Privacy Policy - Southhackney Storage

Southhackney Storage is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, store, and protect personal data relating to all Southhackney Storage customers in area, including individuals who enquire about, book, use, or manage storage services. It also explains your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who this policy applies to

This Privacy Policy applies to all customers, prospective customers, account holders, authorised representatives, and anyone else whose personal data is processed in connection with Southhackney Storage services in the area. It covers data collected when you request a quote, make a booking, access storage facilities, communicate with us, make payments, or otherwise interact with our services.

2. Personal data we collect

We only collect data that is necessary for operating our services, managing customer relationships, maintaining security, and meeting legal obligations. Depending on how you use our services, we may collect the following types of personal data:

Identity data: name, date of birth, and identification details where required for security or legal compliance.
Contact data: address, email address, and telephone number.
Account and service data: booking details, storage unit information, access records, preferences, correspondence, and service notes.
Payment data: billing information, transaction records, and limited payment details necessary to process payments and issue invoices.
Verification and security data: proof of identity or address, CCTV-related records, access logs, and incident reports where applicable.
Technical data: device and browser information, IP address, and usage data if you interact with our digital systems.

We generally do not seek to collect special category data. If such information is provided to us incidentally, we will handle it in accordance with applicable law and only where there is a lawful basis to do so.

3. How we collect personal data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you complete forms, communicate with us, sign agreements, or provide information during the provision of services. We may also receive data from third parties, such as payment providers, identity verification services, insurers, contractors, or legal and regulatory bodies where appropriate. In some cases, data may be collected automatically through access control systems, security systems, or website and system logs.

4. Why we use your data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide storage services and manage your account;
to verify identity and prevent fraud;
to process payments, refunds, and invoicing;
to communicate with you about bookings, access, and service changes;
to maintain site safety, security, and operational integrity;
to comply with legal and regulatory obligations;
to resolve complaints, disputes, or claims;
to improve our services and record-keeping;
to enforce our terms and protect our legitimate business interests.

5. Lawful basis for processing

We process personal data only where we have a lawful basis under the UK GDPR. The lawful bases we rely on may include:

Contract

We process data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes managing bookings, providing access to storage units, handling payments, and delivering customer support.

Legal obligation

We may process personal data where required to comply with law, including taxation, accounting, fraud prevention, safety, and record-keeping obligations.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests or those of a third party, provided that those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include protecting premises, preventing misuse, maintaining service quality, and managing business operations.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent. Where we do so, you may withdraw consent at any time. Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

6. Sharing your data and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who assist us in operating our services. These parties act as processors when they handle data on our behalf and under our instructions. Processors may include:

payment processing providers;
IT hosting, cloud storage, and software service providers;
security and access control providers;
accounting and administrative service providers;
identity verification and fraud prevention services;
professional advisers such as lawyers, insurers, or auditors;
regulators, law enforcement, or public authorities where required by law.

We ensure that processors only process data under written contracts and appropriate safeguards. They are not permitted to use your data for their own independent purposes.

7. International transfers

If any of our processors or systems involve transfers of personal data outside the UK, we will ensure that suitable safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms recognised under applicable data protection law.

8. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including for legal, accounting, tax, insurance, or dispute-resolution requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of information and the purpose for which it is used.

Customer account and booking records: retained for the duration of the service relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial records: retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Security and access records: retained only as long as necessary for site safety, investigation, or legal compliance.
Complaint and dispute records: retained until the matter is resolved and for an appropriate period thereafter.

When personal data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe and lawful manner.

9. Data security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access restrictions, staff training, secure storage, system monitoring, and contractual controls with processors. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take reasonable steps to protect the data entrusted to us.

10. Your rights

Under data protection law, you may have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

Right of access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure: to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction: to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability: to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal exceptions or limitations. We will respond to requests in accordance with applicable law.

11. How to exercise your rights

If you wish to exercise any of your rights, you should provide enough information for us to identify you and understand your request. We may need to verify your identity before taking action. We aim to respond within the statutory time period and, where necessary, will let you know if more time is required.

12. Children’s data

Southhackney Storage services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a customer relationship and lawful to do so. Where a child’s data is involved, we will process it only as permitted by law and with suitable safeguards.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or data protection practices. Any updated version will apply from the date of publication or as otherwise stated. We encourage customers in the Southhackney Storage area to review this policy periodically.

14. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle personal data, we encourage you to raise them with us so that we can address them promptly. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK data protection authority if you believe your rights have been infringed.

Effective principle: we process personal data only when necessary, keep it secure, retain it for no longer than needed, and respect your rights at every stage. This commitment applies to all Southhackney Storage customers in area.