Storage Dulwich Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Storage Dulwich collects, uses, stores and protects personal data relating to individuals who use our storage services or interact with us as customers or prospective customers. This Privacy Policy applies to all Storage Dulwich customers in our service area, including anyone who makes enquiries, signs a storage agreement, visits our premises, or otherwise uses our services.
Who we are and scope of this policy
Storage Dulwich is a storage services provider offering units and related services to individuals and businesses. For the purposes of applicable data protection laws, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018, Storage Dulwich is the data controller of the personal data described in this Privacy Policy.
This Privacy Policy covers personal data processed in connection with our storage services, customer accounts, enquiries, marketing activities, and any online or offline interactions you may have with us as a customer in our area.
Personal data we collect
We collect and process personal data that you provide directly to us, that we generate in the course of delivering our services, and that we obtain from certain third parties where lawful to do so. Depending on your relationship with us, this may include:
Identification and contact details such as your full name, postal address, billing address, contact address, and any other address you provide, as well as information such as your date of birth where required for verification.
Communication details such as your communication preferences and records of correspondence between you and Storage Dulwich, including notes of telephone conversations, onsite enquiries, and messages submitted through any contact forms or written correspondence.
Contract and account information such as storage unit details, rental period, access permissions, payment history, invoices, account status, and information relating to any disputes, claims, or complaints.
Payment and billing information such as transaction details, payment method details where required for processing payments, and records of charges and refunds. We do not store full payment card details longer than necessary to complete your transaction or to comply with legal and regulatory obligations.
Security and access information such as access codes, unit numbers, records of entry and exit times where access systems are in place, and any relevant incident reports. Where we operate CCTV on our premises for security and safety, this may include image recordings of individuals on site.
Marketing and preference information such as your consent or objection to receiving marketing communications, and information about how you engage with any marketing messages we may send, where permitted by law.
How we use your personal data
We use your personal data only where we have a lawful basis under data protection law. The main purposes for which we use your data are:
To provide and manage storage services. We use your information to register you as a customer, set up and manage your account, allocate and manage storage units, facilitate access to the premises, and communicate with you about your storage agreement and any related services.
To process payments and billing. We use your personal data to issue invoices, take payments, manage deposits, handle refunds, and maintain accurate financial records.
To verify identity and ensure security. We may use identification information and access records to verify your identity, help protect your possessions, prevent unauthorised access to storage units, and support our security measures on site, including the use of CCTV where in operation.
To respond to enquiries and provide customer support. We process your contact details and communications so that we can answer your questions, provide information, and handle complaints or service-related issues.
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations. We may need to process and retain certain information to comply with tax, accounting, anti-fraud, anti-money laundering, health and safety, or other statutory obligations, including lawful requests from law enforcement or regulatory authorities.
To protect our legitimate interests. We may use your data to manage and improve our business operations, maintain the security and integrity of our premises and systems, prevent and detect misuse or fraud, and establish, exercise or defend legal claims. When we rely on legitimate interests, we balance our interests with your rights and freedoms and only process data that is necessary for these purposes.
To send marketing communications where permitted. With your consent where required, or where we are otherwise permitted by law, we may use your contact details to send information about our storage services, offers, or updates that we believe may be of interest to you. You can opt out of marketing at any time.
Lawful basis for processing
We rely on one or more of the following lawful bases under the UK GDPR for processing your personal data:
Contract. Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, for example when you request a quote or reserve a storage unit.
Legal obligation. Processing is necessary for us to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations, including record-keeping, tax, accounting, and responding to lawful requests from public authorities.
Legitimate interests. Processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests in operating and improving our storage services, securing our premises, managing risk, and protecting our rights, provided that these interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.
Consent. In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain types of marketing or where required for specific uses of CCTV or images. Where we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.
Data sharing and processors
We do not sell your personal data. We may share your data with trusted third parties where necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including:
Service providers acting as data processors who provide services such as payment processing, customer relationship management, document storage, IT support, security and access control systems, and accounting support. These providers are only allowed to process your personal data on our instructions and must protect it in accordance with data protection law.
Professional advisers such as accountants, legal advisers, insurers and auditors where this is necessary for the provision of their services and the protection of our business.
Public authorities and law enforcement where we are required to disclose personal data to comply with legal or regulatory obligations, court orders, or to assist with investigations into suspected illegal activities.
Other third parties in connection with business transactions such as a potential sale or restructuring of Storage Dulwich, in which case we will ensure that your personal data remains protected and that any transfer complies with applicable laws.
Data retention
We keep your personal data for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and to meet any legal, accounting or reporting requirements. Retention periods may differ depending on the type of data and the nature of our relationship with you.
Customer account and contract information is generally retained for a period after your storage agreement ends, to enable us to resolve any queries or disputes, comply with legal obligations, and maintain accurate records. Financial records such as invoices and payment information are typically retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
CCTV recordings, where used, are retained for a limited period that is appropriate for security and safety purposes, unless a longer retention period is required in connection with a specific incident, investigation, or legal claim.
When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymise it in a way that ensures it can no longer be associated with you.
International transfers
Where we use service providers or systems that involve transferring personal data outside the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data in accordance with data protection laws. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms. You can contact us for more information about relevant safeguards in place for any international transfers.
Your data protection rights
Under data protection law, you have certain rights in relation to your personal data. These may include:
The right of access. You have the right to request confirmation as to whether we process personal data about you and to request a copy of your personal data, together with certain information about how we use it.
The right to rectification. You have the right to request correction of any inaccurate or incomplete personal data we hold about you.
The right to erasure. In certain circumstances, you may have the right to request that we delete your personal data, for example where it is no longer needed for the purposes for which it was collected, or where you withdraw consent and there is no other legal basis for the processing.
The right to restriction of processing. You may request that we restrict the processing of your personal data in certain situations, for example while we verify the accuracy of the data or consider an objection you have raised.
The right to object. You have the right to object to processing that is based on our legitimate interests, including profiling, and we will stop processing your data unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests and rights. You also have the absolute right to object at any time to the processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes.
The right to data portability. Where processing is based on consent or contract and is carried out by automated means, you may have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and to request that it be transmitted to another controller where technically feasible.
Where we rely on your consent as a lawful basis, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
Exercising your rights and complaints
If you wish to exercise any of your data protection rights or have any concerns about how Storage Dulwich handles your personal data, you can contact us using the contact details provided on our website or in your storage agreement documentation. We will respond to your request or complaint as soon as reasonably possible and within the time limits set by law.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK data protection supervisory authority if you are unhappy with how we have used your data. Details of how to do this are available from the Information Commissioner's Office.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, how we process personal data, or changes in legal requirements. Any updates will be made available through our usual communication channels. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how Storage Dulwich protects your personal data.
