Privacy Policy - Deep Cleaning Highbury

Deep Cleaning Highbury is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in the Highbury area. This Privacy Policy explains how personal information is collected, used, shared, stored, and protected when you use our cleaning services. It applies to all Deep Cleaning Highbury customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and individuals who have previously used our services.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of applicable data protection laws, Deep Cleaning Highbury acts as the data controller for the personal data we collect and process in connection with our services. This means we determine the purposes and means of processing personal information in order to provide cleaning services, manage customer relationships, and meet legal obligations.

2. Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data necessary to deliver our services effectively and lawfully. The information we may collect includes:

Identity information such as your name and, where relevant, the name of the person booking on behalf of another individual.
Contact information such as your address, telephone number, and email address.
Service details including the type of cleaning requested, property access instructions, preferred dates and times, and any specific cleaning requirements.
Payment-related information such as billing details and transaction records. We do not keep unnecessary payment data beyond what is needed for accounting and legal purposes.
Communication records including messages, complaints, feedback, and notes related to your booking or service experience.
Technical information where relevant, such as basic device or browser information if you interact with our digital systems.
Special instructions that may reveal preferences or household details necessary for the service, provided by you voluntarily.

We do not intentionally collect more data than is required for service delivery. We also do not seek to collect sensitive personal data unless it is strictly necessary and you have provided it, for example where a note relates to access, safety, or service limitations.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To process enquiries and bookings.
To provide cleaning services at the requested property.
To manage scheduling, changes, cancellations, and service follow-up.
To communicate about appointments, service updates, invoices, and customer support.
To maintain internal records and improve service quality.
To handle complaints, disputes, and claims.
To comply with legal, accounting, and regulatory obligations.
To protect our business, staff, and customers against fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

We only use personal data in ways that are necessary, proportionate, and relevant to the service relationship or our legal responsibilities.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for every category of personal data we process. Deep Cleaning Highbury 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 processing your contact details, service information, and payment-related records so that we can deliver the cleaning service you requested.

Legal Obligation

Some data must be processed to comply with legal duties, such as accounting, tax, record-keeping, insurance, or other statutory requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include improving our services, keeping records of communication, preventing misuse, and protecting our operations.

Consent

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

5. Sharing Your Personal Data

We do not sell your personal data. However, we may share information with trusted third parties when necessary to run our business and deliver services. These third parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the context.

Processors may include:

Payment service providers who process transactions securely.
Booking or scheduling systems used to manage appointments.
IT and cloud service providers who store or support our records and communications.
Professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, legal advisers, or insurers.
Subcontractors or service partners where necessary to complete or support a cleaning service.

We require processors to handle personal data in accordance with GDPR principles, to use it only for authorised purposes, and to apply appropriate security measures. Where a processor is engaged, we aim to ensure that a written data processing agreement is in place.

6. International Transfers

If any personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom or European Economic Area, we will take appropriate steps to protect it. This may include relying on approved safeguards such as adequacy decisions, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent lawful mechanisms. We seek to ensure your data remains protected to a standard consistent with GDPR requirements.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil 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 for keeping it.

Booking and service records are retained for a period reasonably required to manage customer relationships, service issues, and business records.
Invoice and payment records may be retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Communication records may be retained for quality control, dispute resolution, and evidence of instructions or agreements.
Information no longer needed is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise removed from active use.

Where data is no longer necessary, we apply a secure retention and disposal process. We do not keep personal data indefinitely.

8. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, restricted permissions, staff confidentiality obligations, and careful selection of processors.

Although no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to reduce risks and handle information responsibly. If a personal data breach occurs and there is a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will act in line with applicable legal requirements.

9. Your Rights Under GDPR

You have rights regarding the personal data we hold about you. These rights may be available depending on the circumstances and any legal exemptions that apply.

Right of access — you can request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and obtain a copy of it.
Right to rectification — you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure — in certain situations, you can request deletion of your data.
Right to restriction — you can request that we limit processing in specific circumstances.
Right to object — you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing, where applicable.
Right to data portability — you may request your data in a structured, commonly used format where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
Right to withdraw consent — if we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will review your request and respond within the time required by law. We may need to verify your identity before acting on your request to protect your personal data from unauthorised disclosure.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are generally directed to adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is provided by a parent, guardian, or other authorised adult in connection with a service request. If we become aware that we have collected data improperly, we will take reasonable steps to delete it.

11. Automated Decision-Making

We do not rely on fully automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects about you. If that ever changes, we will update this policy and ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

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

13. Summary of Our Commitments

Deep Cleaning Highbury processes personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently. We collect only the information needed to provide cleaning services, use it for clearly defined purposes, share it only with necessary processors, retain it for appropriate periods, and respect your rights under GDPR. Our aim is to keep personal data secure, relevant, and protected while delivering reliable services to customers in the Highbury area.