Legal

Privacy Notice

How Shelter.ie processes personal data, the legal basis, retention, and your rights under the GDPR.

Last updated: 25 April 2026

1. Who we are

This Privacy Notice applies to Shelter.ie, an advisory and project-management service for Irish landlords. References to "we", "us", and "our" mean Shelter.ie. We are the data controller for the personal data described in this notice.

If you have questions about this notice, contact us at privacy@shelter.ie.

2. What data we collect

We collect personal data in two contexts:

2.1 Visitors to shelter.ie (public site)

• Information you submit through the contact form (name, email, county, your role, the situation you describe)
• Limited analytics data via our self-hosted Matomo instance (IP address anonymised by 2 octets, page paths, referrer, browser type) — only if you accept analytics cookies

2.2 Clients (landlords who engage Shelter)

• Identification and contact details
• Property details (address, registration status, tenancy details)
• Documents and correspondence relating to the case
• Payment information (handled by our payment processor; we do not store card details)

2.3 Third parties (tenants whose tenancies are subject of an engagement)

In the course of a client engagement, we necessarily process personal data about the tenants whose tenancies are the subject of the work. This may include:

• Identification and contact details (where known)
• Tenancy and rent records
• Communications with the client and with the tenant
• Evidence material relevant to the case (which may include photographs, surveillance reports from our PSA-licensed Private Investigator partner, witness statements)

3. Legal basis for processing

Our principal legal basis for processing personal data, particularly third-party tenant data, is Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR — legitimate interests. Specifically, the legitimate interests of our landlord clients in: (a) lawfully recovering possession of their property; (b) lawfully recovering any rent arrears or related debts; (c) defending against unmeritorious counter-claims; and (d) producing evidence for tribunal proceedings.

We have conducted a documented balancing test (Data Protection Impact Assessment) demonstrating that these interests are not overridden by the data subjects' rights and reasonable expectations of privacy in this specific context.

Other legal bases we rely on:

• Article 6(1)(b) — performance of a contract — for our processing of client data necessary to deliver the engagement
• Article 6(1)(c) — compliance with legal obligation — for tax, anti-money-laundering, and statutory record-keeping
• Article 6(1)(a) — consent — for analytics cookies (you can accept or decline)

4. How we use the data

• To deliver our productised packs (Cash-for-Keys, RTB Acceleration, Documentation & Evidence)
• To prepare evidence bundles, written submissions, and other materials for RTB adjudications and tribunals
• To communicate with you about your engagement
• To respond to enquiries through our contact form
• To meet our legal and regulatory obligations
• To improve the site (anonymised analytics, with consent)

5. Who we share the data with

• Our partner solicitor — for review of documents we draft, and for cases requiring litigation
• Our partner PSA-licensed Private Investigator — where surveillance work is engaged on a case
• Partner debt collectors — where post-tenancy arrears recovery is engaged
• The Residential Tenancies Board — as part of any RTB application or hearing
• Courts — as part of any court enforcement
• Hosting and infrastructure providers — for technical operation of the site (data processed within the EEA)

We do not sell personal data, and we do not share it with third parties for marketing purposes.

6. International transfers

We aim to keep all personal data within the European Economic Area. If any transfer to a third country becomes necessary, we will rely on appropriate safeguards under Articles 44–49 of the GDPR (typically the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses).

7. Retention

• Active engagement data: for the duration of the engagement
• Post-engagement records: retained for 6 years after engagement closes, in line with the Statute of Limitations Act 1957 for litigation-record purposes
• Tax and accounting records: retained for the statutory period (currently 6 years)
• Contact form enquiries that don't lead to engagement: retained for 12 months, then deleted
• Analytics data: retained for 13 months in our Matomo instance, then anonymised or deleted

8. Your rights

Under the GDPR, you have rights in relation to your personal data. These include:

• The right to be informed about how we process your data (this notice)
• The right of access to a copy of your personal data
• The right to rectification of inaccurate data
• The right to erasure ("right to be forgotten") in certain circumstances
• The right to restrict processing in certain circumstances
• The right to data portability
• The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Rights in relation to automated decision-making (we do not currently use automated decision-making)

To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@shelter.ie. We respond within 30 days.

9. Tenants whose data we hold as part of a client engagement

If you are a tenant whose data is held by us as part of a landlord engagement, your rights above still apply, with the qualification that some rights may be limited where exercising them would prejudice the landlord client's legitimate interests in pending tenancy proceedings. We assess each request on its facts.

You can also contact Threshold for free advice on tenancy disputes: 1800 454 454 (Mon–Fri 9–9), threshold.ie.

10. Complaints

If you are dissatisfied with how we have handled your personal data, please contact us first at privacy@shelter.ie so we can address the issue. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission:

• Website: dataprotection.ie
• Phone: +353 (0)761 104 800 / 1800 437 737
• Address: 21 Fitzwilliam Square South, Dublin 2, D02 RD28

11. Updates to this notice

We may update this notice from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the latest revision. Substantive changes will be notified to active clients by email.

This Privacy Notice does not constitute legal advice. If you require advice on your data protection rights or obligations, consult a qualified solicitor.