
from publicly accessible sources, including property listings, planning records, environmental information and Land Registry information;
from referral and quotation platforms through which you request our services; and
automatically through cookies and similar website technologies.
Where another person provides us with your information, they should ensure they are entitled to do so.
4. How and why we use your information
We may use your personal information for the following purposes.
Responding to enquiries and providing quotations
We use your information to understand the service you require, assess whether we can accept the instruction and provide a quotation.
Our lawful basis is that the processing is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract and, where appropriate, our legitimate interest in responding to business enquiries.
Providing surveying services
We use your information to:
arrange access to the property;
undertake inspections and relevant research;
prepare reports and advice;
communicate our findings;
provide follow-up advice; and
manage our professional relationship with you.
Our lawful basis is that the processing is necessary to perform our contract with you.
Operating and administering our business
We use information to maintain records, issue invoices, process payments, manage appointments, maintain security and improve our services.
Our lawful basis is the performance of our contract, compliance with legal obligations and our legitimate interests in operating an efficient and secure business.
Meeting legal and professional obligations
We may use or retain information to comply with requirements imposed by law, HM Revenue & Customs, RICS, our professional indemnity insurer or another competent regulatory or professional body.
Our lawful basis is compliance with a legal obligation and our legitimate interest in meeting professional and regulatory requirements.
Managing complaints and legal claims
We may use information to investigate complaints, obtain advice, respond to claims and establish, exercise or defend our legal rights.
Our lawful basis is our legitimate interest in protecting our business and professional position and, where applicable, compliance with legal or regulatory obligations.
Website operation and analytics
We use technical information to operate and protect the website, understand how visitors use it and improve its content.
Necessary website functions are used where required to provide and secure the website. Analytics and other non-essential technologies are used only where the required consent has been obtained.
Marketing
We may send information about our services where you have consented or where the law otherwise allows us to do so. You may ask us to stop sending marketing communications at any time.
Service-related communications, including quotation, appointment, payment and report messages, are not marketing communications.
5. Sharing your information
We may share relevant information with:
Squarespace, which hosts and operates our website;
email, cloud-storage, customer-management, booking and survey-reporting providers;
payment processors and banking providers;
accountants, auditors, solicitors and other professional advisers;
professional indemnity insurers and insurance advisers;
RICS and other regulatory or professional bodies;
estate agents, vendors, occupiers and other parties where necessary to arrange access or deliver the instructed service;
contractors or specialist consultants where you have authorised their involvement;
law-enforcement agencies, courts, regulators or public authorities where disclosure is required or permitted by law; and
a purchaser or successor in the event of a sale, transfer or reorganisation of our business.
We only share information that is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose. Service providers acting on our behalf are required to protect personal information and use it only for the services they provide to us.
We do not sell personal information.
6. Property photographs and inspection records
Our inspections may involve taking photographs or videos of a property and its contents where these are relevant to the service.
We aim to avoid unnecessarily photographing people, personal documents or unrelated possessions. However, personal belongings may occasionally appear incidentally in inspection images.
These records form part of the professional survey file and may be retained for regulatory, insurance and legal purposes.
7. International transfers
Some of our technology and service providers may store or process information outside the United Kingdom.
Where personal information is transferred internationally, we require an appropriate legal protection to be in place. This may include UK adequacy regulations, contractual protections approved under UK data-protection law or another legally recognised safeguard.
Further information about safeguards used by a particular provider can be requested using the contact details in this policy.
8. How long we retain information
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.
Our normal retention periods are:
Survey and professional service files: up to 15 years after completion of the service or the date of any subsequent advice;
Financial and accounting information: generally six years after the end of the relevant financial year;
Enquiries that do not result in an instruction: normally up to two years after the last communication;
Complaints and claims: for as long as necessary to resolve the matter and meet legal, regulatory or insurance requirements;
Marketing information: until you withdraw your consent or object to its use; and
Website and cookie information: for the periods described in our Cookie Policy or cookie-preference tool.
We may retain information for longer where required by law, our insurer, a regulatory requirement or an actual or reasonably anticipated legal claim.
9. Information security
We use appropriate technical and organisational measures intended to protect personal information against accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or destruction.
Access is limited to people and service providers who reasonably require the information for the purposes described in this policy.
No internet, email or electronic-storage system can be guaranteed as completely secure. You should avoid sending particularly sensitive information through an unsecured channel.
10. Your data-protection rights
Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:
request access to the personal information we hold about you;
ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
request deletion of your information;
ask us to restrict how your information is used;
object to processing based on legitimate interests;
object to direct marketing at any time;
request the transfer of certain information to you or another organisation;
withdraw consent where processing is based on consent; and
complain about how we have used your information.
These rights are not absolute and may be limited where we have a legal, professional, regulatory or insurance-related reason to retain or continue using information.
We will not normally charge a fee for responding to a valid request. We may ask for information to confirm your identity before acting on it.
Please contact us first if you have concerns about how we use your information so that we can try to resolve the matter.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK regulator for data protection.
12. Cookies
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies. Necessary cookies support the security and operation of the website. Non-essential cookies, including analytics cookies, will only be used in accordance with your cookie choices.
Further details are provided in our Cookie Policy. You can change your choices through the Cookie Settings control displayed on the website.
13. Third-party websites
Our website may contain links to websites operated by other organisations. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, security or content of those websites.
You should review the privacy information provided by the relevant third party before providing personal information.
14. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when our services, technology providers or legal obligations change.
The latest version will be published on this website and the date at the top of the policy will be updated.
15. Contact us
Questions about this policy or our use of personal information should be sent to:
Tŷ Surveys Ltd Dalton House 35 Chester Street Wrexham Wales LL13 8AH
