Storage Herne Hill Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Storage Herne Hill collects, uses, stores and protects personal data relating to our customers and prospective customers in the Herne Hill area. It also sets out your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and related data protection laws. This Privacy Policy applies to all Storage Herne Hill customers and users of our services in the local area, whether you interact with us online, by phone, or in person at our premises.
Who we are and scope of this policy
Storage Herne Hill is a self-storage service provider operating in the Herne Hill area. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as the data controller for the personal data described in this Privacy Policy. This means that we determine the purposes and means of processing your personal data. This policy applies to all personal data we process about our customers, prospective customers, and authorised users of storage units in the Herne Hill area.
Personal data we collect
We collect and process different categories of personal data in order to provide and manage our storage services. The types of personal data we may collect include:
Identification and contact information: name, postal address, billing address, contact address, date of birth, and other identifiers necessary to confirm your identity.
Contact details: email address, correspondence address, and other contact details you choose to provide so that we can communicate with you about your booking or enquiry.
Contract and account information: customer reference numbers, storage unit numbers, contract start and end dates, payment status, and information about the services you have booked or used.
Payment and billing information: details relating to your chosen payment method, payment history, invoices, and records needed for accounting and tax purposes. We do not store full card details when payment is processed via secure third-party payment processors.
Security and access information: vehicle registration numbers if you provide them for site access, access codes or fob identifiers, entry and exit logs, and, where used on site, CCTV imagery recorded for security and safety purposes.
Communication records: records of communications you send to us or that we send to you, including enquiries, feedback, and any complaints, along with notes of any conversations relevant to the management of your storage agreement.
How we collect personal data
We collect personal data directly from you when you contact us, request a quote, make a booking, sign a storage agreement, visit our site, or otherwise use our services. We may also collect personal data when you communicate with us by email, post, or other communication channels. In some cases, we may receive personal data about you from third parties, such as payment processors, referral partners, or individuals who add you as an authorised contact or user of a storage unit.
Lawful bases for processing
We only process your personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so under data protection law. Depending on the context, we may rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:
Performance of a contract: We process personal data that is necessary to enter into and perform our contract with you, including providing a storage unit, managing your account, taking payments, arranging access, and responding to your queries in relation to the service.
Legal obligations: We process certain information to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, such as record-keeping, tax and accounting obligations, security and safety obligations, and cooperating with regulators and law enforcement where required.
Legitimate interests: We process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests or those of a third party, provided your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. These interests may include managing our business, improving our services, securing our premises, preventing fraud, and handling customer enquiries and complaints. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we assess the impact on your privacy and implement safeguards.
Consent: In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain types of marketing communications. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw your consent at any time, and we will explain how to do this when we ask for your consent.
How we use your personal data
We use the personal data we collect for the following purposes:
To provide our services: setting up and managing your storage account, administering your contract, arranging and monitoring access to the storage facility, and providing customer support throughout your use of our services.
To manage payments and billing: issuing invoices, processing payments, dealing with payment queries, and maintaining financial and tax records in accordance with legal requirements.
To maintain security and safety: operating access control systems, monitoring entry and exit logs, and using CCTV imagery where installed to help protect customers, staff, and property.
To communicate with you: responding to your enquiries, sending service-related updates (including changes to our terms or policies), and contacting you about issues relating to your storage unit or account.
To improve and manage our business: analysing how our services are used, developing and improving our services, training staff, and managing risk, fraud, and operational issues.
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations: keeping required records, cooperating with authorities when lawfully requested, and enforcing our rights in relation to our contracts.
Data retention
We keep your personal data only for as long as it is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, and to meet any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. When determining appropriate retention periods, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the data, the potential risk from unauthorised use or disclosure, the purposes for which we process it, and whether those purposes can be achieved by other means.
In general, we retain most customer account and contract information for a period after your storage agreement ends, to allow us to respond to any queries, handle potential disputes, and comply with legal obligations. CCTV recordings, where used, are typically retained for a shorter period unless needed longer in connection with an incident or investigation. When personal data is no longer required, we securely delete or anonymise it.
Data sharing and processors
We may share your personal data with trusted third parties who act as data processors on our behalf. These service providers are only permitted to process your personal data in accordance with our instructions and for specified purposes, and they are required to keep your data secure. These processors may include payment processing providers, IT and cloud hosting providers, customer management and billing platforms, and security service providers involved in access systems or CCTV management.
We may also share personal data where this is necessary with professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers, or with authorities, regulators, and law enforcement when we are required or permitted by law to do so. Where data is transferred or stored outside the United Kingdom or European Economic Area, we will take steps to ensure an adequate level of protection consistent with data protection law, such as using appropriate safeguards.
How we protect your data
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to protect your personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure, or access. These measures include logical and physical access controls, staff training on data protection responsibilities, secure storage systems, and procedures for handling data breaches. While no system can be completely secure, we regularly review and improve our security measures to help keep your data safe.
Your data protection rights
Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to the personal data we hold about you. These rights may be subject to certain conditions and legal exceptions. Your rights include:
Right of access: You can request confirmation that we process your personal data and obtain a copy of the personal data we hold about you, together with certain information about how it is used.
Right to rectification: You can ask us to correct or complete personal data that is inaccurate or incomplete.
Right to erasure: In certain circumstances, you can request that we delete or remove your personal data, for example where it is no longer needed for the purposes for which it was collected and we do not need to retain it for legal reasons.
Right to restriction of processing: You can ask us to restrict the processing of your personal data in certain situations, such as where you contest the accuracy of the data or object to our processing.
Right to data portability: Where we process your personal data on the basis of your consent or for the performance of a contract, and the processing is carried out by automated means, you can request that we provide your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format, or transfer it to another controller where technically feasible.
Right to object: You can object to our processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interests as our lawful basis, including profiling based on those interests. We will stop processing your personal data unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds which override your interests, rights, and freedoms, or unless we need to continue processing for the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims.
Rights in relation to consent: Where we rely on your consent, you can withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.
Exercising your rights and complaints
If you wish to exercise any of your data protection rights or have questions about how we handle your personal data, you can contact Storage Herne Hill using the contact details provided on our main customer information materials and website. We will respond to your request in accordance with applicable data protection laws and may need to verify your identity before responding. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection supervisory authority if you are concerned about the way we handle your personal data.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, our practices, or applicable laws. Any changes will be made available to customers, and the updated version will apply from the date it is published. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically so that you remain informed about how Storage Herne Hill collects and processes personal data in the Herne Hill area.
