Privacy Policy - Selfstorage Hounslow

This Privacy Policy explains how Selfstorage Hounslow collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with its storage services. It applies to all Selfstorage Hounslow customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, authorised users, and visitors who communicate with us or use our services.

We are committed to handling personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and other applicable privacy laws. This policy is designed to help you understand what data we process, why we process it, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and what rights you have.

1. Who We Are

Selfstorage Hounslow provides self-storage services to individuals and businesses in Hounslow and the surrounding area. In the context of data protection law, we act as a data controller for the personal data we collect and use about customers and others who interact with our services. This means we decide how and why personal data is processed.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect data that is necessary for delivering our services, managing accounts, meeting legal obligations, and protecting our business, customers, and premises. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity data, such as your name, date of birth, and identification details.
Contact data, such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Account and contract data, including booking details, unit size, move-in and move-out dates, payment records, and service preferences.
Financial data, such as billing information, payment status, and transaction history.
Security data, including CCTV footage, access logs, and incident reports where relevant.
Communications data, such as correspondence, complaints, enquiries, and service requests.
Technical data collected through websites, online forms, or devices used to access our services, where applicable.

In some cases, we may also receive personal data from third parties, for example from payment providers, identity verification services, insurers, contractors, debt recovery partners, or law enforcement agencies where permitted by law.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To register and manage customer accounts.
To provide storage services and related customer support.
To process payments, invoices, refunds, and account administration.
To verify identity and prevent fraud, misuse, or unauthorised access.
To maintain security of the premises, staff, customers, and stored goods.
To comply with legal, regulatory, insurance, and tax obligations.
To manage disputes, claims, complaints, and legal proceedings.
To improve service quality and operational efficiency.
To contact you about your account or service matters.

We will only use personal data for legitimate and specified purposes, and we will not use it in a way that is incompatible with those purposes.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for each type of processing. Depending on the context, Selfstorage Hounslow relies on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Performance of a Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a storage agreement with you, manage your unit, take payments, provide access, and handle account-related matters.

Legal Obligation

We process certain data to comply with legal obligations, including accounting, tax, security, and record-keeping requirements, as well as lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests or those of a third party, provided your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. This may include fraud prevention, property protection, business administration, security monitoring, and service improvement.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain optional communications or specific uses of data. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. CCTV, Security, and Access Monitoring

For the safety and protection of our premises, customers, staff, and stored property, we may use CCTV and access monitoring systems. These systems may record images, dates, times, and access events. Such processing is usually based on legitimate interests and/or legal obligations. We use these measures responsibly and proportionately, with restricted access to recordings and logs.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Retention periods may vary depending on the category of data and the legal or operational need.

Customer account and contract records are generally retained for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and accounting records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Security records, such as CCTV footage, are retained only for a limited period unless needed for investigation, legal action, or an insurance matter.
Communications and complaints may be retained as long as necessary to manage the issue and defend legal rights.

When data is no longer needed, we will delete, anonymise, or securely destroy it.

7. Processors and Sharing of Data

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as data processors or independent controllers, but only where necessary and lawful. Processors are required to handle personal data securely, only on our instructions, and in compliance with data protection law.

Examples of processors may include:

Payment processing providers.
IT and cloud storage service providers.
Customer management and booking system providers.
Security and CCTV system providers.
Professional advisers, such as accountants or legal advisers.
Debt recovery or claims handling services, where necessary.

We may also disclose personal data to third parties where required by law, for example to regulators, insurers, law enforcement, or courts. We do not sell personal data.

8. International Transfers

If any personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms recognised under UK data protection law.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to certain conditions and exemptions.

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

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage you to raise any concerns with us first so we can try to resolve them.

10. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include restricted access, secure systems, encryption, staff confidentiality obligations, and monitoring of security incidents. While no system is completely secure, we continuously review our safeguards to keep data protected.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not intentionally collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a lawful customer relationship or authorised contact. Where we become aware that children’s data has been collected improperly, we will take appropriate steps to delete or protect it.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our operations, or how we process personal data. Any updates will take effect when published in the revised version. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal information.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Selfstorage Hounslow is committed to respecting privacy, minimising data use, and processing personal data fairly and transparently. We will only collect what we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, keep it no longer than necessary, and ensure that any processors we use are bound by appropriate data protection obligations. This policy applies to all Selfstorage Hounslow customers in the area and reflects our commitment to responsible data handling.