Privacy Policy - Selfstorage Wandsworth

This Privacy Policy explains how Selfstorage Wandsworth collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data relating to all customers and prospective customers in the Wandsworth area. It applies to everyone who enquires about, uses, or otherwise interacts with our self-storage services in the area. 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.

1. Who This Policy Applies To

This policy applies to all Selfstorage Wandsworth customers in area, including individuals who reserve storage units, enter into agreements, visit our facilities, or communicate with us regarding services. It also applies to people whose information is processed in connection with our business operations, such as account holders, authorised users, and emergency contacts where relevant.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect personal data only where necessary for the purposes described in this policy. The types of information we may process include:

Identity details such as name, date of birth, and proof of identity where required.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Account and booking information such as storage unit details, reservation records, payment status, and contract history.
Payment information such as billing records and transaction references. We do not routinely store full card details if payments are handled by secure payment providers.
Access and security records such as entry logs, CCTV images, and authorised access details where applicable.
Communications such as enquiries, complaints, feedback, and correspondence.
Technical data such as device and usage information if you use our digital services or online forms.

We generally do not seek to collect special category data. If such information is provided to us voluntarily, we will only process it where we have a lawful basis and additional legal justification.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To manage reservations, storage agreements, and customer accounts.
To verify identity and prevent fraud, misuse, or unauthorised access.
To process payments, refunds, and invoices.
To provide customer support and respond to queries or complaints.
To maintain security, including building access control and CCTV monitoring where used.
To meet legal and regulatory obligations, including accounting and record-keeping requirements.
To improve our services, operations, and customer experience.
To exercise, defend, or establish legal claims where necessary.

We will not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the original reason for collection unless we have a valid legal basis to do so.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must identify a lawful basis for each type of processing activity. We rely on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as setting up a storage agreement, managing access to your unit, taking payment, or providing customer support related to the service.

Legal Obligation

We process some data to comply with legal requirements, including tax, accounting, fraud prevention, and record-retention obligations. This may also include responding to lawful requests from public authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where your rights do not override those interests. These interests include maintaining site security, managing operations, preventing misuse, improving services, and protecting our business from liability. When relying on this basis, we assess whether the processing is proportionate and whether it may affect your privacy.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain optional communications or specific uses of data not covered by another lawful basis. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

5. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to operate our services, comply with the law, or protect our rights. Such third parties may act as processors or independent controllers depending on the service they provide.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

Payment processors who handle secure payment transactions.
IT and cloud service providers who support data storage, communication systems, and business software.
Security providers who may manage alarm systems, surveillance systems, or access control tools.
Professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, insurers, or legal advisers.
Maintenance and facilities contractors where access to personal data is required to deliver services safely.

We require processors to act only on our instructions, keep data secure, and comply with applicable data protection obligations. We do not sell personal data. Where a transfer outside the UK is required, we will take appropriate safeguards to protect the information.

6. Data Retention

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

In general:

Contract and account records are kept for the duration of the customer relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Security records such as CCTV footage or access logs are kept for a limited period unless needed for an incident investigation or legal claim.
Correspondence and complaints are retained as needed to resolve matters and evidence our handling of the issue.

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you. In some cases, data may be retained where we must preserve it for legal proceedings or regulatory reasons.

7. Your Rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the following rights under data protection law:

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 information.
Right to erasure - to request deletion of your data in certain situations.
Right to restriction - to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
Right to data portability - to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to object - to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent - where processing is based on consent.

You also have the right to raise concerns with the UK Information Commissioner's Office if you believe your data has not been handled properly. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve any issue.

8. Security of Personal Data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, staff training, secure systems, confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our data handling practices. While we take reasonable steps to safeguard information, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

9. Children's Data

Our services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children without appropriate authorisation and a lawful basis. If we become aware that we have collected such data in error, we will take steps to delete it where appropriate.

10. Changes to This Privacy 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 it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how personal data is handled.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Selfstorage Wandsworth is committed to respecting privacy, using personal data responsibly, and protecting the information entrusted to us by customers in the area. We aim to collect only what is necessary, use it only for lawful purposes, retain it only as long as needed, and ensure that our processors handle it securely. Our approach is designed to support a safe, efficient, and transparent storage service while respecting your rights and freedoms.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Selfstorage Wandsworth customers in area.