This privacy notice explains when and why we collect personal information about you when you apply for and/or are provided with accommodation managed by us and how we will use this information including the ways we might share this with others.  It also explains how we keep your information secure and the rights you have in relation to the information we hold about you. 

We collect and use your information for the following purposes:

Purpose 1a: Application for and/or provision of University Managed Accommodation

We collect and use your information to: 

• Record details of your initial interaction with the University accommodation team.
• Assess and manage your accommodation application.
• Manage issues related to the terms and conditions of the Accommodation Licence Agreement for students who become residents and to investigate when it is suspected a breach has occurred. This includes:
  • Behavioural issues
  • Pursuit of accommodation fees
• Provide advice and support to you, including providing information about the provision of accommodation services.
• Ensure the security of our halls of residence which may include the use of CCTV.  Additional information on the use of CCTV at BNU is available in the Privacy notice for CCTV

Purpose 1b:  Application for Accommodation (Criminal Convictions)

• Record details of any criminal convictions which are relevant to the provision of university managed accommodation.

Purpose 2: Provision of support services for University managed accommodation.

We collect and use your information to: 

• Provide additional support services for those who wish to receive it, including disability services and any reasonable adjustments required under Equalities legislation.
• Fulfil statutory obligations related to disability, protected characteristics, and other priority groups. 
• Providing health and wellbeing support.
• To protect your vital interests e.g., in an emergency situation.

Purpose 3: Administration of accommodation fees.

We collect and use your information to: 

• Administer and collect payment of accommodation fees.

The legal bases that we use in order to legally process the information you provide to us when you apply for and/or are provided with accommodation managed by us is:

Contract Article 6 (1)(b). The Purpose is necessary for the performance of a contract with you or to take steps, at your request, before entering into such a contract. This is the contract between the University and its clients to provide products and/or services in relation to accommodation.

This legal basis will be used to achieve the following purposes:

• Purpose 1a: Application for and/or provision of university managed accommodation
• Purpose 1b: Application for accommodation (Criminal Convictions)
• Purpose 2: Provision of support services for University managed accommodation
• Purpose 3: Administration of accommodation fees.

Special Category Data

Provision of support services for accommodation users

As part of your application you may disclose sensitive personal data. This data will be used for the purposes of support and protection as required under the university’s statutory obligations as enacted in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and Equality Act 2010. 

Our legal reason for using this special category data, where you provide it to us, is as follows:

Special Category Data is collected under the lawful basis of contract and the additional condition as described by UK GDPR Article 9(2)(e) having being made public by yourself during an application.

Processing of criminal convictions in relation to an application for accommodation is collected under the lawful basis of contract and the additional condition as described in the Data Protection 2018 Schedule 1, Part 4, Paragraph 39.

Data collected at enrolment will be used for the purposes of assessing your eligibility to apply for accommodation and managing your application. Further personal data will be collected during the application process.

The personal information we collect includes:

• Personal contact details, including address, email, and telephone numbers.
• Date of birth.
• Next of kin and emergency contact details
• Your course and level of study

We will also ask for some ‘special category data’. This is personal information which is more sensitive. We will ask you about your:

• Your race, ethnicity and religion
• Your gender
• Health data including details of injuries, disabilities, etc. 
• Relevant criminal convictions

Most of the information above will have been provided by you and will have been collected through the application process.

We may collect information from the BNU Inclusion Team which includes data relating to health and/or disability in order to ensure appropriate reasonable adjustments are in place

The above lists is not exhaustive but are indicative of the main types of personal information processed by the University about you.

Your personal information will be shared with the organisations listed below. Any information will be disclosed in accordance with the provisions and obligations of the Data Protection Act. Please note this is not an exhaustive list and your data may also be shared in accordance with the wider university privacy notices which can be accessed at https://www.bucks.ac.uk/data-protection

We may transfer your personal data outside the UK in the following circumstances:

Where we use a cloud-based IT system which may hold your data, and the data in the cloud is stored on servers located outside the UK in a country which is not subject to an adequacy decision. In these circumstances we safeguard your data through undertaking appropriate checks on the levels of security offered by the cloud provider and entering into a contract with them which applies protections of the same type and level required by data protection laws within the UK.

Your data will be retained in accordance with the Records Retention Schedule; a summary of which can be accessed at https://bnu.ac.uk/policies.

The following rights apply to the personal data collected in this notice. Please contact dpofficer@bnu.ac.uk if you wish to exercise your rights: 

• Right of access to confirmation of processing and copies of your personal data 
• Right to rectification if personal data we hold about you is incorrect 
• Right to restrict processing of your personal data 
• Right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office about how we handle your data. 

In some circumstances you also have the following rights: 

• Right to object to our processing of your personal data 
• Right to request erasure of your personal data (deletion) 
• Right to data portability

If you have any concerns with regards to the way your personal data is being processed or have a query about this Notice, you can contact the Data Protection Officer directly by e-mail dpofficer@bnu.ac.uk or by post. 

Data Protection Officer
Buckinghamshire New University
Queen Alexandra Road
High Wycombe 
Buckinghamshire
HP11 2JZ 

If you remain unhappy then you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioners Office: 

Information Commissioner’s Office 
Wycliffe House 
Water Lane 
Wilmslow
Cheshire  
SK9 5AF 

https://ico.org.uk 

BNU is registered as a controller with the Information Commissioner’s Office. Our registration number is: Z772474X

We review our privacy notices on an annual basis or more regularly if required. This notice was last reviewed on 27 August 2024.