Privacy Policy - Selfstorage Streatham

This Privacy Policy applies to all Selfstorage Streatham customers in the area. It explains how we collect, use, store, and protect personal data in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Please read it carefully to understand your rights and how we handle your information.

1. Who We Are

Selfstorage Streatham provides self-storage services to individuals and businesses in and around Streatham. In providing these services, we act as a data controller for the personal data we process about customers, prospective customers, visitors, suppliers, and other people who interact with us.

We are committed to handling personal data fairly, lawfully, transparently, and securely. Privacy and trust are important to us, and we aim to collect only the information that is necessary for the purposes described in this policy.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect the following categories of personal data:

Identity data: name, date of birth, and identification details where needed for verification.
Contact data: postal address, email address, and telephone number.
Account and contract data: storage unit details, agreement records, payment status, booking information, and service history.
Financial data: billing information, payment records, and limited transaction details necessary for processing payments.
Security and access data: entry records, CCTV images, alarm logs, and site access information, where applicable.
Communication data: correspondence, enquiries, complaints, feedback, and notes relating to your use of our services.
Technical data: device, browser, and usage information if you interact with our digital systems or online forms.

We do not seek to collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you choose to provide it, or we are required to process it for a lawful purpose. Where such data is processed, we will apply additional safeguards.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to create and manage your storage account;
to verify identity and prevent fraud;
to provide access to storage units and related services;
to process payments, refunds, and account administration;
to communicate with you about your contract, bookings, or service updates;
to maintain site safety, security, and incident records;
to respond to enquiries, complaints, and support requests;
to meet legal and regulatory obligations;
to defend or establish legal claims;
to improve our services, systems, and customer experience.

We will only use your personal data where we have a proper legal basis and where the use is compatible with the original purpose for which the data was collected.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Depending on the situation, we rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes setting up your account, managing your storage unit, and handling payments.

Legal Obligation

We may process data to comply with laws and regulations, including tax, accounting, fraud prevention, and health and safety obligations.

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. Examples include protecting our premises, maintaining records, preventing misuse, and improving services. We always balance our interests against your privacy rights.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain optional communications. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time.

Vital Interests and Public Task

These bases are unlikely to apply in most storage service situations, but may be used where necessary in exceptional circumstances.

5. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy, and to meet legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the reason we hold it.

Customer contract and account records are generally retained for the duration of the customer relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Payment and billing records are usually retained for statutory accounting and tax purposes.
Security records, including CCTV or access logs, are retained only for as long as needed for security, incident review, or legal purposes.
Enquiry and correspondence records are retained until they are no longer required for service handling or legal defence.

When data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you. We do not keep personal data indefinitely.

6. Processors and Third Parties

We may share personal data with trusted processors and third parties who assist us in operating our business and delivering our services. These may include:

Payment processors that handle card or electronic payments;
IT and hosting providers that support our systems, storage, and communications;
Security providers that help operate alarms, CCTV, and access control;
Professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, insurers, or legal advisers;
Regulatory, law enforcement, or government bodies where disclosure is required by law;
Maintenance and operational contractors who need limited access to perform services on our behalf.

Where we use processors, they are required to process personal data only on our instructions, to keep it secure, and to comply with applicable data protection law. We do not sell personal data.

7. International Transfers

If any of our service providers process personal data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms permitted by data protection law.

8. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and monitoring of relevant systems.

However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. While we work hard to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have several rights regarding your personal data, subject to certain conditions and exemptions:

Right of access: you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure: in some circumstances, you can ask us to delete your data.
Right to restriction: you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object: you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability: in some cases, you can ask for data you provided to us in a structured, machine-readable format.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with data protection law. We may need to verify your identity before responding to protect your privacy.

10. CCTV and Site Security

Where CCTV or similar security systems are used, images and recordings may be collected for crime prevention, safety, staff and customer protection, and incident investigation. Signage may be used to indicate when CCTV is operating. Access to such recordings is restricted to authorised personnel only.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and businesses. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a lawful contractual or legal matter. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without a lawful basis, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

12. 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 processing practices. Any updates will take effect when published in the revised version. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed.

13. Complaints and Further Information

If you are concerned about how your personal data is handled, you may raise the matter with us so that we can investigate and respond appropriately. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.

In summary, Selfstorage Streatham collects only the data needed to provide secure and reliable storage services, uses it under clear legal bases, retains it for limited periods, works with carefully selected processors, and respects your privacy rights at every stage.