Privacy Policy - Selfstorage Kingstonuponthames

This Privacy Policy explains how Selfstorage Kingstonuponthames collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with its self-storage services. It applies to all Selfstorage Kingstonuponthames customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, former customers, and any individuals who interact with us in relation to storage units, payments, access arrangements, deliveries, account administration, or customer support.

We are committed to handling personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We aim to be transparent about what information we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, who we share it with, and the rights available to individuals.

1. Who This Policy Applies To

This policy applies to anyone whose personal data we process in the course of providing self-storage services in and around Kingston upon Thames. This includes individuals who:

request a quote or make an enquiry;
enter into a storage agreement;
use a storage unit or access controlled facilities;
make payments or receive invoices;
communicate with us by phone, email, online forms, or in person;
are authorised contacts, emergency contacts, or account users;
have their data processed for security, legal, or operational reasons.

By using our services, you acknowledge that we may process your personal data as described in this policy. Where we process data about another person, you should ensure you have the right to provide that information to us.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary for lawful business purposes. Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following categories of information:

Identification and contact data

full name;
postal address;
email address;
telephone number;
date of birth where required for verification;
proof of identity or proof of address when needed for security or legal compliance.

Account and service data

storage unit reference numbers;
booking, hire, and access records;
invoice and payment history;
contract details and preferences;
communications and support requests;
notes relating to access arrangements or authorised users.

Technical and security data

cctv recordings and access logs where facilities are monitored for security;
time, date, and location of entry or exit;
device or browser information if you interact with digital systems;
incident reports, if relevant to safety, fraud prevention, or operational security.

Financial data

payment card information processed through secure payment systems;
bank details where payments or refunds are made by transfer;
records of outstanding balances, charges, and receipts.

We do not intentionally collect special category personal data unless it is provided by you and is necessary for a specific legal or service-related reason. If such data is supplied, we will process it only where permitted by law and with appropriate safeguards.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for legitimate business and legal purposes connected with the provision of storage services. These purposes include:

setting up and managing customer accounts;
verifying identity and preventing fraud;
allocating and administering storage units;
processing payments, invoices, and refunds;
providing customer support and responding to queries;
maintaining security, access control, and site safety;
complying with legal obligations, including tax and accounting requirements;
resolving disputes, enforcing contracts, and protecting our rights;
improving our services, systems, and customer experience.

We will only use personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another compatible purpose and that such use is lawful.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis before processing personal data. Depending on the context, 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. This includes managing bookings, providing access to storage units, issuing invoices, and administering your account.

Legal obligation

We process data where necessary to comply with legal and regulatory obligations, including accounting, tax, fraud prevention, health and safety, and record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Legitimate interests may include security monitoring, loss prevention, customer service, service improvement, and protecting our business from misuse or unlawful activity.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example for optional marketing communications or certain non-essential processing. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our business. These third parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the service they provide. We require appropriate contractual protections and only share the minimum data necessary.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

payment service providers who handle card or electronic payments;
IT and cloud hosting providers that store or manage business systems;
security and CCTV service providers;
accounting and bookkeeping providers;
customer communications and administrative support platforms;
maintenance and facilities management providers where access data is needed to carry out works.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, court order, law enforcement request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Selfstorage Kingstonuponthames, our customers, employees, or the public.

We do not sell personal data. If data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure suitable safeguards are in place in line with data protection law.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, contractual, and security obligations. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of record and the reason for holding it.

Customer contract and account records: retained for the duration of the service relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards to handle disputes, refunds, or legal claims.
Payment and accounting records: retained in line with tax and financial record-keeping obligations.
Security and access records: retained only as long as necessary for site security, incident handling, and audit purposes.
CCTV footage: retained for a limited period unless it is required for an investigation, claim, or legal process.
Enquiry records: retained for a limited period if no contract is formed, unless longer retention is required by law or for legitimate business reasons.

When personal data is no longer needed, it will be securely deleted, anonymised, or destroyed.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training, monitoring systems, and restricted access to records.

While we take data protection seriously, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If a personal data breach occurs and there is a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will act in accordance with legal requirements, which may include notifying the relevant supervisory authority and, where required, affected individuals.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you may have the following rights in relation to 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 information;
Right to erasure: to request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances;
Right to restrict processing: to request limited use of your data in certain 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 where applicable;
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

Please note that these rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal exemptions or limitations. We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request. We will respond within the time limits required by law, normally within one month, unless the request is complex or numerous.

9. Marketing Preferences

If we send you marketing communications, we will do so only where permitted by law. You can object to marketing at any time. Where required, we will obtain consent before sending promotional messages. Operational messages relating to your storage agreement, billing, access, or security are not marketing and may still be sent when necessary.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business users. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where a parent, guardian, or authorised adult provides information that is necessary for a service-related purpose. Where such data is provided, it will be handled carefully and only as required for legitimate business or legal reasons.

11. Changes to This Policy

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

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Selfstorage Kingstonuponthames is committed to handling personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear purposes, store it securely, and retain it only for as long as necessary. We work with trusted processors under appropriate safeguards and respect the rights of all individuals whose data we process. This policy applies to all Selfstorage Kingstonuponthames customers in the area and forms part of our wider commitment to privacy, accountability, and compliance.