Privacy Policy - Cleaner Kennington

This Privacy Policy explains how Cleaner Kennington collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with our cleaning services. It applies to all Cleaner Kennington customers in the area, including individuals who request one-off cleaning, regular domestic cleaning, deep cleaning, end-of-tenancy cleaning, or related services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the personal data necessary to provide our services, manage our business, and meet our legal obligations. The information we may collect includes:

• Identity data: name, title, and any preferred name.
• Contact data: address, email address, and telephone number.
• Service details: cleaning requirements, property access information, appointment preferences, and service history.
• Billing and payment data: payment status, invoice information, and limited transaction details.
• Communication data: messages, feedback, complaints, or other correspondence.
• Technical data: basic website or device information if you interact with our online systems, such as IP address or browser type.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you have provided it voluntarily, or where we must process it to comply with legal obligations. We ask customers to avoid sharing sensitive information unless it is relevant to the service.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• to provide and manage cleaning services;
• to confirm bookings and arrange access to properties;
• to communicate with customers about appointments, changes, or service updates;
• to process payments and issue invoices;
• to handle queries, complaints, and customer support;
• to improve service quality and maintain internal records;
• to comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory requirements;
• to protect our business against fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

We only process data in ways that are compatible with the purposes for which it was collected. Where possible, we use the minimum amount of personal data needed to achieve each purpose.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. Cleaner Kennington relies on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes arranging a cleaning service, confirming visits, managing instructions, and handling payments.

Legal Obligation

We may process certain data to comply with legal duties, such as accounting, tax compliance, record-keeping, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms. This may include improving our services, preventing fraud, managing service quality, and maintaining internal administration. We always consider whether your privacy rights require us to limit such processing.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where you choose to receive optional marketing communications or provide information not required for the service. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

4. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. These parties are only given the data required to perform their role and are expected to protect it appropriately.

Examples of processors may include:

• Payment processors: to handle card or electronic payments securely.
• Accounting software providers: to manage invoices, financial records, and tax-related tasks.
• IT and cloud service providers: to store data, support communication systems, and maintain operational tools.
• Booking or scheduling systems: to organise appointments and customer records.
• Professional advisers: such as accountants or legal advisers, where necessary for compliance or business management.

We require processors to follow appropriate security measures and to process data only on our instructions, unless they are independently responsible for their own lawful processing. We do not sell personal data.

We may also disclose data if required by law, court order, or public authority, or where disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of our business, staff, customers, or others.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, or reporting obligations. Retention periods depend on the nature of the data and the reason for processing.

For example:

• Customer service records are retained for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards to manage follow-up, disputes, or service history.
• Invoice and payment records are generally retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
• Complaint or correspondence records may be retained for a period needed to resolve issues or defend legal claims.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete it or anonymise it so it can no longer identify you. Retention decisions are reviewed regularly to ensure data is not kept longer than necessary.

6. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, staff training, and restricted data access.

While we take reasonable steps to safeguard personal information, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. We therefore cannot guarantee absolute security, but we do take data protection seriously and act promptly if an issue arises.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights concerning your personal data. Depending on the circumstances, these may 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 cases.
• Right to restriction: to ask us to limit the processing of 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.

If you make a request, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We aim to respond within the timeframe required by law and will provide clear information about any limitations that apply.

8. Marketing Preferences

If we send optional marketing communications, we will do so only where permitted by law. You may opt out of marketing at any time. Even if you opt out, we may still contact you about bookings, service updates, payments, or legal matters, as these are not marketing messages.

9. International Transfers

If any of our processors store or access data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, contractual protections, or other lawful transfer mechanisms recognised under data protection law.

10. Changes to This Policy

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

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Cleaner Kennington is committed to processing personal data responsibly, only where there is a valid lawful basis, and only for clear and legitimate purposes. We collect the minimum amount of information needed, share it carefully with trusted processors, retain it only as long as necessary, and respect the rights of every customer in the area. We aim to keep your information safe, relevant, and properly managed at all times.