Cookie policy
Housing Direct uses a small number of cookies to keep you signed in, remember your preferences, and understand how the Platform is used. You can change your choices at any time — they take effect on your next page load.
01Your preferences
Change which cookies Housing Direct can set on your device. Essential cookies can't be turned off — without them the Platform doesn't work — but everything else is optional.
02What is a cookie?
A cookie is a small text file that a website asks your browser to store. It lets the website recognise your browser on the next page or visit. We also use related browser-storage technologies (localStorage, sessionStorage) for the same purposes — references to "cookies" below cover all of them.
03How we use them
We split cookies into three categories: Essential (always on), Preferences, and Analytics. We use them only on Housing Direct itself — we don't operate ad networks, retargeting, or social-media tracking pixels.
The full list of cookies we set is below. Cookies set by third-party verification providers (Persona, TrueLayer) only appear during their respective flows and are explained on those screens.
04Essential cookies
| Name | Purpose | Lifetime | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| hd_session | Keeps you signed in. Encrypted and HttpOnly. | 30 days, rolling | First-party |
| hd_csrf | Protects form submissions against cross-site request forgery. | Session | First-party |
| hd_route | Sticks your browser to the AWS region serving your account. | 1 day | First-party |
| __cf_bm | Cloudflare bot-management challenge — distinguishes humans from bots. | 30 minutes | Third-party |
05Preference cookies
| Name | Purpose | Lifetime | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| hd_workspace | Remembers your last active workspace (council, landlord). | 90 days | First-party |
| hd_filters | Stores your saved search and shortlist filters. | 1 year | First-party |
| hd_dismissed_tips | Tracks which onboarding tips you've closed so they don't reappear. | 2 years | First-party |
06Analytics cookies
| Name | Purpose | Lifetime | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| _plausible_id | Plausible Analytics — counts unique daily users without storing personally identifiable data. | 1 day | Third-party |
| hd_anonymous_id | Random ID tied to your browser to help us measure feature uptake. Not linked to your account. | 13 months | First-party |
We use Plausible Analytics — a privacy-focused, EU-hosted alternative to Google Analytics. It doesn't use IP addresses or fingerprinting to track individuals.
07Third-party cookies
Two third-party services set cookies on Housing Direct:
- Cloudflare protects the Platform from automated abuse. Its cookies are essential and set on every request — they cannot be disabled while using the Platform.
- Plausible Analytics sets a short-lived analytics cookie when you've opted in to analytics. It's hosted in the EU and doesn't share data with other services.
Verification flows (Persona, TrueLayer) load only on demand and set their own cookies for the duration of the check. They're covered by those providers' privacy notices, which we surface inline when their flows start.
08Managing cookies in your browser
You can also manage cookies directly in your browser, which gives you control across every site you visit:
- Chrome —
Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies - Firefox —
Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies - Safari —
Preferences → Privacy - Edge —
Settings → Cookies and site permissions
Blocking essential cookies in your browser will prevent you from signing in. Blocking preference cookies will reset your filters and tips every visit.
09Contact us
Questions about cookies, or want to know exactly what's stored against your browser? Email privacy@housingdirect.co.uk and we'll send you a copy.
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