Privacy Policy - Haroldwood Storage

Haroldwood Storage is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, store, and protect personal information, and it applies to all Haroldwood Storage customers in area. We process personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Haroldwood Storage provides storage services to individuals and businesses. For the purposes of data protection law, Haroldwood Storage is the data controller of the personal data described in this Policy. This means we decide how and why your personal data is used.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide storage services, manage our business, and meet legal obligations. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity information such as your name, title, date of birth, and identification documents where required.
Contact details such as billing address, email address, and telephone number.
Account and service information such as storage unit details, booking records, access logs, payment status, and customer preferences.
Financial information such as payment card details or bank account information, where needed for billing and refunds. In many cases, payment processing is handled by a third party and we do not store full card details.
Security information such as CCTV images, gate access records, alarm logs, and incident reports, where applicable.
Communication records such as emails, letters, call notes, complaints, and service requests.
Technical information such as IP address, device data, and browser information if you interact with our digital systems.

We generally do not seek to collect special category data unless it is necessary and you have chosen to provide it, or unless required by law. If such data is received, we will handle it with additional safeguards.

3. How We Collect Your Data

We collect personal data directly from you when you:

apply for storage services;
enter into a rental agreement;
make payments or update account details;
contact us with queries, complaints, or requests;
use access systems or security-controlled areas;
interact with our staff or automated systems.

We may also receive data from third parties such as payment providers, identity verification services, debt recovery agents, insurers, or public authorities where lawfully permitted.

4. How We Use Your Personal 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 arrears;
to communicate about your storage agreement and service matters;
to maintain security and protect property, staff, and customers;
to comply with legal and regulatory obligations;
to resolve disputes, enforce agreements, and defend legal claims;
to improve our services, systems, and customer experience.

We will only use your data where there is a lawful basis to do so, as explained below.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a valid lawful basis for each use of your personal data. Haroldwood Storage relies on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, including managing your storage agreement, providing access, issuing invoices, and responding to service requests.

Legal obligation

We may process data where necessary to comply with legal requirements, such as tax, accounting, health and safety, fraud prevention, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This includes protecting our site, preventing theft or misuse, managing debt recovery, improving services, and maintaining business records. When we rely on legitimate interests, we assess the impact on your privacy and apply appropriate safeguards.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where you agree to receive optional marketing communications or where a specific processing activity requires consent. You may withdraw consent at any time.

6. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We do not sell your personal data. However, we may share it with trusted third parties where necessary to operate our business and provide services. These third parties act either as independent controllers or as processors processing data on our behalf.

Processors may include:

payment service providers;
IT and cloud storage providers;
security and CCTV monitoring providers;
accounting and bookkeeping services;
customer communication and email service providers;
maintenance and facilities management contractors;
professional advisers such as lawyers, auditors, or insurers;
debt collection or recovery agencies where accounts remain unpaid.

All processors are required to handle personal data securely, only on our instructions, and in accordance with data protection law. We also may share data with law enforcement, courts, regulators, or other public bodies where necessary or required by law.

7. International Transfers

If any of our service providers store or process data outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement, or other legally approved transfer mechanisms. We will take reasonable steps to ensure your data remains protected wherever it is processed.

8. Data Retention

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

Customer account and contract records are typically kept for the duration of the agreement and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Payment and accounting records are retained for the period required by tax and financial laws.
Security records such as CCTV footage are retained for a limited period unless needed for an investigation, legal claim, or incident review.
Correspondence and complaint records may be retained for as long as needed to resolve the matter and protect our legal position.

When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or destroyed.

9. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, staff training, secure storage, encryption, and limited user permissions. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take reasonable and proportionate steps to safeguard the information we hold.

10. Your Rights

Subject to certain legal conditions and exemptions, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

Right of access – to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – to ask us to correct 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 data portability – to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing relies on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We aim to respond within the time limits required by law.

11. Automated Decision-Making

Haroldwood Storage does not normally use fully automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects. If this changes, we will provide appropriate information about the logic involved and your rights.

12. Complaints

If you are concerned about how we handle your personal data, you have the right to raise a complaint with the relevant data protection authority. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue promptly and fairly.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. The most recent version will apply to your personal data. We recommend reviewing this Policy periodically to stay informed.

Last updated: This Privacy Policy applies to all Haroldwood Storage customers in area and sets out how we handle personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner.