Privacy Notice

Effective date: 1st January 2026
Version: 1.0 (UK)

1. Introduction

This Privacy Notice explains how we collect and use your personal data when you use www.homebuyingsellingcouncil.co.uk (the “Website”), join our community, access the Home Moving Reform Toolkit, register for events, or otherwise interact with us.

By providing your data, you confirm you are over 16 years of age.

Data Controller: Designs on Property Ltd /Home Buying & Selling Council  (“HBSC”, “we”, “us”, “our”).

Data Controller

Until the Home Buying and Selling Council is incorporated as a Community Interest Company (CIC), Designs on Property Ltd (Company No. 05294873) acts as the data controller for all personal data collected via this website.

Personal data is processed in accordance with applicable UK data protection legislation.

When the HBSC CIC is established, data controllership arrangements will be reviewed and this Privacy Policy will be updated as necessary.

Please keep your details up to date and let us know of any changes at [email protected]

2. The data we collect, why we use it, and our lawful bases

 

“Personal data” means information that identifies or can identify you. We may collect and process:

  • Communication Data (emails, contact-form messages, social messages).
    Purpose: to respond, keep records, and manage/defend claims.
    Lawful basis: Legitimate interests (running our organisation and responding to you).

  • Account & Profile Data (name, organisation, role, email, password hash, profile info in the HBSC community).
    Purpose: to create/manage your account and community access.
    Lawful basis: Contract (to provide services you request).

  • Customer/Transaction Data (name, email, billing details, purchase history, event registrations).
    Purpose: to supply digital resources, memberships, and events; to maintain records.
    Lawful basis: Contract and legal obligation (tax records).

  • Event Participation Data (RSVPs, attendance, preferences, accessibility needs you choose to share).
    Purpose: to run events, send joining links, and follow-up resources/feedback.
    Lawful basis: Contract and legitimate interests (effective events).
    Note: Please avoid sharing health data unless necessary; if you do, we will rely on your explicit consent to process it for the stated purpose.

  • User-Generated Content (posts/comments in the HBSC community).
    Purpose: to operate the community and moderate content in line with our rules.
    Lawful basis: Legitimate interests (safe and effective community).

  • Technical & Usage Data (IP address, device, browser type, pages visited, time on page, referrals).
    Purpose: to secure our Website, improve content, and measure performance.
    Lawful basis: Legitimate interests (website operation, security, improvements).

  • Marketing Preferences (your choices about receiving updates).
    Purpose: to send HBSC news, resources, and event updates that may interest you.
    Lawful basis: Consent (where required by PECR) or legitimate interests (B2B context), with the ability to opt out at any time.

We do not carry out automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

If we need to use your data for a new purpose compatible with the original purpose, we will explain the legal basis. If incompatible, we will ask for your consent or explain our lawful basis.

If a law or a contract requires certain data and you don’t provide it, we may be unable to deliver the relevant service.

 

3. How we collect data

  • Directly from you (forms, registrations, emails, community posts, support requests).

  • Automatically via cookies/analytics when you use the Website (see Cookies below).

  • From service providers that support our Website, payments, analytics, and email.

  • From publicly available sources (e.g., Companies House) where relevant to our purposes.

     

4. Marketing communications (PECR)

We may send you HBSC updates:

  • with your consent, or

  • under legitimate interests (e.g., in a B2B context or “soft opt-in” after a related purchase), in line with the UK Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).

You can opt out at any time via the unsubscribe link in our emails or by emailing [email protected]. Opting out of marketing does not affect essential service emails (e.g., transactional or account notices).

 

5. Disclosures of your personal data

We share data only as necessary with trusted recipients, including:

  • IT/hosting and community platform providers (e.g., Kajabi),

  • Email and marketing tools (e.g., Brevo),

  • Analytics/security providers (e.g., Google),

  • Event and video providers (e.g., Google Meet, Microsoft Teams),

  • Professional advisers (lawyers, accountants, insurers),

  • Regulators and authorities (where required),

  • Successors or acquirers in the event of a reorganisation.

We require recipients to protect your data and use it only under our instructions.

 

6. International transfers

Some providers are located outside the UK (for example, in the US or EEA). Where we transfer your data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, the UK-US data bridge, or standard contractual clauses, so that your data remains protected to UK standards. You can ask us for details of current safeguards.

 

7. Data security

We use technical and organisational measures to protect your data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, or disclosure. Access is limited to people with a business need and subject to confidentiality obligations. We maintain and test incident response procedures and will notify you and/or regulators of a personal data breach where legally required.

 

8. Data retention

We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this Notice (including legal, accounting, or reporting requirements).
For tax purposes, we keep basic customer records for six years after you cease being a customer. We may anonymise data for research/statistics; anonymised data is not personal data and may be used indefinitely.

 

9. Your rights

You have rights under UK data protection law, including to request:

  • access to your data,

  • correction of inaccurate data,

  • erasure in certain cases,

  • restriction of processing,

  • data portability, and

  • to object to processing (particularly where we rely on legitimate interests or for direct marketing).

Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

To exercise your rights, email [email protected] We may need to verify your identity. We aim to respond within one month and may extend this for complex or multiple requests.

You can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk. We’d appreciate the chance to resolve concerns first—please contact us.

 

10. Third-party links

Our Website may link to third-party sites, plugins, or applications. Those sites are not controlled by us, and their privacy notices apply. We encourage you to read their privacy information before using them.

 

11. Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to run the Website, remember preferences, and understand how people use HBSC content. You can control cookies in your browser settings. Some features may not work properly without essential cookies.

For details, see our Cookie Policy.

 

12. Changes to this Notice

We may update this Notice from time to time. The “Effective date” and “Version” at the top show when it last changed. Significant changes will be highlighted on the Website or notified by email if appropriate.

 

Contact: Designs on Property Ltd.
Controller: [email protected]

Provenance: Based on a UK website privacy notice template we lawfully obtained and adapted for HBSC’s operations, with all template notes removed and content tailored to UK GDPR/PECR and current HBSC tooling.