Privacy Policy - Upperclapton Storage

This Privacy Policy explains how Upperclapton Storage collects, uses, shares, stores, and protects personal data when providing storage services. It applies to all Upperclapton Storage customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, former customers, and individuals who contact us in connection with storage services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Upperclapton Storage is the data controller for the personal data described in this policy. This means we decide how and why your personal data is used in connection with our storage services. We only collect and use personal data where we have a valid legal reason to do so and where it is necessary for operating our business, fulfilling our obligations, and protecting our legitimate interests.

2. Personal Data We Collect

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

Identity information: name, title, date of birth, and identification details used for verification.
Contact information: address, email address, telephone number, and emergency contact details where provided.
Account and contract information: storage unit details, tenancy records, booking information, payment status, and correspondence relating to your account.
Payment information: billing details, bank details, payment card information, and records of transactions, where necessary for payment processing.
Security and access information: entry logs, CCTV images, gate access data, and incident reports.
Communications: emails, phone notes, letters, complaint records, and other messages you send to us.
Technical information: device and browser data, IP address, and usage information if captured through systems used to operate and secure our services.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is provided by you and necessary for a specific lawful purpose. If such data is shared, we will apply additional safeguards where required.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to set up and manage your storage account;
to verify identity and prevent fraud;
to process bookings, payments, refunds, and deposits;
to administer access to storage facilities and maintain security;
to communicate service updates, notices, and account-related information;
to handle complaints, disputes, and legal claims;
to comply with tax, accounting, regulatory, and legal obligations;
to improve our operations, services, and security measures;
to protect the rights, property, and safety of Upperclapton Storage, our customers, staff, and visitors.

We only use your data for the purposes for which it was collected unless we reasonably believe we need to use it for a compatible purpose or another lawful reason applies.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Depending on the circumstances, we rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract: processing is necessary to enter into or perform a storage agreement with you, such as managing your unit, billing, and providing access.
Legal obligation: processing is necessary to comply with laws, including accounting, tax, fraud prevention, and record-keeping requirements.
Legitimate interests: processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as maintaining security, managing risk, improving services, and defending legal claims, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.
Consent: in limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where consent is required for optional communications or specific processing activities. You may withdraw consent at any time where this is the basis used.

Where we process special category data, we will do so only if an additional condition under data protection law applies.

5. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary for the purposes set out in this policy. These third parties act either as data processors or independent controllers, depending on the service they provide.

Processors We Use

Processors are service providers who process data on our behalf and under our instructions. They may include:

Payment processors who handle card payments, direct debits, or other payment methods;
IT and cloud service providers who host, secure, and maintain our systems;
Security service providers who support CCTV, alarm monitoring, and access control;
Administrative and communication service providers who help with correspondence, record management, and storage administration;
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, auditors, and lawyers;
Debt recovery or credit control providers where account recovery measures are required.

We require processors to protect personal data, keep it confidential, and use it only for the purposes we specify. We do not sell personal data.

We may also disclose data where required by law, by a court order, to public authorities, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of any person.

6. Data Retention

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

Contract and account records: retained for the duration of the storage relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Payment and invoicing records: retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Security records, including CCTV and access logs: retained only for as long as needed for security, incident investigation, or legal purposes.
Correspondence and complaint records: retained for as long as needed to manage the matter and any associated legal risk.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or destroy it in accordance with our retention procedures.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, staff confidentiality obligations, secure storage, and monitoring of relevant systems. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take data protection seriously and review our safeguards regularly.

8. Your Rights

Depending on the circumstances, you 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 data.
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 circumstances.
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, machine-readable format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent: where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You will not usually have to pay a fee to exercise your rights. We may need to verify your identity before responding. Some rights may not apply in every situation, and in certain cases we may continue processing data where permitted by law.

9. International Transfers

If any personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it, such as standard contractual clauses or other approved transfer mechanisms, where required by law.

10. Children

Our storage services are not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is provided by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult in connection with a service arrangement.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data protection practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is issued. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their personal data is handled.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Upperclapton Storage is committed to processing personal data lawfully, transparently, and securely. We collect only the information needed to provide storage services, maintain safety, meet legal obligations, and manage our relationship with customers. We retain data only for necessary periods, share it only with trusted processors or where required by law, and respect the rights of every individual whose data we hold. This policy applies to all Upperclapton Storage customers in area and is designed to ensure compliance with applicable data protection law.

By using Upperclapton Storage services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy.