Privacy Policy

Last Updated: July 2026

1. Introduction

Stephen Ashby & Co LTD ("we", "our" or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information fairly, lawfully and transparently.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share and protect your personal information when you:

• visit our website;
• enquire about our services;
• request a property valuation;
• register for property alerts;
• buy, sell, let or rent a property through us;
• instruct us to act on your behalf;
• contact us by telephone, email, social media or through our website; or
• otherwise interact with us.

We process all personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and, where applicable, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR).

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully alongside our Terms of Use and Cookie Policy.

2. Who We Are

Stephen Ashby & Co LTD is a company registered in England and Wales.

Registered Office

66 Paul Street
London
EC2A 4NA

Company Registration Number
17255265

For the purposes of UK data protection legislation, Stephen Ashby & Co LTD is the Data Controller for the personal information we collect and process.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact:

Data Protection Lead

Email: [email protected]
If we appoint a Data Protection Officer in the future, this Privacy Policy will be updated accordingly.

3. The Personal Information We Collect

The information we collect depends on the services you use and your relationship with us.

We may collect the following categories of personal information.

Identity Information

• Name
• Title
• Date of birth (where required)
• Nationality (where required for legal compliance)
• Photographic identification for Anti-Money Laundering purposes

Contact Information

• Postal address
• Email address
• Telephone numbers
• Preferred method of contact

Property Information

Where relevant, we may collect information relating to:

• properties you own
• properties you wish to purchase
• properties you wish to let
• valuation requests
• viewing appointments
• offers made or received
• tenancy applications
• landlord instructions

Financial Information

Where required we may collect:

• Bank account details
• Payment information
• Deposit information
• Source of funds
• Source of wealth documentation (where legally required)

Identity Verification Information

As required under Anti-Money Laundering legislation, we may collect:

• Passport
• Driving licence
• Proof of address
• Identification documents
• Electronic identity verification results
• Politically Exposed Person (PEP) screening
• Sanctions screening

This information is collected only where required by law.

Technical Information

When you visit our website we may automatically collect:

• IP address
• Browser type
• Device type
• Operating system
• Time zone
• Website usage information
• Cookies and similar technologies

Marketing Preferences

We may record:

• marketing preferences;
• subscription choices;
• communication preferences; and
• requests to unsubscribe.

Communications

We may retain records of:

• emails;
• letters;
• website enquiries;
• online forms;
• social media messages; and
• telephone conversations where calls are recorded for training or quality assurance.

4.How We Collect Your Information

We collect personal information in several different ways.

Information You Give Us

You may provide information directly when you:

• request a property valuation;
• register for property alerts;
• enquire about a property;
• arrange a viewing;
• make an offer;
• instruct us to sell or let your property;
• apply for a tenancy;
• contact us by telephone, email or our website;
• visit our offices;
• subscribe to marketing communications.

Information Collected Automatically

When you use our website, we automatically collect certain technical information using cookies and similar technologies.

Further details can be found in our Cookie Policy.

Information Received from Third Parties

We may receive personal information from trusted third parties including:

• Rightmove;
• Zoopla;
• OnTheMarket;
• mortgage advisers;
• solicitors;
• surveyors;
• referencing agencies;
• landlords;
• tenants;
• property developers;
• contractors;
• identity verification providers;
• Anti-Money Laundering providers;
• public registers such as HM Land Registry;
• Companies House; and
• other parties where you have authorised them to share your information with us or where permitted by law.

We will only use information obtained from third parties where we have a lawful basis to do so.

5. Why We Use Your Personal Information

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal information. The table below explains why we collect your information and the legal basis we rely upon.

Where we rely on Legitimate Interests, we carefully balance our business interests against your rights and freedoms.

Where we rely on Consent, you may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us or using the unsubscribe link included in our marketing emails.

6. Marketing Communications

We would like to keep you informed about properties, services and market updates that may be of interest to you.

Depending on how you interact with us, we may send you:

• property alerts;
• new instructions matching your requirements;
• market updates;
• newsletters;
• information about our services;
• invitations to events; and
• other relevant communications.

We will only send electronic marketing communications where we have your consent or where we are otherwise permitted to do so under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).

You can stop receiving marketing communications at any time by:

• clicking the "unsubscribe" link in our emails;
• updating your communication preferences; or
• contacting us at [email protected].

Please note that opting out of marketing communications will not affect important service-related communications regarding your property transaction or tenancy.

7. Who We Share Your Information With

We treat your personal information with care and only share it where necessary to provide our services, comply with legal obligations or where you have authorised us to do so.

Depending on your transaction, we may share information with:

Property Portals

To market your property, we may share property information with:

• Rightmove
• Zoopla
• OnTheMarket
• other property advertising platforms where appropriate.

Professional Advisers

Including:

• solicitors;
• licensed conveyancers;
• mortgage advisers;
• financial advisers;
• surveyors;
• valuers.

