Who we are
Thomas Charles [Bedford] Limited, trading as Thomas Charles, 160 Castle Road, Bedford MK40 3SW. Company number 04508429. Telephone 01234 290990, email post@tcea.co.uk. We are the data controller for the personal data described in this policy. [ICO registration number: to confirm]
What personal data we collect and why
Enquiries, valuations and maintenance reports
When you use a form on this website (contact, free valuation, maintenance report) we collect the details you give us, such as your name, telephone number, email address, property address and your message, so that we can respond to you and provide our services. Maintenance reports may include photographs you upload.
Tenant and guarantor applications, landlord instructions
If you apply to rent a property, act as a guarantor, or instruct us to let or manage a property, we collect the information needed to process the application or instruction: identity documents for Right to Rent checks, proof of address, employment and financial information, bank details and references. We use this to carry out referencing, credit checks and Right to Rent checks, to prepare tenancy agreements and to manage the tenancy. Our legal basis is the performance of a contract and our legal obligations as a letting agent. Referencing may be carried out by a third-party referencing agency.
Property enquiries and viewings
Enquiries made through this website or through property portals (Rightmove, OnTheMarket) are passed to us with your name and contact details so that we can arrange viewings and keep you informed about the property.
Analytics
We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors use the site. It sets cookies and collects information such as the pages you visit, your approximate location and the device and browser you use. The data is pseudonymised and IP addresses are not stored by Google Analytics 4. [If a consent banner is added, say so here.]
Embedded maps
Our contact page embeds a Google Map. Google may set cookies and collect data about your interaction with the map, as described in Google’s privacy policy.
How long we keep your data
Enquiry and valuation details are kept for up to [12 months] after our last contact with you. Tenancy records, including application documents, are kept for the length of the tenancy and for [6 years] afterwards to meet our legal and regulatory obligations, then securely deleted. Landlord records are kept for the duration of our instruction and for [6 years] afterwards.
Who we share your data with
Referencing and credit-check providers; the deposit protection scheme (TDS Custodial); contractors instructed to carry out maintenance at a property; property portals for the purpose of marketing a property; our IT and email providers; and HMRC, the local authority or other bodies where we are legally required to do so. We do not sell your data.
Your rights
You have the right to ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you, to have inaccurate data corrected, to ask us to delete data we no longer need, to object to or restrict processing, and to data portability. To exercise any of these rights, email post@tcea.co.uk or write to us at the address above. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ico.org.uk).
How we protect your data
Documents uploaded through our forms are stored in a protected area of our website that is not publicly accessible, and access is limited to staff who need it. Our website uses HTTPS.
Changes to this policy
Last updated 5 November 2026.