This privacy notice explains how the University of Strathclyde will use your personal information and your rights under data protection legislation in relation to the provision of University accommodation. You can find more information about how the University processes your information for other purposes in the Privacy Notice for Students.
It is important that you read this notice prior to providing your information.
Information we collect & use about you
We collect and use identifiable information about you on application forms (to study at the University, for accommodation and/or student parking) and via our accommodation portal including:
- name, Student ID, Student Applicant ID (for example UCAS number), email address(es), phone number, care leaver/estranged status, address information, date of birth, gender, nationality, course and photograph
- details regarding disability and health (this is known as 'special category data' under data protection legislation);
other relevant information you supply to the University which is held on your Student Record - information that you supply via the accommodation portal, for example Forms (early departure request, room change requests and notification of absence), Maintenance Log (to report maintenance issues) and 'Person of Concern' (to report wellbeing, welfare, and flat disputes)
- CCTV images on campus, including outside university student residences
Why we require this information
We will use your personal data to:
- enable you to make an application for accommodation (at any point throughout your time as a student)
- manage your application including assessing your eligibility
- process all aspects of your occupancy agreement, including facilitating your stay and providing relevant support
- flatmate matching
- contact you regarding breaches of the Occupancy Agreement
- manage maintenance or welfare concerns
- support and implement special requirements due to a disability or long terms health condition, including sharing relevant information with the accommodation site team
- share your details with the University’s Disability Service, where you have declared a disability or long-term health condition, if you have consented to this
- ensure that Strathclyde Sport have your details to enable you to take up membership for which you are eligible
- manage and record reported incidents
- provide you with references upon leaving (if requested)
In some cases, we may ask you to provide information relating to your social/family circumstances (for example care leaver, estranged); or your physical or mental health in order to allocate appropriate accommodation or to ensure your wellbeing or safety. You will be asked to provide this information on the application form and/or portal. You are under no obligation to provide this data to us, but if you do not, then we cannot consider any specific needs you may have when processing your application.
Lawful basis
The University requires a lawful basis for processing personal data. In some cases, there may be more than one lawful basis that applies. Most processing in relation to accommodation services is necessary in order to enter into a contract with you or to fulfil the contract between you and the University. We may also have to process your personal information where it is in our legitimate interests to do so, and we believe it will be of interest to you, for example:
- keeping you up to date with offers/opportunities available to residents
- surveying your experience with us as an accommodation provider
- contacting you regarding job opportunities within the University provided accommodation
- informing you of support or wellbeing services and events
When processing special category data, i.e. health data, we will usually ask for your explicit consent to process this information. However, in some situations the processing of medical/health data is necessary to:
- meet our legal obligations
- for reasons of substantial public interest
- to protect the safety and wellbeing of you or someone else
In these situations, we will not require nor seek your explicit consent.
Who we will share your data with
We may share your personal data with other organisations in limited circumstances where it is lawful and legitimate for us to do so, for example:
- other housing providers: if the University is unable to meet the demand for accommodation, we work with approved third-party providers of student accommodation
- Glasgow City Council for electoral registration purposes
- Emergency Services
- debt collection agencies
- selected insurance companies - to provide you with relevant insurance products
We will not transfer your personal data outwith the European Economic Area.
Retention periods
We will retain your personal information in accordance with our published Accommodation Data Retention Schedule.
Your Rights
Under data protection legislation, you have a number of rights* including the right to:
- withdraw consent, at any time, where that is the lawful basis of our processing
- access your personal data and obtain a copy, free of charge
- rectify inaccuracies in personal data that we hold about you
- erasure, that is have your details removed from systems that we use to process your personal data
- restrict the processing in certain ways
- obtain a portable copy of data you have given to us in a commonly used electronic form
- object to certain processing of your personal data by us
*Please note that the ability to exercise these rights will vary and depend on the lawful basis under which the processing is being carried out.
Please contact dataprotection@strath.ac.uk if you wish to exercise/enquire about any of these rights.
Right to complain to supervisory authority
If you wish to make a complaint about how we have handled your personal data, you can contact the Data Protection Officer at dataprotection@strath.ac.uk.
If you are not satisfied with our response or believe we are not processing your personal data in accordance with the law, you also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.