Privacy Policy - Selfstorage Harringay

This Privacy Policy explains how Selfstorage Harringay collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Selfstorage Harringay customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, former customers, website visitors, and anyone who interacts with our services. We are committed to handling personal data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and other applicable privacy laws.

1. Who We Are

Selfstorage Harringay provides self-storage services to individuals and businesses in and around Harringay. In this policy, references to we, us, and our mean Selfstorage Harringay. References to you mean the individual whose personal data we process, whether as a customer, enquiry maker, visitor, or authorised user.

We act as the data controller for the personal data covered by this policy, which means we decide how and why your personal data is used.

2. What Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the information needed to provide our services, manage our business, meet legal obligations, and protect our customers, staff, and premises. The categories of data we may collect include:

Identity data such as your name, title, and date of birth where needed for verification.
Contact data such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Account and service data such as storage unit details, contract information, booking records, payment status, and customer correspondence.
Financial data such as payment card details, bank details, invoice records, and transaction history, where applicable.
Verification data such as copies of identification documents or proof of address if required for identity checks, fraud prevention, or legal compliance.
Usage data such as access logs, entry records, and security system records relating to the use of our premises.
Technical data such as IP address, browser type, and device information if you interact with our digital services.
Special category data only where necessary and lawfully permitted, and only in limited circumstances.

We do not intentionally collect unnecessary personal data. Where we do collect data indirectly, it may come from payment providers, identity verification services, insurers, contractors, or public sources where lawful.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to set up and manage storage agreements;
to provide access to storage units and related services;
to process payments, deposits, refunds, and account administration;
to communicate about bookings, renewals, account changes, or service issues;
to verify identity and prevent fraud;
to maintain security and monitor site access;
to comply with legal and regulatory obligations;
to handle disputes, insurance matters, and claims;
to improve our services, systems, and customer experience;
to enforce our contractual rights and protect our property.

We will only process your personal data for specific, explicit, and legitimate purposes. We will not use it in a way that is incompatible with those purposes.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Depending on the circumstances, we may rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes managing your storage agreement, taking payment, providing access, and handling account administration.

Legal Obligation

We process data where necessary to comply with legal duties, including accounting rules, tax requirements, fraud prevention, and lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests or those of a third party, provided your rights do not override those interests. Examples include site security, operational management, business protection, and service improvement. We always assess the impact of such processing and apply appropriate safeguards.

Consent

Where required by law, we rely on your consent. For example, this may apply to certain optional communications or non-essential data uses. You may withdraw consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, insurance, or reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the reason for processing.

Customer contract and account records are generally kept for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Security and access records are kept only as long as needed for safety, investigation, or operational reasons.
Enquiry records may be deleted after a shorter period if no contract is formed.

When data is no longer needed, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you.

6. Processors and Third Parties

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us run our services. These parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the context. We require appropriate contractual and security safeguards before sharing data.

Processors and service providers may include:

payment processors and banking providers;
IT and cloud hosting providers;
security, alarm, and CCTV service providers;
identity verification and fraud prevention providers;
accounting, audit, and bookkeeping providers;
maintenance, facilities, and operational contractors;
legal, insurance, and professional advisers.

We may also share data where necessary with law enforcement, regulators, courts, or other public bodies when required by law or to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims. We do not sell your personal data.

7. International Transfers

If any processor or service provider stores or accesses personal data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms. We take steps to ensure your data receives an appropriate level of protection wherever it is processed.

8. Security of Personal Data

We use technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, encryption, secure storage, staff training, and physical security measures at our premises.

While we work hard to protect your data, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. We therefore cannot guarantee absolute security, but we continually review and improve our safeguards.

9. Your Rights

You have rights under data protection law in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to exemptions or limitations, but we will always consider your request carefully. Your rights include:

Right of access to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure in certain circumstances, sometimes called the right to be forgotten.
Right to restriction of processing in certain situations.
Right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability for data processed by automated means and based on consent or contract, where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
Right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office if you are unhappy with how we handle your data.

To exercise any of these rights, you may make a request through the appropriate channels available to you. We may need to verify your identity before responding. We will normally respond within one month, unless the request is complex or numerous.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are generally intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary and lawful, for example where a parent or guardian provides information in connection with a service. If we learn that we have collected data unlawfully from a child, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

11. Automated Decision-Making

We do not rely on fully automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects on you, unless this is lawful and we have informed you accordingly. If such processing were ever used, we would ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including the right to human review where required.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data processing practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to remain informed about how we protect your information.

13. Our Commitment to You

Selfstorage Harringay is committed to processing personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently. We aim to collect only the data we need, keep it accurate, protect it appropriately, and retain it for no longer than necessary. All Selfstorage Harringay customers in area are covered by this policy, and we expect the same standards from any third parties processing data on our behalf.

In summary, we treat your privacy seriously and take a responsible approach to data protection throughout the customer relationship. By using our services, you acknowledge that your personal data will be handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable law.