Privacy Policy

Who we are

Riley James Surveyors Ltd is registered at Companies House and with the Information Commissioner’s Office.

We provide residential surveying, valuation, stock condition, defect reporting and selected expert property advisory services.

What information we collect

• Names, addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers.
• Property addresses, access arrangements and appointment information.
• Information supplied through website forms, emails, telephone calls or documents.
• Information required to prepare quotations, terms of engagement and reports.
• Information relating to agents, occupiers, sellers, buyers, Legal Advisers or other relevant parties.
• Survey notes, photographs, documents, correspondence, report drafts and final reports.

Why we use personal information

We use personal information to respond to enquiries, prepare quotations, issue terms of engagement, arrange access, inspect properties, prepare reports, provide professional advice, manage files, deal with complaints and meet legal, insurance, regulatory and RICS-related obligations.

Lawful basis

We usually process personal information because it is necessary to respond to an enquiry, take steps before entering into a contract, perform a contract, comply with legal or regulatory obligations, or pursue legitimate business and professional interests.

Optional email updates

You can choose to receive occasional surveying and property advice, service updates and offers by selecting the optional email updates box on our enquiry form. We record your choice, the wording shown and when you opted in. Leaving the box unticked does not affect your enquiry or our service.

You can withdraw your marketing permission at any time by contacting enquiries@rjsurveyors.co.uk or using the unsubscribe option in a marketing email. We retain a suppression record to respect that choice. Service messages about an enquiry or instruction are handled separately.

Archived enquiries remain in our secure CRM for appropriate administration and follow-up. Archiving is not deletion or marketing permission. We review enquiry retention against its purpose and applicable obligations; it is not an instruction to retain every enquiry indefinitely.

How information is stored

Information may be stored using secure business systems, including Google Workspace, Dropbox, Microsoft services, website hosting, our CRM and client portal, document management, payment processing and workflow systems used to operate the practice.

Where external software providers are used, they are used to support the operation of the practice and the delivery of our services. We do not sell personal information to third parties.

Who information may be shared with

We may share information where necessary with parties involved in an instruction, including clients, estate agents, occupiers, Legal Advisers, insurers, professional advisers, contractors, software providers, IT providers, regulatory bodies or dispute resolution bodies.

Information is shared only where it is necessary for the instruction, administration, legal compliance, professional obligations, insurance, complaint handling or the protection of legitimate business interests.

Retention

We retain professional files, reports, correspondence and complaint records for as long as reasonably required for legal, insurance, consumer protection, professional indemnity and RICS-related purposes.

In many cases this means records may be retained for at least six years. Some professional files may be retained for longer where this is considered appropriate having regard to limitation periods, insurance requirements, regulatory obligations or the nature of the instruction.

Your rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have rights to access, correct, restrict, object to, transfer or request deletion of personal information. The right to object may apply where we rely on legitimate interests.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office if you are unhappy with how your personal information has been handled.

Cookies and website data

The public website does not use marketing tracking cookies. The CRM and client portal use essential authentication and session technologies. If non-essential analytics, call tracking, embedded maps or other tracking tools are introduced, this Privacy Policy and our Cookie Policy will be updated where required.

AI and software tools

We may use software tools, automation or artificial intelligence to assist with administration, document organisation, drafting, quality control and internal efficiency. Professional judgement remains with Riley James Surveyors. Further information is set out in our AI Software Policy.

Contact us about your information

For privacy enquiries or requests concerning your personal information, email enquiries@rjsurveyors.co.uk.

Updates

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The latest version will be published on this website.