Privacy Policy - Cleaners Shoreditch

This Privacy Policy explains how Cleaners Shoreditch collects, uses, shares, stores, and protects personal data in connection with the cleaning services we provide. It applies to all Cleaners Shoreditch customers in the area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and business clients who use our services. We are committed to handling personal information 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, Cleaners Shoreditch acts as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in the course of delivering our services. This means we decide why and how your personal data is processed. We take data protection seriously and apply appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard the information we hold.

2. Information We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for providing our services, managing our relationship with you, and meeting legal or operational obligations. Depending on how you interact with us, the information we collect may include:

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details such as property access instructions, booking preferences, cleaning requirements, and service history.
Payment-related information such as billing records and transaction details.
Communication records including messages, complaints, feedback, and service confirmations.
Technical information where relevant, such as basic website usage data or device information, if you interact with digital booking or enquiry systems.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and you have provided it voluntarily, or we are required to process it for a lawful purpose. If such information is ever needed, it will be handled with additional care and only where permitted by law.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data to deliver our services effectively and responsibly. The main purposes include:

Processing enquiries and bookings.
Providing cleaning services and managing appointments.
Confirming access arrangements and service instructions.
Issuing invoices, managing payments, and maintaining accounting records.
Responding to questions, complaints, and customer requests.
Maintaining service quality, training, and internal record-keeping.
Meeting legal, tax, and regulatory obligations.
Preventing fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

We only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected unless we reasonably believe we need to use it for a compatible purpose or a legal requirement.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only where we have a valid lawful basis under the UK GDPR. Depending on the context, our lawful bases may include:

Contract

We process your data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes taking bookings, carrying out cleaning services, and managing customer accounts.

Legitimate Interests

We may process certain data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include service administration, internal record-keeping, responding to customer feedback, service improvement, and limited marketing communications where allowed.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain personal data when required to comply with legal duties, such as tax, accounting, insurance, safeguarding, or regulatory obligations.

Consent

In some situations, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain optional communications. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

Vital Interests

In rare cases, we may process data to protect someone’s vital interests, such as in an emergency affecting health or safety.

5. Sharing Your Information

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to operate our business and provide services. These third parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the situation. We only share data when there is a lawful basis and only to the extent needed.

Processors may include:

Payment providers that process transactions securely.
IT and cloud service providers that host or support our systems.
Scheduling or booking tools used to manage appointments and service logistics.
Accounting and invoicing providers used for financial administration.
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers where necessary.

We require processors to handle personal data confidentially and securely, and only in accordance with our instructions. They are not permitted to use your data for their own independent purposes.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, court order, or a regulatory authority, or where disclosure is needed to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the reason it is held.

In general:

Customer and booking records are kept for the duration of the service relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and invoice records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Complaints and correspondence may be retained for as long as needed to resolve issues and demonstrate compliance.
Consent-based communications are kept until you withdraw consent or opt out, unless another lawful basis applies.

When data is no longer needed, we delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer be linked to an identifiable individual.

7. International Transfers

Where any processor or service provider stores or accesses data outside the UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place so your information remains protected. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other approved transfer mechanisms.

8. Data Security

We use appropriate security measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, and staff confidentiality obligations. While no system can be completely risk-free, we take reasonable steps to reduce the likelihood and impact of a data incident.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to conditions and exemptions. They include:

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 circumstances.
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit how we use 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.

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 breached. We encourage you to raise any concerns with us first so we can try to resolve the matter promptly.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are generally intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary for service delivery and provided by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult. Where children’s data is processed, we do so only in a manner consistent with legal requirements and with appropriate safeguards.

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 handling practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is used.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Cleaners Shoreditch is committed to handling personal information lawfully, fairly, and transparently. We collect only the data we need, use it for legitimate purposes, keep it only as long as necessary, and share it responsibly with trusted processors. We respect your rights and aim to make our data practices clear and accountable for every customer in the Shoreditch area.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Cleaners Shoreditch customers in the area.