Privacy Policy - Selfstorage Stjohnswood

This Privacy Policy explains how Selfstorage Stjohnswood collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Selfstorage Stjohnswood customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, former customers, visitors to our premises, and individuals who interact with us in connection with storage services, rental agreements, billing, security, or account management.

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. This policy describes the types of data we process, the legal bases we rely on, how long we keep information, who may process it on our behalf, and the rights available to individuals.

1. Data We Collect

We collect and process personal data that is necessary to provide storage services, manage customer accounts, protect property and premises, and meet legal obligations. The categories of data we may collect include:

Identity details: name, date of birth, and, where required, proof of identity.
Contact details: postal address, email address, and telephone number.
Account and contract information: storage unit details, tenancy dates, payment status, and service preferences.
Payment information: billing records, transaction history, and limited financial data needed to process payments.
Security information: CCTV footage, access logs, site entry records, and incident reports.
Correspondence: communications relating to bookings, renewals, complaints, claims, or enquiries.
Vehicle and access details: registration numbers or access credentials where needed for site security and operational control.

We do not collect more personal data than is necessary for the purposes set out in this policy. Where data is requested by law or required for a contract, failure to provide it may affect our ability to offer or continue services.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data to operate our storage services and manage customer relationships. Typical uses include:

setting up and administering storage agreements;
verifying identity and preventing fraud;
processing payments and maintaining financial records;
communicating about account matters, renewals, and service changes;
protecting the security of customers, staff, property, and premises;
responding to queries, disputes, and complaints;
meeting tax, accounting, insurance, and legal requirements;
improving operational efficiency and customer service;
enforcing contractual terms where necessary.

We will only use personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably determine that we need to use it for another compatible purpose or where law requires otherwise.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only where we have a lawful basis under data protection law. Depending on the activity, our lawful bases may include:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes managing bookings, providing access to storage units, issuing invoices, and administering your account.

Legal Obligation

We may process information to comply with legal duties, including accounting, taxation, fraud prevention, health and safety, regulatory, and record-keeping obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may rely on our legitimate interests where this is appropriate and does not override your rights and freedoms. This may include site security, prevention of unauthorised access, protection of property, business administration, and limited direct communication about service matters.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where a specific optional service or marketing activity requires it. If we do, you may withdraw consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing already carried out lawfully before withdrawal.

4. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our business. These parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the service they provide. We require appropriate contractual and security safeguards before sharing data.

Examples of processors may include:

payment service providers who process card or electronic payments;
IT and hosting providers who maintain systems, data storage, and communications infrastructure;
security providers who support alarms, monitoring, and CCTV systems;
accounting and bookkeeping providers who assist with financial administration;
insurance and claims handlers where incident handling requires data sharing;
legal and professional advisers where advice or dispute resolution is needed;
maintenance contractors who may access limited data when carrying out site services.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, court order, regulatory request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Selfstorage Stjohnswood, our customers, or others. We do not sell personal data.

5. Retention of Personal Data

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including to meet legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the reason for processing.

Contract and account records: retained for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial records: retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Security records and CCTV: retained for a limited period unless required for investigation, insurance, legal action, or incident management.
Correspondence and complaints: retained as long as needed to resolve matters and demonstrate compliance.

When personal data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe and appropriate manner. Retention is reviewed periodically to ensure information is not kept for longer than necessary.

6. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, encryption where appropriate, staff confidentiality obligations, and physical security arrangements at our premises.

Although we take reasonable steps to safeguard information, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. If a personal data breach occurs that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will handle it in line with applicable legal requirements.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, individuals have certain rights in relation to their personal data. Depending on the circumstances, these may include:

Right of access: to request confirmation of whether we process your data and to receive a copy.
Right to rectification: to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure: to request deletion of data in certain cases.
Right to restriction: to ask us to limit processing in specific 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.

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to exemptions or legal limitations. We may need to verify your identity before responding to a rights request.

8. Children’s Data

Our storage services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless necessary in exceptional circumstances and only where permitted by law.

9. International Transfers

If personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place so that it remains protected to standards consistent with UK data protection law.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, operational practices, or data processing activities. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review it periodically.

11. Complaints

If you have concerns about how your personal data is handled, please raise them with us so that we can address the issue. You also have the right to complain to the UK data protection supervisory authority if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.

Summary of our commitment: Selfstorage Stjohnswood processes personal data lawfully, securely, and only for clear business and legal purposes. We apply appropriate retention controls, use trusted processors under contract, and respect the rights of all customers in the area.