Warwick Accommodation Privacy Notice

This privacy notice applies to individuals applying for, residing in, or otherwise engaging with Warwick Accommodation services (“you” and “your”) at the University of Warwick (“Warwick”, “UoW”, “us”, “we” and “our”). It explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal data in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK GDPR (“data protection law”).

Please note that this notice is for informational purposes only and does not form part of any accommodation contract or other agreement between you and the University.

What personal data do we collect and use?

As part of our relationship with you, we may collect, store, and process a range of personal data. This includes, but is not limited to:

Full name, title, date of birth, gender, home address, telephone numbers, and email addresses
Nationality, domicile, immigration status, visa information, and Right to Rent documentation
Student identification numbers and application reference numbers
Course, department, programme, academic status, period of study, and mode of attendance
Accommodation application details, including accommodation preferences, hobbies/interests, and additional information provided within your application
Bank account details, payment information, and accommodation fee records
Health, disability, accessibility, and welfare-related information relevant to accommodation requirements
Records relating to complaints, disciplinary matters, incidents, appeals, or investigations
CCTV footage and data collected from access systems (e.g. swipe/ID cards and accommodation access records)
Information relating to your use of university accommodation facilities, services, systems, and communication platforms
Correspondence and communications between you and the University regarding accommodation matters
Employment-related information, including department, job title, employment status, employment duration, Warwick ID number and other information relevant to eligibility for staff accommodation
Information relating to family members, dependants and other proposed occupants of accommodation, including names, dates of birth, nationality, relationship to the applicant and accommodation requirements

We may also collect and use more sensitive personal data where necessary, including:

Information about your race or ethnicity, religious beliefs, or other equality and diversity information
Health-related information, including medical conditions, disabilities, wellbeing information, or accessibility requirements
Criminal convictions and offences where relevant to safeguarding, security, legal obligations, or accommodation eligibility

In some cases, you are legally or contractually required to provide specific personal data. Failure to provide this information may prevent us from offering accommodation, administering your accommodation agreement, or meeting our legal obligations.

How do we obtain your personal data?

The University of Warwick collects personal data relating to accommodation applicants and residents directly from you, through the accommodation application and allocation process, student registration processes, communications with university staff, and your use of accommodation services and facilities.

Personal data may also be obtained from:

UCAS
The Home Office and UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
Student Finance bodies or sponsors
Other University departments and professional services
Third-party accommodation providers and approved landlords
CCTV systems, access control systems, and other security measures
Emergency contacts, healthcare professionals, or support services where appropriate

We may also collect additional personal data throughout the duration of your accommodation agreement and wider engagement with the University.

How do we use your personal data and which legal bases do we rely on?

