PRIVACY POLICY
Eastcoast Housing collects and stores all client information in accordance with The Health Records Act and the Information Privacy Act.
Eastcoast Housing must abide by these two acts when collecting, using, disclosing and storing any personal information.
Eastcoast Housing collects the following types of personal information names, ages, gender, Centrelink details, contact information and financial details of all members of a household applying for housing with us.
We also collect this information from individuals and families living in Eastcoast Housing managed properties.
We ask for your contact details to assist in arranging maintenance work.
The information is collected from and with the consent of the person(s) named on the Reisdenatl Rental Agreement.
The information is put on your application or Residency file and stored in a locked cabinet in a secure office or on a secured computer. Only waged staff (and occasionally in a crisis Board members) have access to this information and these files.
As professional property managers, we collect your personal information to assess the risk in providing you with the lease/residency of premises managed by us, and if the risk is considered acceptable, to provide you with lease/residency of a property. To carry out this role, and during the term of your Residential Rental Agreement, we may disclose personal information to:
- Referees you may have nominated
- Emergency Contact persons you may have nominated
- Organisations/Tradespeople required to carry out maintenance to the premises
- Residential Tenancies Tribunals/Courts
- Collection Agents
- Other Real Estate Agents and Landlords
Secondary Purposes
We also collect information to:
- Enable us, to prepare the lease/Renter documents for the property
- Allow organisations/tradespeople to contact you in relation to maintenance matters relating to the property
- Refer to Tribunals, Courts and statutory Authorities (where necessary)
- Financial Institutions
- Support Agencies (where nominated by you)
- Refer to Collection Agents, Lawyers (where default/Enforcement action is required)
- Provide confirmation details for organisations contacting us on your behalf ie. Banks, Utilities (Gas, Phone, Electricity, Water), Employers etc.
If your personal information is not provided to us, and you do not consent to the uses to which we put your personal information, we cannot properly carry out our duties and responsibilities as professional property managers. Consequently, we then cannot provide you with a lease/or the renewal of a current lease/renter agreement for one of the properties managed by Eastcoast Housing Association. Information you provide to us may be disclosed to a third party without your consent where we believe there is a possible health and/or safety issue to you or others. We can also be required to disclose information to certain organisations such as Centrelink, ASIO, and other Government Organisations if they make a request in writing and quote the relevant Act that enables them to collect such information. All such decisions of disclosure would be made in consultation with our Managing Director.
Your Consent:
The information Eastcoast Housing Association collects about you can only be used for the purposes which it was collected or if you give your consent for it to be used for some other purpose. “Consent” must be specific and given freely after you’ve been informed about what you’re consenting to.
Your Rights:
Your rights related to privacy include:
- The right to refuse to provide personal information (although this may have implications on the level of service/ assistance we can offer you),
- The right to gain access to the personal information held about you,
- The right to make corrections to any incorrect information held about you,
- the right to be assured that any personal information we hold about you will be collected and stored in a secure and safe environment and will also be protected from loss and misuse,
- The right to be asked for your consent prior to any personal information being used for any purpose other than that for which it was originally collected,
- The right to know what will happen to your information (who has access to it, where it is kept, why it is collected).
Accessing Information:
You have the right to access your personal information that we hold, and you have the right to correct or update this information at any time.
If you wish to access your file please put your request in writing to the Managing Director at Eastcoast Housing, PO Box 728, Moe 3825. Simply state what you would like a copy of, where you would like the documentation sent and an acknowledgement that the information is being provided at your request.
The request must be signed by the person(s) who is named on the application or renter file. We will try to respond to your request speedily. If access is denied you will be told why in writing.
What To Do If You Believe Your Privacy Has Been Breached:
If you believe that your privacy has been breached, or that you’ve been denied access to your information unreasonably, you should put your complaint in writing to the Board of Management. If you are dissatisfied with the Board’s response you can contact one of the following for advice and assistance:
Victorian Privacy Commissioner
121 Exhibition Street
Melbourne, 3000
Ph: 1300 666 444
Email: privacy@cpdp.vic.gov.au
Website: https://www.cpdp.vic.gov.au/
Health Services Commissioner
30th Floor, 570 Bourke Street
Melbourne, 3000
Ph: 1300 582 113
Email: hcc@hcc.vic.gov.au
Website: https://hcc.vic.gov.au/
Online complaints form: https://hcc.vic.gov.au/make-complaint
Both Commissioners have the powers to investigate matters in relation to privacy disputes and they have the capacity to serve compliance notices and impose penalty units if a privacy breach is proven. For more information call the Managing Director or the Residental Administration Workers on 5127 7160.
10.1 2018 Renter Information – Privacy