Property Professionals

Including:

• EPC assessors;
• photographers;
• floor plan providers;
• inventory clerks;
• contractors;
• maintenance companies;
• locksmiths;
• cleaning companies;
• removals companies;
• utility providers (where appropriate).

Referencing and Compliance Providers

Where appropriate we may share information with:

• tenant referencing agencies;
• credit reference agencies;
• identity verification providers;
• Anti-Money Laundering service providers;
• sanctions screening providers;
• fraud prevention agencies.

Technology Providers

Our trusted service providers may process information on our behalf, including:

• website hosting providers;
• cloud storage providers;
• email providers;
• CRM/property management software providers;
• IT support companies;
• document management providers;
• electronic signature providers;
• telephone providers.

These organisations only process your information under our instructions and are required to keep it secure.

Legal and Regulatory Authorities

Where required by law we may disclose information to:

• HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC);
• HM Land Registry;
• the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO);
• the National Crime Agency (NCA);
• law enforcement agencies;
• courts and tribunals;
• other regulatory authorities.

We never sell your personal information to third parties.

8. Anti-Money Laundering and Identity Verification

Estate agents are legally required to verify the identity of certain clients and customers under the Money Laundering Regulations.

Where applicable, we may request:

• photographic identification;
• proof of address;
• source of funds information;
• source of wealth information;
• company ownership information;
• beneficial ownership information.

We may also carry out electronic identity verification and screening checks, including:

• sanctions screening;
• Politically Exposed Person (PEP) screening;
• adverse media searches;
• fraud prevention checks.

These checks are carried out to comply with our legal obligations and to help prevent fraud, money laundering and other financial crime.

Where legally required, we may retain records of these checks for the period prescribed by applicable legislation, even after our business relationship has ended.

9. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our Website uses cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience, analyse website traffic and help us understand how visitors use our Website.

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website.

We use the following categories of cookies:

Essential Cookies

These cookies are necessary for the Website to function correctly and cannot be switched off. They enable features such as page navigation, security and form submissions.

Performance and Analytics Cookies

These cookies help us understand how visitors use our Website by collecting anonymous statistical information, allowing us to improve the performance and usability of the Website.

Where used, this may include services such as Google Analytics or similar website analytics platforms.

Functional Cookies

These cookies remember choices you make, such as language preferences or previously entered information, to enhance your browsing experience.

Where applicable, marketing cookies may be used to measure the effectiveness of our advertising and to display relevant property advertisements on third-party websites and social media platforms.

We will only place non-essential cookies on your device where you have provided your consent through our cookie banner.

You can manage or withdraw your cookie preferences at any time through your browser settings or via our Cookie Policy.

10. International Transfers of Personal Information

Some of our trusted service providers may process personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, including:

• transfers to countries recognised by the UK Government as providing an adequate level of protection;
• the use of the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) or other approved contractual safeguards;
• additional technical and organisational security measures where appropriate.

We take reasonable steps to ensure your personal information remains protected regardless of where it is processed.

11. How Long We Keep Your Information

We only retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, to comply with legal obligations or to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Our typical retention periods are:

Where it is necessary to retain information for legal proceedings, regulatory investigations or fraud prevention, we may retain information for longer where permitted or required by law.

12. Your Rights

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), you have the right to:

• be informed about how your personal information is used;
• request access to your personal information;
• request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
• request the deletion of your personal information where applicable;
• request restriction of processing;
• object to certain processing, including direct marketing;
• receive your personal information in a portable format where applicable;
• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
• object to decisions based solely on automated processing where legally applicable.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below.

To help protect your privacy, we may ask you to provide reasonable proof of identity before responding to your request.

We will respond to requests within one month unless the request is particularly complex or numerous, in which case we will keep you informed of any extension permitted by law.

13. How We Protect Your Information

We take the security of your personal information seriously and have implemented appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to protect it from unauthorised access, loss, misuse or disclosure.

These measures include:

• secure computer systems;
• password-protected access;
• encryption where appropriate;
• firewalls and antivirus protection;
• secure cloud-based systems;
• restricted staff access based on business need;
• regular software updates and security monitoring;
• staff training on data protection and confidentiality.

While we take every reasonable precaution, no method of electronic transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

14. Children's Privacy

Our Website and services are intended for individuals aged 18 years or over.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child without appropriate authority, we will take reasonable steps to delete that information as soon as practicable.

Our Data Processors

NO DATA PROCESSORS HAVE BEEN ADDED

15. Contact Us and Making a Complaint

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we process your personal information, please contact us.

Stephen Ashby & Co LTD at [email protected]

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal information, we would appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns in the first instance.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent authority for data protection matters.

Information Commissioner's Office

Website: https://www.ico.org.uk

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legislation, regulatory guidance, our services or our business practices.

The latest version will always be published on this Website and the "Last Updated" date at the top of this Privacy Policy will indicate when changes were made.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to ensure you remain informed about how we protect your personal information.