The Residential Services team manages accommodation for students and staff at the University of Southampton. We take your privacy seriously.
We comply with data protection laws and principles. This means that when we collect your information, we’ll:
clearly explain why we’re collecting it
only collect it for valid purposes
only use it for the purposes we tell you about
use it lawfully, fairly and in a transparent way
store it securely
aim to keep it accurate and up to date
only keep it for as long as we need it
This privacy notice tells you what information we collect, how we process it and what your rights are. The General Data Protection Regulation ((EU) 2016/679) (GDPR) states that we must give you this information.
Key terms
‘Data’ means any information that we hold about you. The data we may collect about you is listed below.
‘Processing’ means doing something with your data. This may include collecting, recording, sharing or destroying your data.
Data we collect
When you apply for accommodation, we’ll collect:
data you provided when applying to the University, which can include your:
name
title
address
contact details
next of kin’s contact details
personal email address
telephone numbers
date of birth
gender
any relevant identification numbers, such as:
your University of Southampton ID
your UCAS ID
IDs from third parties that share data with us
your nationality
your programme(s) of study, your offer and enrolment status, and your years of study
records of all contact we have with you
any medical information as required for accommodation purposes
any living preferences as expressed in your accommodation application
the names, contact details and dates of birth of any family members you request to live in your accommodation with you (Couples and Family accommodation applications only)
bank, credit or debit card details secured using SSL technology
information about any criminal convictions
Any data we collect about your criminal convictions will only be used to:
place you in appropriate accommodation
support you in complying with any restrictions placed on you as part of the terms of any sentence
Sensitive personal data
We may also collect more sensitive personal data, known as ‘Special Category Data’. We'll only collect this if it's absolutely necessary and if you give us permission.
If you agree, we may collect information about:
your race
your ethnicity
your religion
any disability or other medical information
any other personal information
You may also be asked for this when you enrol at the University.
Any sensitive personal data you give us will only be used to:
help place you in suitable accommodation
ensure that any adjustments are made so you can live in halls safely and comfortably
ensure a balance of students across our accommodation
ensure meaningful equal opportunity monitoring and reporting
fulfil any legal obligations we have
How we collect your data
We can collect your data from:
you directly
third-party sources you’ve had contact with, such as:
UCAS
University of Southampton systems, services, teams or departments
the Home Office
other accommodation providers
funding organisations such as the Student Loans Company or your sponsor
We’ll look to check that the third-party is legally allowed to share this data with us. We’ll also look to check that they have collected it from you fairly.
Why we collect your data
We collect your data so that we can process your accommodation application. Other University departments may use it for the purposes described in your enrolment privacy notice.
We need data about you to meet our legal requirements. We’ll always tell you why we’re collecting your data, and will only process it for those specific purposes.
The data we collect will let you:
apply for and accept an accommodation contract
receive information about your accommodation, services, opportunities and events
access support services across the University
It will let us:
provide your University accommodation and associated contracts
communicate with you and respond to your queries
ensure a balanced mix of students across our accommodation
provide suitable support for you while you’re in halls, which may include us talking with other parts of the University
provide data for reporting purposes for the University
analyse our student population, so we can anticipate demand for accommodation
We’ll use some of your data to build a profile of you. This helps us offer you suitable accommodation and support. We will not use this to make automated decisions that will have a significant impact on you.
How we share your data
We’ll share your data within the University where needed, so that we can process your accommodation application.
Your data can only be accessed by University staff who strictly need it. They’ll only process it when we tell them to. They must always work within strict confidentiality agreements.
Sharing your data with third parties
If it’s appropriate, we may share the personal data listed in the section 'Data we collect' with:
Third party accommodation providers or our contractors
University of Southampton Students Union
other departments within the University
external agents of the University for debt collection
emergency services, in emergency situations
the Home Office and other bodies, where we’re legally required to do so
the police or other organisations, in connection with the investigation of a potential crime
These third parties must protect your data in the same way that we do. We do not allow them to use your data for their own purposes.
Sometimes we may need to share your data with third parties so we can meet the University’s legal obligations.
On very rare occasions we may share your data with a third party if we need to:
defend the rights, interests or property of the University or third parties
protect the personal safety of University constituents or the public
protect against legal liability
How we store and protect your data
After you’ve applied for accommodation we’ll store your personal data for a period of time.
If you enrol at the University, we’ll store your data while you’re at the University, and for 15 months after you graduate.
If you do not enrol at the University we’ll store your data for 15 months after you apply.
If you enter into a contract for accommodation we’ll store your data for 7 years after that contract ends.
After this period, we’ll destroy or anonymise your data. Our Data Retention Schedule gives more information about how long we store data for.
Why we store your data for these periods
We store your personal data for these periods so that we can:
show that we have not discriminated against candidates
show that we have been fair and transparent when offering accommodation
comply with the Limitations Act 1980
Data breaches
The University has procedures to deal with any suspected data breach. If we suspect a data breach, we’ll notify you and any relevant regulators.
Data accuracy
We’ll aim to keep your data accurate and up to date. You can let us know if the data we hold about you is wrong.
Your data rights
You have a right to:
access and get a copy of the data we hold about you
ask us to change incorrect or incomplete data
ask us to delete or stop processing your data
object to the processing of your data
ask us to stop processing data for a period of time
