Privacy Policy

How we collect, use and protect your personal data

Last updated: 26 September 2026

This notice explains what personal data Dowdall Surveying collects, whether you're simply browsing our website, getting in touch with an enquiry, or instructing us to carry out a survey or valuation, and what we do with it. It's the one privacy notice that covers all of that, both online and offline, in one place.

We are the "data controller" of the personal data described in this notice. Our contact details are at the end of this notice.

1. Who we are

Dowdall Surveying Services Ltd, trading as Dowdall Surveying, is an independent RICS-regulated residential surveying and valuation practice based in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, run by Lee Dowdall AssocRICS.

Registered office: Ransom Hall South, Ransom Wood Business Park, Mansfield, NG21 0HJ.

2. What personal data we collect

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

Contact details. Your name, address, email and phone number, if you enquire, instruct us, or subscribe to updates.
Property and instruction details. The property address, access arrangements, any mortgage lender or solicitor you've asked us to send the report to, and payment details.
Information gathered during a survey. Our notes, observations and photographs of the property. Photographs occasionally capture people or personal possessions incidentally.
Correspondence. Emails, letters or call notes relating to your instruction or enquiry.
Website usage data. Collected automatically when you visit our website, such as your device and browser type, pages viewed, and how you found the site, via cookies and similar technologies (see section 6).
Contact form submissions. Whatever you type into an enquiry or contact form on our website.

3. How we use your data, and our legal basis

We only use personal data for the reasons below, and we always have a lawful basis under UK GDPR for doing so:

To provide a quote and respond to your enquiry. Our legitimate interest in running the business and answering you.
To carry out a survey or valuation you've instructed us for, and to send the report to you and any third party you've named (for example, your lender or solicitor). Necessary to perform our contract with you.
To arrange access to a property with an occupier who isn't our client. Our legitimate interest in delivering the instruction.
To keep accounting and tax records. A legal obligation.
To send you marketing updates or a newsletter. Only with your consent, which you can withdraw at any time.
To defend or bring a legal claim, or meet our professional indemnity insurance obligations. Our legitimate interest and, occasionally, a legal obligation.

We don't use your data to make any automated decisions about you, and we don't sell your data to anyone.

4. Who we share your data with

We only share personal data where it's necessary, and only with:

Any third party you've asked us to send the report to, such as your mortgage lender or conveyancing solicitor.
Subcontracted specialists (for example, damp, electrical or drainage specialists), where a further opinion is needed and this has been discussed with you.
Our professional indemnity insurers and legal advisers, where necessary to obtain advice or defend a complaint or claim.
RICS, where required for regulatory, quality assurance or complaints purposes.
Service providers who support the running of the practice, such as our survey report software, cloud storage and backup, email and accounting providers, who only process data on our instructions.
Our accountant, to prepare accounts and tax returns.
Anyone we're legally required to share it with, or where necessary to protect our rights, property or safety, or that of others.
A buyer of the business, if it's ever sold, as part of the assets transferred.

5. Where your data is stored

Some of the software and cloud services we use to run the practice (for example, cloud storage, email or survey reporting tools) may store data outside the UK, including in the United States. Where this happens, we only use providers that have appropriate legal safeguards in place, such as a UK adequacy decision covering that country, or Standard Contractual Clauses or the UK International Data Transfer Agreement, so your data stays properly protected wherever it's processed.

6. Cookies and website data

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to make the site work properly and to understand how it's used:

Essential cookies. Needed for the website's basic functionality. These can't be switched off.
Analytics cookies. Help us understand how visitors use the site, so we can improve it. These are only set with your consent, via the cookie banner on our site.
Preference cookies. Remember choices you've made on the site, such as accepting the cookie notice.

You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings at any time. Blocking some cookies may affect how the site works. Details of the specific cookies in use are set out in the cookie banner and settings on our website.

7. How long we keep your data

We keep personal data only for as long as we need it. In practice, that means:

What it relates to	How long we keep it	Why
Survey and valuation files (instructions, correspondence, photographs, the report)	15 years from the date of the report	Professional indemnity insurance requirements and the extended time limits that can apply to residential property claims
Enquiries that don't go ahead	Up to 12 months	In case you come back to us, then deleted
Invoices and payment records	6 years from the end of the tax year	HMRC requirement
Marketing and newsletter contacts	Until you unsubscribe, or after 24 months of no engagement	You're in control of this at any time
Website analytics and cookie data	Typically 14 to 26 months, per the tool's default	Standard analytics practice

8. Your rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

Ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Ask us to delete your data, in certain circumstances. This is limited where we need to keep survey records for professional indemnity or legal reasons.
Ask us to restrict how we use your data while a query is resolved.
Receive certain data you've given us in a portable format, where relevant.
Object to processing based on our legitimate interests, or to marketing, at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in section 10. We'll respond within one month. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at any time:

ico.org.uk · 0303 123 1113 · Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

9. Children's privacy

Our services are aimed at adults instructing property surveys and valuations, and our website isn't directed at children. We don't knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we'll remove it.

10. Contact us

If you have any questions about this notice or how we handle your personal data, please contact:

Lee Dowdall
Dowdall Surveying Services Ltd, trading as Dowdall Surveying
Ransom Hall South, Ransom Wood Business Park, Mansfield, NG21 0HJ

Telephone: 01623 375096
Email: [email protected]

11. Changes to this notice

We may update this notice from time to time, for example if our processing changes or the law is updated. The "last updated" date at the top shows when it was last revised, and any material changes will be highlighted on our website.