Privacy Policy - Selfstorage Ilford

This Privacy Policy explains how Selfstorage Ilford collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Selfstorage Ilford customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, former customers, and any person who interacts with us in connection with our storage services. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, transparent, and secure manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Selfstorage Ilford acts as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in relation to our storage services. This means we determine why and how your personal data is processed. We take our responsibilities seriously and aim to ensure that personal information is processed only when there is a valid legal reason to do so.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

Identity information such as your name, date of birth, and identification details.
Contact information such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Account and contract information such as storage unit details, booking records, payment status, and agreement terms.
Payment information such as billing details, transaction references, and partial payment card information where necessary for processing.
Access and security information such as entry logs, CCTV records, and site access records where applicable.
Correspondence including communications, complaints, enquiries, and service requests.
Technical information collected through our systems, such as device or usage data if relevant to security or service administration.

We do not seek to collect unnecessary personal data. When we require special category data, we will only do so where there is a lawful basis and a specific legal or operational need, and we will apply additional safeguards.

3. How We Collect Personal Data

We collect personal data directly from you when you:

make an enquiry;
reserve or rent a storage unit;
complete forms or provide documents;
make payments;
use our premises or access systems;
communicate with us by phone, email, online, or in person.

We may also receive data from third parties where necessary, such as identity verification providers, payment processors, insurers, legal advisers, or public authorities. Where appropriate, we may also obtain information from fraud prevention or security services to help protect our customers and premises.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We only process personal data where we have a valid lawful basis under UK GDPR. Depending on the context, we rely on the following legal grounds:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes setting up accounts, managing storage agreements, processing payments, providing access to units, and administering our services.

Legal obligation

We may process data to comply with legal requirements, including tax, accounting, fraud prevention, health and safety, and any lawful request from public authorities or law enforcement.

Legitimate interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include protecting our premises, preventing fraud, improving services, managing disputes, and maintaining operational records. Where we rely on this basis, we consider the impact on individuals and apply appropriate safeguards.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where it is required for a specific optional service. If consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal will not affect processing carried out before the withdrawal.

5. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide and manage storage services;
to verify identity and prevent unauthorised access;
to process payments, refunds, and account administration;
to communicate about bookings, agreements, renewals, and notices;
to handle complaints, queries, disputes, and claims;
to improve security, site operations, and customer service;
to comply with legal and regulatory obligations;
to protect the rights, property, and safety of Selfstorage Ilford, our customers, staff, and visitors.

We will not use personal data for unrelated purposes unless permitted by law or with your consent.

6. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to operate our business and deliver our services. These third parties may act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. When acting as processors, they process personal data only on our instructions and under written contracts requiring appropriate confidentiality, security, and compliance measures.

Examples of processors or service providers may include:

payment processing providers;
IT hosting, cloud storage, and software support providers;
identity verification and fraud prevention services;
security and CCTV monitoring contractors;
professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, and legal advisers;
document storage or administrative support providers.

We may also disclose data to insurers, emergency services, regulators, courts, and law enforcement where required or permitted by law. We do not sell personal data.

7. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms. We take steps to ensure that any such transfer provides a level of protection consistent with UK GDPR requirements.

8. Data Retention

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

Contract and account records are generally retained for the duration of the customer relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Payment and financial records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Security records, such as access logs or CCTV footage, are kept only for as long as needed for safety, investigation, or evidence purposes.
Correspondence and complaints are retained for as long as necessary to resolve the matter and retain business records.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in accordance with our retention practices. Retention is reviewed regularly to ensure data is not kept for longer than necessary.

9. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training, system monitoring, and confidentiality obligations. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work continuously to reduce risks and protect the information entrusted to us.

10. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have important rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to certain legal conditions and exemptions, these rights include:

Right of access – to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit processing in specific situations.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format and have it transferred where technically feasible.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

Important: exercising these rights may be subject to legal obligations or legitimate business requirements that mean we cannot always comply in full. We will explain any decision clearly and fairly.

11. Automated Decision-Making

We do not use personal data for decisions based solely on automated processing that produce legal or similarly significant effects, unless this is lawful, necessary, and subject to appropriate safeguards. If this changes, we will update this policy and provide the relevant information required by law.

12. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where necessary in connection with a customer’s lawful use of our services and in accordance with applicable law. Where relevant, we will take extra care to ensure that any processing is appropriate and lawful.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, technology, or our business practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to remain informed about how we protect personal data.

14. Complaints and Further Rights

If you have concerns about how your personal data is handled, you have the right to raise them with us. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK data protection authority if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage you to contact us first so that we can try to resolve your concerns promptly and fairly.

Selfstorage Ilford is committed to processing personal data responsibly, lawfully, and transparently. We recognise the importance of privacy and will continue to take steps to protect the information of all customers in the area. By using our services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection law.