Storage North Kensington Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Storage North Kensington collects, uses, stores and protects personal data relating to our customers and prospective customers in the North Kensington area. It also explains your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and related data protection laws. By using our services or making an enquiry, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.
Scope of this Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy applies to all Storage North Kensington customers and prospective customers located in the North Kensington area who make enquiries, request quotations, enter into storage agreements, or otherwise interact with us in relation to our storage services. It covers personal data collected in person, by post, and through any other communication channels we may use from time to time.
Personal data we collect
We only collect personal data that is necessary to provide and administer our storage services, manage our relationship with you, and meet our legal obligations. The types of personal data we may collect include:
Identification details such as full name, title, date of birth and proof of identity details shown on documents you present to us for verification. Contact details such as billing address, storage unit contact address, and any other address you provide, together with contact preferences. Contract and account information such as details of your storage unit, rental start and end dates, payment history, correspondence regarding your account, and any instructions you give us about your items or access to the unit. Payment-related information such as payment method, billing history, and transaction details processed by our payment service providers. Security and access information such as records of access to the premises where this is necessary for safety, fraud prevention or security, including any CCTV images captured on or around our site. Communication records including enquiries, complaints, feedback and any other communications you send to us, as well as notes relating to those communications.
We do not intentionally collect special categories of personal data, such as health information, unless you choose to provide such information where it is relevant to your use of our services and we have a lawful reason to process it. We ask that you do not store illegal or prohibited items within our units and do not share sensitive personal data with us unless strictly necessary.
How we collect your data
We may collect personal data directly from you when you make an enquiry about our storage services, request a quotation, sign a storage agreement, update your details, make a payment, or contact us with a question or complaint. We may also collect data when you visit our site and use our facilities, including through customer forms, identity verification procedures, and site access systems. In certain circumstances we may receive personal data from third parties, including payment processors, credit reference agencies, or law enforcement authorities, where this is lawful and necessary for the provision of our services or for fraud prevention and security.
Lawful bases for processing
We process your personal data only when we have a lawful basis to do so under the UK GDPR. Depending on the context, we rely on the following lawful bases:
Performance of a contract: We process your data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a storage agreement with you, including setting up your account, managing your storage unit, taking payments, communicating with you about your contract, and dealing with any queries or issues relating to your agreement. Legal obligation: We process certain data to comply with our legal obligations, for example to verify identity in relation to fraud prevention, comply with tax and accounting rules, respond to lawful requests from authorities, and maintain records required by law. Legitimate interests: We process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and these are not overridden by your interests or fundamental rights. This includes managing and improving our services, monitoring and maintaining security at our premises, recovering debts, handling complaints, and keeping appropriate business records. Consent: In limited circumstances we may rely on your consent, for example where you clearly opt in to receive certain types of optional communications. Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw your consent at any time, but this will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
How we use your personal data
We use the personal data we collect for the following purposes:
To provide and manage storage services you have requested, including creating and administering your storage account, managing access to the unit, and arranging renewals or terminations. To communicate with you about your account, storage agreement, payments, operational notices, changes to terms, or important updates relating to your use of our services. To process payments, handle billing queries, manage balances, and take reasonable steps to recover any outstanding amounts. To maintain the safety and security of our site, units and customers, which may include monitoring access and using CCTV at the premises where in place. To respond to enquiries, feedback and complaints, and to improve the quality of our services based on customer interactions. To maintain business and financial records in line with legal, regulatory and tax obligations. To protect our legal rights, for example in relation to potential or actual disputes.
Data sharing and processors
We do not sell your personal data. We may share your personal data with trusted third parties where this is necessary for the purposes stated in this Privacy Policy and where they act as our data processors or independent controllers.
Data processors are third parties who process personal data on our behalf and only in accordance with our instructions. Examples may include payment service providers who process your card or bank payments, providers of secure data storage or customer management systems, professional service providers such as accountants or auditors who need limited access to records, and security or maintenance contractors who support the operation and safety of our site.
Where we use processors, we ensure there is a written agreement in place requiring them to protect your personal data, use it only for the agreed purposes, and delete or return it when no longer needed.
We may also share personal data with law enforcement agencies, regulators, courts, or other authorities where we are legally required to do so, or where this is necessary to protect our rights, property, customers or the public.
Data retention
We keep personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying legal, accounting or reporting requirements. When determining appropriate retention periods, we consider the nature and sensitivity of the data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure, the purposes for which we process it, and applicable legal requirements.
In general, we retain customer account and contract information for the duration of your storage agreement and for a reasonable period afterwards to deal with any queries, manage our legal obligations, and maintain business records. Certain records, such as financial or tax-related information, may need to be kept for longer in accordance with statutory retention periods. Security and access data, including CCTV images where used, is retained for shorter periods unless it is required for the investigation of an incident or for legal proceedings.
Once the relevant retention period has expired, we will securely delete or anonymise your personal data so that it can no longer be associated with you.
International transfers
Where we use service providers that store or process personal data outside the United Kingdom, we take appropriate steps to ensure that your data continues to benefit from a level of protection that is essentially equivalent to that in the United Kingdom. This may include using countries that have been formally recognised as providing adequate protection or putting in place appropriate safeguards such as standard data protection clauses.
How we protect your data
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration or loss. Measures may include physical security at our premises, access controls and restrictions for staff, secure storage systems, and regular review of our procedures. While no system can be completely secure, we work to ensure that any personal data we hold is protected in line with applicable data protection laws and good industry practice.
Your data protection rights
Under the UK GDPR, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data, subject to certain conditions and exemptions. These include:
The right of access: You can request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and obtain a copy of that data together with certain information about how it is used. The right to rectification: You can ask us to correct or complete personal data that is inaccurate or incomplete. The right to erasure: In some circumstances, you can ask us to delete your personal data, for example where it is no longer needed for the purposes for which it was collected and there is no legal reason for us to retain it. The right to restrict processing: You can request that we limit the way we use your data in certain situations, for example while we are considering a challenge you have made about the accuracy of the data. The right to data portability: Where processing is based on your consent or on a contract and carried out by automated means, you may have the right to receive the data you provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and to request that we transmit it to another controller where technically feasible. The right to object: You may object to processing based on our legitimate interests, including certain types of direct communications, on grounds relating to your particular situation.
If you wish to exercise any of these rights, you can contact us using the contact details provided in your storage agreement or any subsequent communications from Storage North Kensington. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request, and we will respond within the time limits set by law.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, our processing activities, or applicable laws and guidance. Any updates will apply from the date they are issued. You should review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your personal data.
