Privacy Policy - Highbury Cleaner

This Privacy Policy explains how Highbury Cleaner collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Highbury Cleaner customers in the area, including anyone who enquires about, books, receives, or pays for our services. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to all Highbury Cleaner customers in area, as well as prospective customers, suppliers, and other individuals whose personal data we process in connection with our services. By using our services or contacting us, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this policy.

2. Information we collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant to providing our services, managing our business, and meeting legal obligations. The type of information we may collect includes:

Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, business name.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details such as property access instructions, preferences, cleaning requirements, appointment notes, and service history.
Payment and billing information such as payment records, invoices, and transaction details.
Communication records such as messages, feedback, complaints, and service-related correspondence.
Technical information such as basic website or device information if you interact with us online, where applicable.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and you have provided it, or we are required to process it for a lawful reason. Special category data includes information such as health details, religious beliefs, or biometric data. If such data is ever provided to us, we will treat it with extra care and only process it where permitted by law.

3. How we use your personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide, schedule, and manage cleaning services;
to communicate with you about bookings, changes, and service updates;
to process payments, issue invoices, and maintain financial records;
to respond to enquiries, complaints, or requests;
to maintain internal records and service quality;
to comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
to protect our business, staff, customers, and property from fraud, misuse, or security risks.

We will not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the original reason it was collected unless we have a lawful basis to do so.

4. Lawful basis for processing

Under data protection law, we must have a valid legal basis to process personal data. Highbury Cleaner relies on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process your data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes arranging services, managing bookings, carrying out cleaning work, and handling payment-related matters.

Legal obligation

We process data where required to comply with legal duties, such as tax, accounting, record-keeping, and other regulatory obligations.

Legitimate interests

We may process data for our legitimate business interests, provided your interests and rights do not override those interests. This may include service management, operational planning, quality control, security, and responding to customer issues. When relying on legitimate interests, we assess the impact on your privacy and take steps to minimise risks.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, particularly where it is required by law. If we do so, you have the right to withdraw consent at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

5. Sharing your information and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary for business operations, service delivery, or legal compliance. These third parties may act as processors or, in some cases, as independent controllers.

Examples of processors we may use include:

payment service providers that process card or online payments;
accounting or bookkeeping providers that help us manage invoices and records;
software and IT service providers that support scheduling, storage, or communications;
customer management systems used to organise service delivery;
professional advisers who assist with legal, financial, or compliance matters.

Where processors act on our behalf, they are only allowed to use your data according to our instructions and must protect it with appropriate technical and organisational measures. We require contracts or similar safeguards to ensure data is processed securely and lawfully.

We may also disclose information if required by law, court order, or a competent authority, or where necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

6. International transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place so that your data remains protected. This may include using countries with adequacy regulations or implementing contractual protections approved for international transfers.

7. Data retention

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

Customer and service records are generally kept for the duration of the customer relationship and a reasonable period afterwards for administration and dispute handling.
Financial records are retained for the period required by law, usually in line with accounting and tax obligations.
Communication records may be kept for as long as needed to manage queries, resolve complaints, or maintain service history.
Legal or claims-related records may be retained longer where necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal rights.

When data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted, anonymised, or archived in a way that prevents unnecessary access.

8. Security of personal data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff awareness, and limited data sharing. While no system can be guaranteed fully secure, we take reasonable steps to safeguard the information we hold.

9. Your rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be limited in some situations, but we will always consider your request carefully and respond appropriately.

Right of access – you can ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – in some cases, you can ask us to delete your data.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing, where applicable.
Right to data portability – you can request certain information in a reusable format where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We aim to reply within the time limits set by law.

10. Complaints and your supervisory authority

If you are concerned about how we handle your personal data, you have the right to raise a complaint with the relevant data protection authority. We would appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns first, but you are not required to do so before contacting the authority.

11. Changes to this privacy policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or data processing practices. Any changes will take effect when the updated policy is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so you remain informed about how your data is used.

12. Summary of our commitments

Highbury Cleaner is committed to processing personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently. We collect only the information we need, use it for clear purposes, share it only where necessary, and keep it only for as long as required. We also respect your rights and aim to ensure that all customers in the area can trust us to handle their personal information responsibly and in compliance with data protection law.