Privacy Policy - Hounslow Storage

This Privacy Policy explains how Hounslow Storage collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with storage services. It applies to all Hounslow Storage customers in the area, including prospective customers, account holders, authorised representatives, and individuals whose information is provided to us in the course of arranging or using storage services.

We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We only process personal data when we have a valid lawful basis and we take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it.

1. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process personal data that you provide directly, that is generated through your use of our services, or that we receive from third parties where lawful and appropriate. The categories of information may include:

Identity data: name, date of birth, and proof of identity where required.
Contact data: address, email address, telephone number, and billing details.
Contract and account data: storage unit reference, service history, payment records, and correspondence.
Security data: access logs, CCTV images where used, and records of site entry or exit.
Financial data: payment method details, transaction records, refunds, and outstanding balances.
Usage data: information about how our storage services are used, including move-in and move-out dates, enquiries, and service preferences.
Technical data: limited device or system information collected through our administrative systems, where relevant.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and permitted by law, or unless you choose to provide it to us in a specific situation. If we ever need to process such data, we will ensure that an additional lawful condition applies.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data to provide and manage storage services, maintain security, handle payments, communicate with customers, comply with legal duties, and protect our business and customers. Typical uses include:

setting up and managing customer accounts;
verifying identity and eligibility;
processing payments and issuing invoices or receipts;
managing access to storage facilities and supporting site security;
responding to enquiries, complaints, and requests;
preventing fraud, misuse, theft, and unauthorised access;
keeping business and statutory records;
meeting legal, regulatory, tax, and accounting obligations;
defending legal claims and enforcing agreements.

We will only use personal data for the purposes for which it was collected unless we reasonably consider that another compatible purpose is required or permitted by law. We do not sell personal data.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each processing activity. We rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as creating an account, managing storage services, taking payment, or handling customer support related to the contract.

Legal Obligation

We process personal data where required to comply with laws and regulations, including tax, accounting, fraud prevention, health and safety, and record-keeping obligations.

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 facility security, preventing misuse, improving service quality, and defending legal claims. Where appropriate, we consider whether the processing is proportionate and whether your privacy rights are protected.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain optional communications or specific uses not covered by another lawful basis. Where consent is used, it may be withdrawn at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties that act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. These parties are engaged only where necessary and are required to protect personal data and use it only for authorised purposes.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

payment service providers that handle card or bank transactions;
accounting and bookkeeping providers;
IT and cloud service providers that support storage, email, or administration systems;
security providers, including alarm monitoring and CCTV system support;
professional advisers such as lawyers, insurers, auditors, and tax advisers;
delivery, maintenance, or facilities contractors where access or contact details are needed to perform work.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, court order, regulatory request, or where necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal rights. Where third parties process personal data on our behalf, they do so under written terms requiring appropriate confidentiality, security, and compliance with data protection law.

5. Retention of Personal Data

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason for processing.

In general, we may retain:

contract and account records for the duration of the relationship and for a period after it ends;
financial and tax records for the period required by law;
security and access records for a limited period unless needed longer for an incident or investigation;
correspondence and complaints for as long as needed to resolve the matter and maintain appropriate records;
legal claim information for the applicable limitation period or longer if necessary.

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete it securely, anonymise it, or archive it where appropriate and lawful. Retention is reviewed periodically to ensure we do not keep data for longer than necessary.

6. Data Security

We take appropriate measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, staff confidentiality obligations, secure systems, encryption or password protection, and regular review of our procedures. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to reduce risks and respond appropriately to any security incident.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights are not absolute and may be subject to conditions or exemptions. Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to:

access the personal data we hold about you;
rectify inaccurate or incomplete personal data;
erase your personal data in certain circumstances;
restrict the processing of your data in certain circumstances;
object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
data portability for information you have provided to us where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means;
withdraw consent where we rely on consent;
not be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing where this produces legal or similarly significant effects, if applicable.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We aim to respond within the timescales required by law. You also have the right to raise concerns with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your data has been mishandled.

8. International Transfers

If any personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent protections recognised under data protection law. We assess transfer arrangements to ensure your information remains protected.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or operational practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

10. Scope and Application

This Privacy Policy applies to all Hounslow Storage customers in the area and to personal data processed in connection with our storage services, enquiries, administration, site security, and related operations. By using our services, you acknowledge that your information may be processed in accordance with this policy and the applicable law.

Hounslow Storage is committed to respecting privacy, acting transparently, and ensuring that personal data is handled responsibly throughout the customer relationship.