We are a free mortgage broker introduction service. We collect the information you give us in our matching form and share it with FCA-regulated mortgage broker firms so they can help you. We do not sell your data to unrelated third parties or cold-call marketing lists. You can ask us to delete your data at any time.
Who we are and how to contact us.
Mortgage Locator is operated by Mortgagelocator.co.uk (“we”, “us”, “our”). When we say “you” or “your” in this policy, we mean anyone who uses this website or submits an enquiry through our service.
For the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, we are the Data Controller — meaning we decide why and how your personal data is processed.
ICO Registration
As a business that processes personal data, we are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
What personal data we collect.
We collect only the data we need to match you with the right mortgage broker. Here is what that includes:
Information you give us directly
- Identity data: your first name, last name.
- Contact data: email address, phone number.
- Location data: postcode / property area.
- Financial data: employment type, approximate income, deposit size, outstanding debts.
- Mortgage requirements: type of mortgage (purchase, remortgage, buy-to-let, etc.), loan amount, property value, desired completion timeframe.
- Credit history indicators: whether you have had any CCJs, defaults, IVAs, missed payments, or declined mortgage applications in the past.
- Residency status: UK residency details relevant to mortgage eligibility.
- Property information: property type, construction type, intended use.
Information collected automatically
- Technical data: IP address (anonymised), browser type and version, operating system, referring URL.
- Usage data: pages you visit, time on site, clicks, form interaction (via Google Analytics 4 and similar tools).
- Cookie data: see the Cookies section for full details.
Special category data
We do not routinely collect special category data (such as health information, political opinions, or criminal history). On rare occasions, you may voluntarily disclose relevant sensitive information — for example, if a health condition affects your employment or income. We handle any such data with the highest care and will only process it where you have given explicit consent or where it is necessary to provide our service.
No obligation to provide data
Providing your personal data is entirely voluntary. However, without certain information — such as your income and mortgage requirements — we cannot match you with a suitable broker.
How we collect your data.
Direct from you
- Completing our mortgage matching form on this website.
- Contacting us by email, phone, or via our contact page.
- Signing up for email updates or mortgage rate alerts.
Automatically via your device
- Cookies and similar tracking technologies as you browse our site.
- Analytics platforms (e.g. Google Analytics 4) that record page views, session data, and interactions.
From third parties
- Where permitted and where you have previously given consent, we may receive enquiry data from partner comparison websites or marketing platforms. We will only process such data in line with the original consent you gave to that third party.
How and why we use your data.
| Purpose | Data used | Lawful basis |
|---|---|---|
| Match you with a suitable FCA-regulated mortgage broker | Identity, contact, financial, mortgage requirement, credit history data | Legitimate interests / contract performance |
| Contact you about your enquiry and keep you updated | Identity, contact data | Legitimate interests |
| Improve our website and user experience | Technical, usage, cookie data | Legitimate interests |
| Send you mortgage-related updates, tips, or rate alerts (if opted in) | Identity, contact, marketing preference data | Consent |
| Comply with legal and regulatory obligations | All data as required | Legal obligation |
| Detect and prevent fraud or misuse of our platform | Technical, identity, contact data | Legitimate interests / legal obligation |
| Respond to complaints or disputes | All relevant data | Legitimate interests / legal obligation |
Our lawful basis for processing.
Legitimate interests
Our primary lawful basis for processing your data when you submit an enquiry is legitimate interests — specifically, it is necessary for us to process your data in order to provide the service you have requested (matching you with a broker). We have balanced this against your rights and interests, and we believe this processing does not override your rights.
Consent
Where we ask for your consent — for example, to send you ongoing mortgage tips or rate alerts — we will always make this opt-in and clearly explained. You can withdraw your consent at any time by emailing privacy@mortgagelocator.co.uk or using the unsubscribe link in any marketing email. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before your withdrawal.
Legal obligation
In certain circumstances, we are required by law to retain or disclose data — for example, for fraud prevention, anti-money laundering checks, or in response to a lawful request from a regulatory authority.
Contract performance
Where you proceed through our matching form and engage with a broker we introduce you to, we may process your data as necessary to fulfil that introduction.
How long we keep your data.
