Privacy Policy
Hillsea Real Estate (Hillsea, we, us, our) is committed to protecting your personal information and handling it in line with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, disclose and protect personal information, including information used to verify your identity.
A current version of this Policy is always available on our website at: www.hillsea.com
- What sort of Personal Information does Hillsea collect?
The type of personal information Hillsea collects will depend on the nature of your dealings with us.
We may collect personal information from you when you:
- become a client of Hillsea;
• make inquiries via telephone, email or at our offices;
• complete a tenant application form; or
• have business dealings with us.
Buyers, Sellers and Property Owners
We may collect the following personal information about you:
- Full name
- Date and place of birth
- Residential or business address
- Email address and phone number
- Government-issued identification details, such as driver licence, passport, Medicare card or other ID document numbers
- Biometric information, such as a facial image or short video used to verify your identity
- Information about the services we provide to you and any related transactions
- Any other information you choose to provide to us
We only collect personal information that is reasonably necessary to carry out our business activities.
Tenants
When applying for tenancy, applicants must provide their contact details, and information verifying their identity and employment, together with referees. Hillsea may also collect information regarding past tenancies.
Business contacts
In relation to individuals who represent businesses or government agencies with which Hillsea interacts, we may collect basic business contact information from you (eg. your name, title and work contact details).
- Why We Collect Your Personal Information?
Buyers, Sellers and Property Owners
Hillsea uses the contact details of clients and other individuals who are interested in buying, selling or renting property to advertise your property, or assist you in purchasing or renting a property as the case may be. We may also send you marketing material about Hillsea services that are relevant to you.
Hillsea may also collect details of property owners from compliant databases we purchase.
Information regarding property sales may also be used for research and statistical purposes, and a current market analysis may be provided to prospective purchasers in certain areas based on this information.
We collect, use and disclose your personal information to:
- Verify your identity
- Provide and manage our services to you
- Communicate with you about your account with us
- Meet our legal and regulatory obligations, including anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) requirements
- Detect and prevent fraud, and keep our systems secure
- Improve our services
Tenants
When individuals apply for tenancy, Hillsea collects personal information for the purpose of assessing the tenancy application. As part of this assessment process, Hillsea may use the information to conduct searches of tenancy databases, credit reference agencies, and referees, including other property management firms.
For existing tenants, Hillsea uses contact information to communicate with them regarding issues such as payment of rent, maintenance of the rental property, etc.
Business contacts
For Hillsea's business contacts, Hillsea will only use personal information for the business purpose for which it was collected.
- Identity Verification and Government Data Matching (DVS)
To verify your identity, we may use electronic identity verification services, including the Australian Government's Document Verification Service (DVS).
Where you have consented, your name, date of birth and identity document details will be securely sent to the relevant Commonwealth or State authority that issued your document. This may include passport offices, driver licence authorities, the Department of Home Affairs, Births Deaths and Marriages, or other authorised record holders.
These authorities check whether the details you have provided match the records they hold.
We do not receive a copy of your government records. The authority returns a match result only, confirming whether your details match (yes or no).
This process may be carried out through accredited identity verification providers, including APLYiD (APLYiD Pty Ltd, ABN 36 632 866 794) and its sub-providers.
More information about the DVS is available at idmatch.gov.au.
- Biometric Information
As part of identity verification, we may collect biometric information, such as a facial image or a short video of you holding your ID.
Biometric information may be used to:
- Confirm that you are a real person and physically present
- Match your image to the photograph on your identification document
- Reduce the risk of fraud and identity theft
Biometric information is treated as sensitive information under the Privacy Act. We only use it for identity verification and related compliance purposes, and only with your consent.
- Consent to Collection and Identity Verification
By providing your personal information and completing the identity verification process, you consent to:
- The collection, use and disclosure of your personal information for identity verification, AML/CTF and related compliance purposes
- The collection and use of biometric information, such as a facial image or video, for identity verification
- Your information being checked against records held by Commonwealth and State authorities through the DVS
- Your information being shared with our authorised identity verification providers, including APLYiD
Your consent is voluntary. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us using the details in section 10.
If you do not consent, or do not provide the information we need, we may not be able to verify your identity electronically. In that case, we may need to verify your identity in another way, or we may not be able to provide our services to you.
- Disclosure of Personal Information?
The protection of your personal information is extremely important to Hillsea. Hillsea will not sell or disclose your personal information to any third parties other than in the following circumstances:
Buyers, Sellers and Property Owners
We may disclose your personal information to:
- Identity verification providers, including APLYiD and its authorised sub-providers
- Commonwealth and State authorities and official record holders, through the DVS
- Our employees and authorised representatives, on a need-to-know basis
- Our professional advisers, such as lawyers, accountants and auditors
- Trusted technology and service providers that help us operate our business
- Regulators, law enforcement or other third parties where required or authorised by law
We do not sell your personal information.
Tenants
We may disclose your contact details to trade service providers such as builders, plumbers, electricians if required, and information may also be provided to tenancy databases and other organizations such as debt collection agencies if you breach the tenancy agreement. Hillsea may also provide references to other property management firms upon request. Hillsea may be required or permitted by law to disclose personal information.
- Overseas Disclosure
Some of our service providers may store or process personal information outside Australia.
Where this happens, we take reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information is handled in line with the Australian Privacy Principles, including through contractual protections with our providers.
- How secure is your Personal Information?
We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. These steps include secure systems, access controls, and encryption in transit and at rest where appropriate.
We retain personal information only for as long as we need it for the purposes set out in this Policy, or as required by law. When we no longer need your information, we securely delete or de-identify it
- How can you access and correct your Personal Information?
Under the Privacy Act, you have the right to request access to the personal information held on you by Hillsea. You also have the right to ask us to update or correct your personal information when it is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date.
If you wish to obtain a copy of the personal information that Hillsea hold about you, please set out your request in writing, and forward this to our Privacy Officer via the contact details set out below. Within a reasonable amount of time from receipt of your request, Hillsea will provide you with a copy of the relevant personal information (usually via an electronic print-out or a photocopy). Hillsea will not charge you for providing this type of access unless the provision of the information requested would place an unreasonable administrative burden or unreasonable expense on Hillsea, in which case we may refuse access or charge you for the cost of providing such access.
If personal information about you is inaccurate or out of date, or if you have any other queries about access and correction, please contact our Privacy Officer via the contact details set out below.
- How can you contact Hillsea?
If you have any questions about this Policy, or want to exercise any of your privacy rights, please contact us:
- Business Name: Hillsea Real Estate
- Privacy Contact: Amanda Voisey
- Email: privacy.officer@hillsea.com.au
- Phone: 0755397733
- Postal: PO Box 191 Runaway Bay 4216
We will respond appropriately to your questions, requests or complaints in writing within 30 days of receipt or where it is impractical to respond within this time frame, within a reasonable period of time.
- Updates to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or in the law.
The latest version will always be available on our website. Where changes are significant, we will let you know.