FAQs

EastendHomes has a Welfare Advice service provided by the Bromley by Bow Centre that can help ensure that you are able to maximise your income by claiming all of the benefits and financial support that you are entitled to. If you would like to arrange an appointment contact the Rents team on 020 7517 0440 or email rents@eastendhomes.net

If you currently pay your rent at the Post Office or at a PayPoint, you can also make these payments by phone app, online, or Direct Debit, all of which can be done without leaving your home. See more details on EastendHomes website - go to http://www.eastendhomes.net/pay-my-rent

Register with EastendHomes' self-service portal on the website and you will be able to view your rent balance and look at your current statement at any time.

If you apply or sign for a tenancy, lease, or licence (e.g. for a parking space) with EastendHomes, we will need to collect certain details from you. We may collect personal information from written forms or applications; letters, emails, or other electronic messages (such as SMS) which you send to us; recordings of telephone calls; information you provide to us in person; references; information received from third parties; or from any other trustworthy source.

EastendHomes may use personal information to provide and manage, or assess eligibility for, services including:

• managing tenancies and leases
• managing allocations and lettings
• managing licences and other facilities
• obtaining feedback on our services
• investigating complaints
• investigating reports of anti-social behaviour
• resolving disputes
• collecting rent and service charges (including Major Works charges to leaseholders)
• offering support on welfare benefits
• providing repairs and maintenance to properties and estates
• delivering community events and/or support services

We may use mobile phone numbers or email addresses to contact you with information about our services (e.g. to confirm details of an appointment, or to inform you of an event due to be held on your estate). 

We will also ask you for some details of (any) members of your household living with you. It is in our legitimate interests to know who is living in your home, to check that your accommodation remains suitable, to check that household members' needs are met, and to help with sustaining quiet enjoyment of homes for all residents. Where you provide information to us about household members we assume that you do so with their full knowledge and consent.

Because it is important for us in planning and delivering services to know who lives on our estates, we may at times carry out research or analysis using your data and that of all our residents. When we do this, we will anonymise the data - this means taking out any information which would mean that you or any individual could be identified.

We will not use your data to automate decisions based on what we know about you. However you should note that your data may influence how we deliver services - for example, if we know that you have a disability you may be eligible to receive a greater range of repairs or pay a lower fee for a parking space. When we share your data with partners this may involve some automated decision-making, for example in drawing up shortlists when you bid for a property of a partner landlord.

To carry out these functions, and to comply with our legislative obligations, EastendHomes may share your personal information with the following parties:

• an organisation contracted to deliver services on our behalf, e.g. our repairs contractor
• where we are required to do so by law in case of emergency or to prevent crime
• to help prevent or detect fraud or loss
• in case of emergency or to prevent serious harm
• where it is requested by utility companies to pursue a debt
• in response to a request from a local authority or Government agency (in keeping with the law)
• where you have given us permission to share it for a specific purpose.

EastendHomes will not:

• disclose your details to third parties except in keeping with the above
• sell any personal information or allow it to be used for marketing by unconnected parties

We will only hold onto records during the period of our relationship and for a set period afterwards to allow us to meet our legal obligations including resolving any follow-up issues between us.

We have a data and document retention schedule which sets out how long we keep different types of information for. This is based on National Housing Federation guidance, legal requirements, and best practice. Please contact us if you would like any more information.