FOI request (FOIR-678586598)

Software systems

Requested Tue 14 January 2025
Responded Thu 16 January 2025

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I am formally requesting detailed information regarding your organisation’s use of software systems for property management, rent collection, tenant management, and maintenance logging.

To ensure clarity and reduce the need for follow-up, I have outlined specific details I require below.

1. Software Systems in Use

Please provide the following details for any software currently used for:

Property management (for example, inspections, compliance, record-keeping).

Tenant management (for example, on-boarding, communications, and tenant records).

Rent collection (for example. payment processing, arrears tracking, reporting).

Maintenance logging (for example, systems for tenants to report maintenance issues and staff to log and track maintenance tasks).

For each software used, provide the following:

Name of the software.

Name of the software provider or supplier.

2. Cost Breakdown

For each software system identified above, provide the total costs incurred annually, including but not limited to:

Licensing or subscription fees.

Maintenance fees (for example, technical support, system updates).

Any additional costs (for example, integration fees, customisation fees, or additional modules).

If costs vary (for example, per property, per user, or tiered pricing), please specify the pricing model used.

3. Implementation and Support Costs

Provide details of any initial or ongoing costs associated with these systems, including:

Implementation or setup costs.

Costs for training staff to use the software.

Consultancy or third-party services related to these systems (if applicable).

4. Scope of Use

Provide the following details about the use of each software system:

The number of properties managed using the software.

The number of tenants whose records are maintained using the software.

The approximate number of maintenance requests logged annually by:

Tenants.

Staff (for example, property managers or maintenance teams).

5. Contractual Information

For each software system, provide the following contractual details:

The duration of the current contract(s).

The renewal date(s) of the contract(s).

Any termination conditions or penalties specified in the contract(s).

6. Future Plans

Please provide details of any ongoing or planned procurement or tender processes to replace, upgrade, or expand software solutions for:

Property management.

Tenant management.

Rent collection.

Maintenance logging.

Additional Information

If this information is available in existing reports, spreadsheets, or similar documents, I would appreciate receiving it in electronic form (for example, PDF, Excel). If certain parts of the requested information are subject to exemptions under the Act, I request that you release all other non-exempt portions, along with explanations for any redactions or withheld information, citing the specific exemption(s) applied.

If the cost of complying with this request exceeds the limit set under Section 12 of the Act, please provide advice and assistance on how to refine the request to remain within the cost threshold, as required by Section 16 of the Act.

Response

Notice of Refusal

Disclosure of information relating to ICT systems, infrastructure and security constitutes a security risk as it would leave the Council's computer assets more vulnerable to a malicious hacking attack. This means that disclosure would:

• Make the Council more vulnerable to crime (Section 31)

• Risk harming the systems on which the day-to-day business of the Council relies (Section 43)

Section 31 (Law Enforcement)

Section 31(1)(a) states that information is exempt if its disclosure is likely to prejudice the prevention or detection of crime. ICO guidance states that this can be used to protect information on a public authority's systems which would make it more vulnerable to crime. This exemption can be used by a public authority that has no law enforcement function:

• To protect the work of one that does

• To withhold information that would make anyone, including the public authority itself, more vulnerable to crime

The crime in question would be a malicious attack on the Council's computer systems. Since the disclosure of the withheld information would make the Council's systems more vulnerable to such crime, the exemption is engaged.

The exemption is subject to the public interest test. There is an overwhelming public interest in keeping the Council's computer systems secure which would be served by non-disclosure. This outweighs the public interest in accountability and transparency that would be served by disclosure.

Section 43 (Commercial Interests)

Section 43(2) states that information is exempt if its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person (including the public authority holding it).

Disclosure of information relating to ICT systems, infrastructure and security puts the council at risk of a malicious hacking attack.

This would compromise the Council's ability to provide its services and carry out 'business-as-usual' should our systems be compromised. Were our systems to be compromise, the cost of a system recovery would be detrimental to the Council's commercial interests.

The exemption is subject to the public interest test. There is an overwhelming public interest in keeping the Council's computer systems secure which would be served by non-disclosure. This outweighs the public interest in accountability and transparency that would be served by disclosure.