We retain your personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this policy. Our standard retention periods are:
| Data type | Retention period | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Enquiry and mortgage matching data | 6 years from last contact | Regulatory compliance, legal claims |
| Marketing opt-in / consent records | Until consent is withdrawn + 1 year | Proof of consent |
| Website analytics data | 26 months | Standard GA4 retention |
| Contact / complaint records | 6 years | Regulatory compliance, legal claims |
| Cookie consent records | 12 months | PECR compliance |
Once the relevant retention period expires, we securely delete or anonymise your personal data. We may anonymise data for statistical or research purposes, in which case it can no longer be linked back to you and we may use it indefinitely.
How we protect your data.
We take data security seriously and have implemented technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, loss, disclosure, or destruction. These include:
- Encrypted data transmission (HTTPS / TLS) across all pages of our website.
- Secure cloud hosting on Microsoft Azure with industry-standard access controls.
- Restricted staff access — only those who need to see your data to perform their role can do so.
- Confidentiality obligations for all staff and contractors.
- Regular review of our security policies and procedures.
In the unlikely event of a data breach that poses a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the ICO within 72 hours and inform you without undue delay, as required by UK GDPR.
While we take every reasonable precaution, no method of electronic storage or internet transmission is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we will always act promptly if a problem occurs.
Your rights under UK GDPR.
Under UK data protection law, you have the following rights. These are not absolute — some have conditions or exceptions — but we will always respond honestly and promptly to any request.
| Your right | What it means |
|---|---|
| Right to access | Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (a Subject Access Request). |
| Right to rectification | Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data we hold about you. |
| Right to erasure | Ask us to delete your personal data where there is no compelling reason for us to continue processing it. |
| Right to restrict processing | Ask us to pause the use of your data in certain circumstances while a dispute is resolved. |
| Right to data portability | Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format to transfer to another provider. |
| Right to object | Object to the processing of your data for direct marketing at any time, with no conditions. |
| Automated decision-making | We do not make legally significant decisions about you using solely automated processing. |
| Right to withdraw consent | Where processing is based on your consent, you can withdraw it at any time with immediate effect. |
How to exercise your rights
Email us at privacy@mortgagelocator.co.uk or write to us at our registered address. We will respond within one month. We may ask you to verify your identity before acting on a request — this is to protect your security. There is no charge for exercising your rights in most circumstances.
Third-party links.
Our website may contain links to external websites operated by third parties — including lender websites, government resources, or broker firm websites. We have no control over these sites and are not responsible for their content or privacy practices.
We strongly recommend reading the privacy policy of any third-party website you visit. Leaving our site means your data is no longer covered by this privacy policy.
Changes to this policy.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our practices, services, or applicable law. When we make significant changes, we will:
- Update the “Last reviewed” date at the top of this page.
- Post a notice on our website.
- Where appropriate and where we hold your email address, notify you directly.
We encourage you to review this page periodically. Your continued use of our website after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
If you would like a copy of a previous version of this policy, please email privacy@mortgagelocator.co.uk.
Complaints.
We take complaints about data handling seriously. If you have a concern about how we have used your personal data, please contact us first and we will do our best to resolve it.
Complaints about our data practices
Contact us at privacy@mortgagelocator.co.uk with full details of your concern. We will acknowledge your complaint within five working days and aim to provide a full response within 30 days.
Complaints about a broker we introduced you to
While we take care to work with reputable, FCA-regulated brokers, we cannot be held responsible for advice or conduct provided by third-party broker firms. If you have a complaint about a broker we introduced you to, please raise it directly with them in the first instance, following their own complaints procedure.
If you are unhappy with the broker’s response, you may escalate to:
- The Financial Ombudsman Service — financial-ombudsman.org.uk
- The Financial Conduct Authority — fca.org.uk
Complaints to the ICO
If you are not satisfied with our response to a data-related complaint, you have the right to lodge a complaint directly with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):
- Website: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint
- Helpline: 0303 123 1113
Contact us.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, want to exercise your rights, or have concerns about how we handle your data, please get in touch:
Privacy enquiries
Email: privacy@mortgagelocator.co.uk
We aim to respond to all privacy-related enquiries within 5 working days and to any formal requests within one calendar month.
Mortgage Locator is an introducer — we introduce customers to FCA-regulated mortgage brokers. We do not provide mortgage advice ourselves.
Think carefully before securing other debts against your home. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or any other debt secured on it.