Purpose	Lawful Basis
To process and administer accommodation applications.	Performance of contract.
To assess eligibility for accommodation and allocate accommodation places.	Performance of a contract.
To operate automated accommodation matching or allocation processes, subject to appropriate human oversight.	Performance of a contract and/or legitimate interests.
To communicate with you regarding accommodation applications, allocations, payments, maintenance, wellbeing, and related matters	Performance of a contract and/or legitimate interests.
To administer accommodation agreements and associated services.	Performance of a contract.
To process accommodation fees, deposits, refunds, and related financial transactions.	Performance of a contract and/or compliance with a legal obligation.
To provide support and make reasonable adjustments in relation to health, disability, accessibility, or welfare requirements.	Explicit consent, substantial public interest, vital interests, and/or compliance with a legal obligation.
To liaise with relevant University departments and support services to facilitate accommodation-related support.	Performance of a contract, vital interests, and/or legitimate interests.
To manage complaints, incidents, disciplinary matters, appeals, disputes, or investigations.	Performance of a contract, compliance with a legal obligation, and/or legitimate interests.
To maintain the safety, welfare, and security of residents, staff, visitors, and University property.	Compliance with a legal obligation and/or legitimate interests.
To conduct surveillance via CCTV and monitor access to accommodation buildings for security, safeguarding, and incident investigation purposes.	Legitimate interests and/or compliance with a legal obligation.
To monitor compliance with accommodation terms and conditions, University regulations, and health and safety requirements.	Performance of a contract, compliance with a legal obligation, and/or legitimate interests.
To provide postal, facilities management, cleaning, maintenance, and operational accommodation services.	Performance of a contract and/or legitimate interests.
Business management and planning, including accounting, auditing, reporting, and operational analysis.	Compliance with a legal obligation and/or legitimate interests of sound management of the business of the University.
To prevent fraud, misuse of accommodation services, or unauthorised access to University facilities.	Compliance with a legal obligation and/or legitimate interests.
To conduct research, service improvement activities, and statistical analysis where there is no direct impact on individuals.	Legitimate interests.
To enable the University to deal with requests under Freedom of Information legislation, Environmental Information Regulations, or data protection legislation.	Compliance with a legal obligation.
To manage room inspections, inventory checks, and end-of-tenancy processes.	Performance of a contract and/or legitimate interests.
To administer room moves, extensions, early departures, and changes to accommodation arrangements.	Performance of a contract.
To coordinate maintenance requests, repairs, and contractor visits within accommodation residences.	Performance of a contract and/or legitimate interests.
To manage access to accommodation buildings, communal areas, and residence facilities.	Legitimate interests and/or compliance with a legal obligation.
To investigate breaches of accommodation terms and conditions or alleged misconduct within residences.	Performance of a contract, legitimate interests, and/or compliance with a legal obligation.
To support community living, resident engagement, and welfare initiatives within accommodation residences.	Legitimate interests.
To facilitate emergency evacuations, welfare checks, and critical incident responses within accommodation settings.	Vital interests and/or compliance with a legal obligation.
To administer guarantor arrangements and recover outstanding accommodation-related debts.	Performance of a contract and/or legitimate interests.
To manage lost property, abandoned belongings, and uncollected items within accommodation residences.	Legitimate interests.
To verify occupancy, residency status, and entitlement to accommodation services.	Performance of a contract and/or compliance with a legal obligation.
To coordinate arrival, departure, and check-in/check-out processes.	Performance of a contract.
To administer temporary or vacation accommodation arrangements.	Performance of a contract.
To manage accommodation capacity, occupancy planning, and operational forecasting.	Legitimate interests.
To monitor and manage health and safety compliance within residences, including fire safety requirements.	Compliance with a legal obligation.
To communicate important operational updates relating to accommodation services, facilities, or disruptions.	Legitimate interests and/or performance of a contract.
To administer resident feedback, surveys, and service evaluation activities.	Legitimate interests.
To establish, exercise, or defend legal claims relating to accommodation matters.	Legitimate interests and/or compliance with a legal obligation.
To administer guest, visitor, and temporary resident access within accommodation residences.	Legitimate interests and/or performance of a contract.
To manage key issuance, replacement, and access credential administration.	Performance of a contract and/or legitimate interests.
To coordinate cleaning schedules, waste management, and communal area operations.	Legitimate interests and/or performance of a contract.
To monitor compliance with fire safety, evacuation, and residence emergency procedures.	Compliance with a legal obligation.
To support incident reporting and follow-up relating to damage, nuisance, antisocial behaviour, or welfare concerns.	Legitimate interests and/or compliance with a legal obligation.
To administer compensation, reimbursement, or insurance-related requests connected to accommodation services.	Performance of a contract and/or legitimate interests.
To coordinate contractor and supplier access to accommodation buildings and residences.	Legitimate interests and/or compliance with a legal obligation.
To manage mailroom, parcel collection, and delivery services within residences.	Legitimate interests and/or performance of a contract.
To support equality, diversity, and accessibility planning in relation to accommodation services and facilities.	Substantial public interest and/or legitimate interests.
To facilitate student transition, induction, and arrival support activities linked to accommodation services.	Legitimate interests and/or performance of a contract.
To provide digital accommodation platforms, mobile applications, portals, or self-service tools.	Performance of a contract and/or legitimate interests.
To investigate suspected misuse of accommodation facilities, services, or University property.	Legitimate interests and/or compliance with a legal obligation.
To support internal audits, governance reviews, and regulatory compliance activities relating to accommodation operations.	Compliance with a legal obligation and/or legitimate interests.
To manage operational communications during emergencies, severe weather, utility outages, or other disruptions affecting residences.	Vital interests, legitimate interests, and/or compliance with a legal obligation.
To safeguard vulnerable individuals (e.g. children and vulnerable adults) and support welfare interventions involving residents where appropriate, including during periods of significant risk, vulnerability, or welfare concern.	Vital interests and/or Recognised Legitimate Interests.
To protect public/national security and defence (e.g. measures to help prevent harm and support safety).	Recognised Legitimate Interests.
Emergency response (e.g. where there is a need to act in relation to events or situations that pose a threat or risk to human welfare and/or the environment).	Vital interests and/or Recognised Legitimate Interests.
To detect, investigate or prevent crime, or apprehend or prosecute offenders.	Recognised Legitimate Interests.
To assist public bodies and bodies carrying out public tasks.	Recognised Legitimate Interests.

