Privacy Policy
Lightwater Property Ltd, trading as Lancasters Estate Agents Osborne Court, The Parade, Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 7QS
Last updated: June 2026
Who we are
We are Lightwater Property Ltd, trading as Lancasters Estate Agents. When we refer to "we", "us" or "our" in this policy, we mean Lightwater Property Ltd.
We are the data controller for the personal information we collect about you. If you have any questions about how we handle your data, contact us at Homes@Lancasters.org or call 01983 209020.
What information we collect
Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:
Your name, address, email address and phone number
Details about your property or your requirements as a buyer, seller, landlord or tenant
Financial information relevant to a transaction or tenancy application
Identity documents where required for Anti-Money Laundering checks
Communications between us, including emails, phone calls and WhatsApp messages
Information collected when you use our website, including cookies
Why we collect it and what we use it for
We collect and use your information for the following reasons:
To provide our estate agency and lettings management services to you
To carry out identity and Anti-Money Laundering checks, which we are legally required to do
To reference tenants and process tenancy applications
To communicate with you about your sale, purchase, or tenancy
To introduce your property to prospective buyers or tenants
To share relevant details with solicitors, surveyors, referencing agencies, contractors, and other parties involved in your transaction or tenancy
To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations
To contact you about services we think may be relevant to you, where you have not opted out of such contact
Our legal basis for processing your data is either the performance of a contract with you, compliance with a legal obligation, or our legitimate interest in running our business effectively.
Who we share your information with
We only share your information where necessary. This may include:
Solicitors and conveyancers involved in a sale or purchase
Referencing agencies carrying out tenant checks
Contractors or maintenance companies where relevant to a managed property
Property portals such as Rightmove and Zoopla
Our software providers, including Street CRM
HMRC and other regulatory bodies where legally required
We do not sell your personal data to third parties.
How long we keep your information
We keep your information for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purpose it was collected for, and to meet our legal obligations. For sales and lettings transactions, we typically retain records for six years following completion. Tenancy records are retained for a minimum of six years from the end of the tenancy.
Your rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:
Access the personal data we hold about you
Ask us to correct inaccurate data
Ask us to delete your data, where we are not legally required to retain it
Object to or restrict how we use your data
Request a copy of your data in a portable format
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at Homes@Lancasters.org. We will respond within one month.
Cookies
Our website uses cookies to understand how visitors use the site and to improve your experience. You can control cookie settings through your browser. A full cookie policy is available on request.
Complaints
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The current version will always be available on our website.
CCTV / Surveillance equipment during a property marketing
Dear Vendors, Landlords, and property occupiers,
It is becoming more common for people have surveillance devices at their homes. Ring doorbells, pet cameras, baby monitors, and a host of other devices can now record events at and around homes. For security purposes this is excellent, for data protection during property viewings this can be an issue, particularly audio recordings. Viewers often share personal or sensitive information with an agent they do not wish to be known by others.
When a viewer visits your property they have the right to assume a reasonable degree of privacy. As an ICO registered company we have two options:
1) You disable all audio listening/recording devices inside and outside during the visits, and any visual recording devices in private areas such as bathrooms; or
2) We must warn each viewers they are being recorded.
Option 1 is out default position unless you tell us otherwise. Understandably option 2 is likely to stop people wishing to see a property or talk freely.
Lancasters’ official position:
During any viewing accompanied/arranged by Lancasters, we ask that internal audio recording and remote listening facilities are switched off. Security cameras may remain active for normal security purposes, but recordings should not be used to monitor conversations between our staff and prospective purchasers or to obtain information the viewer did not expressly wish to share with you. Please tell us about any recording devices covering areas through which viewers will pass.
