Storage The Hale Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Storage The Hale collects, uses, stores and shares personal data when you use our storage services, visit our premises or otherwise interact with us. It applies to all Storage The Hale customers in the area, as well as prospective customers and other individuals whose data we process in connection with our services.
We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data in a lawful, fair and transparent way, in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and, where applicable, the EU General Data Protection Regulation.
Who this Privacy Policy applies to
This Privacy Policy applies to all Storage The Hale customers in the area and to any individual who:
Uses or enquires about our storage units or related services, visits our facilities, communicates with us by any means, is a guarantor or emergency contact for a customer, or is captured on our onsite security systems.
By using our services or otherwise providing your personal data, you acknowledge that you have read this Privacy Policy.
Personal data we collect
The type of personal data we collect will depend on your relationship with us and how you interact with us. We may collect the following categories of data:
Identification and contact details such as name, postal address, billing address, date of birth, and other information provided on our customer forms. Account and contract details such as unit number, contract start and end dates, services selected, payment status, and communications about your account. Payment and billing information such as payment method, billing history and transaction records processed through our payment providers. Communication records such as emails, letters, and notes from calls or onsite discussions related to your account or enquiries. Security and access information such as CCTV footage on and around our premises, access logs, and details of authorised persons who may access your unit. Technical and usage data such as information collected when you visit our website or customer portals, including logs, basic device information and preferences where applicable.
We do not intentionally collect special category data, such as health information or data revealing racial or ethnic origin, unless you choose to provide it to us where strictly necessary, for example to make reasonable adjustments for accessibility.
How we collect your personal data
We collect personal data in several ways, including:
Directly from you when you complete a storage agreement, request a quote, make an enquiry, make a payment, visit our premises or contact us by phone, post or electronic means. Indirectly from third parties, such as payment processors, referencing agencies, or partners who assist in providing our services. Automatically through our security and facility management systems, including CCTV surveillance and access control logs at our sites, and through limited technical data collected when you use our online services.
Lawful basis for processing
We will only process your personal data where we have a lawful basis under the GDPR. Depending on the context, we may rely on the following lawful bases:
Performance of a contract: to take steps at your request before entering into a contract and to fulfil our obligations under a storage agreement or related service contract with you. Legal obligation: to comply with our legal and regulatory duties, such as tax reporting, accounting, safety and security, and where required, responding to lawful requests from authorities. Legitimate interests: to pursue our legitimate business interests, provided your interests and fundamental rights do not override these. This includes managing and improving our facilities, ensuring security, preventing fraud, recovering debts, and communicating with existing customers about service-related matters. Consent: where required by law, for example for certain forms of direct marketing or optional services, we will rely on your consent. You may withdraw your consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.
How we use your personal data
We may use your personal data for the following purposes:
To provide and manage storage services, including setting up and administering your account, processing payments and managing access to your unit. To communicate with you, such as responding to enquiries, providing service updates, sending contract information and renewal notices, and handling complaints or queries. To ensure safety and security at our facilities, including monitoring access, operating CCTV systems and investigating incidents or suspected illegal activity. To manage our business operations, including record keeping, financial management, system testing, maintenance and data analysis to improve our services. To comply with applicable laws and regulations, and to cooperate with regulatory bodies and law enforcement when required. To send you information about services that may be relevant to you, where permitted by law and in line with your marketing preferences.
Data retention
We will keep your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting or reporting requirements.
In general, we retain customer account data for the duration of your contract and for a period after it ends, to deal with any queries, disputes or claims, and to comply with legal obligations. CCTV footage and access logs are retained for a shorter period, unless required for investigating a specific incident. Financial and transaction records are retained in line with applicable tax and accounting laws.
When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise or otherwise dispose of it in accordance with our data retention procedures.
Data processors and sharing your data
We may share your personal data with trusted third parties who act as data processors on our behalf. These may include:
Payment service providers and banks who process payments and manage transactions. IT and cloud service providers who host, maintain and support our systems, databases and communication tools. Security and facility management providers who support CCTV, access controls and onsite safety. Professional advisers such as accountants, auditors or legal advisers where necessary for the services they provide to us.
All processors are required to act only on our written instructions, to use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data, and to keep it confidential.
We may also share personal data with third parties acting as independent controllers where we have a legal obligation or legitimate interest, such as law enforcement bodies, courts, regulatory authorities, or debt recovery agencies. We do not sell your personal data.
International data transfers
Where any of our service providers are located outside the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area, or where data is otherwise accessed from outside these areas, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include the use of standard contractual clauses or other mechanisms approved under data protection law to protect your rights and freedoms.
Your data protection rights
Under the GDPR, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to certain conditions and exemptions, you may have the right to:
Access your personal data and obtain a copy of the information we hold about you, together with certain details about how we use it. Rectify inaccurate or incomplete personal data, so that the information we hold is accurate and up to date. Erase your personal data, where there is no longer a valid reason for us to retain or process it, sometimes known as the right to be forgotten. Restrict the processing of your personal data, for example while we verify its accuracy or assess an objection. Object to processing based on our legitimate interests, including profiling, and to direct marketing at any time. Data portability, by requesting that we provide certain personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine readable format, or transfer it to another controller where technically feasible.
If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity to protect your information. We will respond to your requests in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
Security of your personal data
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction or damage. These measures include physical security at our premises, access controls, staff training, and procedures for managing suspected personal data breaches.
While we strive to protect your personal data, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. You are responsible for keeping any passwords or access codes confidential and for notifying us promptly if you suspect any unauthorised use of your account or facilities.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements or the services we offer. The most recent version will always apply to the processing of your personal data. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically so that you remain informed about how we handle your information.