In certain circumstances, the UoW may seek your written consent to process particularly sensitive data. If this occurs, UoW will provide you with comprehensive details regarding the information required and the reasons for its collection, allowing you to make an informed decision about whether or not to grant your consent.

Should you choose to provide consent for the collection, processing, and transfer of your personal data for a specific purpose, you retain the right to withdraw that consent at any time. To do so, simply contact us at infocompliance@warwick.ac.uk.

Once UoW is notified of your decision to withdraw consent, we will immediately cease processing your data for the purpose(s) you initially approved. However, if there is another lawful basis for continuing to process your data, we will notify you of this legitimate reason.

Data Sharing

The UoW may share your personal data with third parties when required by law, when necessary to manage our working relationship with you, or when there is a legitimate interest in doing so. This includes, but is not limited to, sharing data for joint appointments with external organisations. The third parties with whom we may share your data include:

Third Parties	Legal Basis
Government departments, local authorities, and regulatory bodies	Compliance with a legal obligation
Utility providers and accommodation service providers	Performance of a contract
Third-party accommodation providers, approved landlords, and property owners	Performance of a contract and/or legitimate interests
Payment processors and financial service providers	Performance of a contract
Contractors, maintenance providers, cleaning providers, and facilities management services	Performance of a contract and/or legitimate interests
Wellbeing, safeguarding, residential community, and support services where appropriate	Vital interests, substantial public interest, and/or legitimate interests
IT service providers, accommodation management systems, and digital platform providers	Performance of a contract and/or legitimate interests
Professional advisers such as insurers, auditors, and legal advisers	Legitimate Interest
Law enforcement agencies, emergency services, and safeguarding authorities	Compliance with a legal obligation and/or recognised legitimate interests
Debt recovery agencies and fraud prevention organisations	Legitimate interests and/or compliance with a legal obligation
Postal, courier, and delivery service providers supporting accommodation operations	Legitimate interests and/or performance of a contract
External auditors, inspectors, and accreditation bodies	Compliance with a legal obligation and/or legitimate interests
Survey, feedback, and service improvement providers acting on behalf of the University	Legitimate interests
Cloud hosting, data storage, and digital infrastructure providers	Performance of a contract and/or legitimate interests
Emergency services	Recognised Legitimate Interests
Law enforcement bodies/agencies	Recognised Legitimate Interests
Local authorities	Recognised Legitimate Interests
Healthcare providers	Recognised Legitimate Interests
Environmental protection and regulatory bodies	Recognised Legitimate Interests
Specialist safeguarding, welfare, security, or crisis management service providers	Recognised Legitimate Interests
Government departments, public bodies and other bodies carrying out legally authorised public tasks	Recognised Legitimate Interests

How long do we keep your personal data?

The University retains personal data in accordance with its Records Retention Schedule.

Personal data will be kept only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including meeting legal, regulatory, accounting or reporting requirements.

Further information on retention periods can be found in the University’s Record Retention Schedule (RRS).

What rights do I have in relation to my personal data?

Data protection law gives you specific rights over your personal data, as follows:

the right to access personal data held about you;
the right to be informed about how and why your data is used;
the right to have your data rectified, erased or restricted;
the right to object to the processing of your data;
the right to portability of your data; and
the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing.

If you have concerns about how we use your personal data, you have the right to make a data protection complaint directly to us. If you would like to make a data protection complaint directly to us, please complete and submit the form below providing as much information as possible:

https://warwick.ac.uk/services/legalandcomplianceservices/dataprotection/complaints/complaintform/

Once we have received your complaint, we will:

acknowledge receipt of your complaint;

review the matters raised and make appropriate enquiries; and

keep you informed (where appropriate) and, without undue delay, report the outcome of your complaint to you.

If you are dissatisfied with the University’s response to your complaint, you have the right to escalate your complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (the ICO). You can contact the ICO at www.ico.org.uk.

How can you obtain more information about this notice?

If you have any questions about this privacy notice, please do not hesitate to contact our Data Protection team and/or Data Protection Officer at: infocompliance@warwick.ac.uk.

This privacy notice was last updated on 5 October 2026. We reserve the right to update or modify this notice at any time to reflect changes in legal requirements, operational needs, or best practices. Any significant changes will be communicated to relevant individuals through appropriate channels (e.g. on our website). The most recent version of the notice will always be available for your reference.