Who we are
Matthews Property Group Ltd, trading as Matthews Property Group ("MPG", "we", "us", "our"), is a family-led HMO operator based in Bristol. We are a limited company registered in England and Wales under company number 14232389, with our registered office at 26 Reynolds Walk, Horfield, Bristol BS7 0HU.
We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office under reference ZB611168, and we are the data controller for the personal data described in this policy.
You can reach our Data Controller at will@matthewspropertygroup.co.uk.
Information we collect
Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:
- Contact details — when you submit our contact form or otherwise get in touch. Typically: your name, email, phone number, and message.
- Tenant application data — when you apply for a room, we collect what we need to assess your application and meet our obligations as a landlord. This includes proof of identity, Right to Rent verification, employment and income details, references, and emergency contacts.
- Tenancy records — for current tenants: payment records, maintenance requests, communications, and inspection notes.
- Website usage — see our Cookies policy.
How we use your information
We use your personal data on the following lawful bases under the UK GDPR:
- To enter into and perform a tenancy agreement (Article 6(1)(b)) — assessing applications, managing your tenancy, processing payments, and handling maintenance.
- To comply with our legal obligations (Article 6(1)(c)) — Right to Rent checks, anti-money laundering, deposit protection, tax and accounting.
- For our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) — responding to enquiries, improving our service, communicating with you about your tenancy, recovering arrears, and assessing potential acquisitions.
- With your consent (Article 6(1)(a)) — for any optional marketing communications, which you can withdraw at any time.
Who we share your information with
We share personal data only with parties who help us run the business, or where the law requires it:
- Podio (our tenant management system, operated by Citrix Systems) — to store application and tenancy records securely.
- SpareRoom — where you've come to us through a SpareRoom listing, your initial enquiry sits within their platform until we move it into ours.
- Vercel — our website hosting provider.
- Professional advisers — accountants, lawyers, and tenant referencing agents where required.
- Regulatory bodies and law enforcement — where we're legally required to disclose.
We do not sell your data, and we do not share it for marketing purposes.
How long we keep it
We retain personal data only as long as we need it for the purpose we collected it.
- Enquiries that didn't progress to a tenancy — up to 12 months.
- Successful applicants and current tenants — for the duration of your tenancy plus six years afterwards, in line with the Limitation Act 1980.
- Right to Rent records — at least one year after your tenancy ends, per Home Office requirements.
- Financial records — six years, per HMRC requirements.
Your rights
Under UK GDPR you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
- Erasure of your data where we no longer have a lawful basis to hold it
- Restrict how we use your data in certain circumstances
- Object to processing based on legitimate interests
- Data portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
To exercise any of these rights, email will@matthewspropertygroup.co.uk. We aim to respond within one month.
Complaints
If you're unhappy with how we've handled your data, we'd appreciate the chance to put it right — please get in touch first. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or 0303 123 1113.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. Any material change will be reflected in the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, communicated directly to current tenants.
Contact
Matthews Property Group26 Reynolds Walk, Horfield, Bristol BS7 0HU
will@matthewspropertygroup.co.uk