Privacy Policy

Barkingside Storage is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers and prospective customers in the Barkingside area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data when you use our storage services. It applies to all Barkingside Storage customers in the area, including individuals, families, and businesses that inquire about, reserve, or use our services.

1. Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary for operating our storage services, managing our relationship with you, and meeting our legal obligations. Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following categories of data:

Identity data: name, title, and date of birth where required for verification.
Contact data: address, email address, and telephone number.
Account and service data: booking details, unit information, payment status, access records, and service preferences.
Financial data: limited payment information needed to process transactions and manage billing.
Verification data: documents or information used to confirm identity, prevent fraud, and satisfy security checks.
Communications data: records of correspondence, complaints, requests, or other messages.
Technical data: IP address, device information, browser type, and usage data if you interact with our digital systems.
Security data: CCTV images, access logs, or incident reports where applicable for safety and crime prevention.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you choose to provide it or it is required by law in a specific situation. Where special category data is involved, we will ensure an appropriate lawful basis and additional safeguards apply.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide and manage storage services;
to verify identity and prevent fraud;
to administer bookings, payments, and account records;
to communicate with you about your storage arrangement;
to maintain the security of our premises, staff, customers, and property;
to handle complaints, disputes, and service enquiries;
to comply with legal and regulatory obligations;
to improve our services, systems, and customer experience;
to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes set out in this Policy or for compatible purposes permitted by law.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. We rely on the following bases as appropriate:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes setting up storage services, administering your account, processing payments, and providing access to your unit.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data to comply with legal obligations, such as tax recordkeeping, accounting requirements, fraud prevention duties, and responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. These interests include protecting property, maintaining security, preventing misuse, improving our services, and managing business operations. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we assess the impact on your privacy and apply safeguards.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain optional communications or specific uses that are not covered by another lawful basis. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

Vital Interests and Public Interest

These bases are unlikely to apply in normal storage service operations, but we may rely on them in exceptional circumstances where necessary.

4. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, or reporting obligations. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the reason for processing.

Customer account and contract records: retained for the duration of the service relationship and for a reasonable period afterward to manage queries, disputes, or legal claims.
Payment and financial records: retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Security records: such as access logs or CCTV, retained for a limited period unless needed for investigation or legal action.
Communications: retained as long as needed to handle your request and maintain accurate business records.

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you.

5. Sharing Personal Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to deliver our services, operate our business, or comply with the law. These third parties act either as independent controllers or as processors acting on our instructions.

Processors

Processors are service providers who handle personal data on our behalf. They may include:

payment service providers;
IT and cloud hosting providers;
customer management and booking system providers;
security and surveillance service providers;
professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, and legal advisers;
maintenance and operational contractors where access to personal data is required.

We require processors to process personal data only on our documented instructions, to keep it secure, and to comply with applicable data protection law. We do not allow processors to use your personal data for their own purposes.

Other Disclosures

We may also disclose personal data to:

law enforcement agencies, regulators, or courts where required by law;
insurance providers or advisors in connection with incidents or claims;
debt recovery or dispute resolution services where necessary and lawful;
third parties involved in a business transfer, merger, or restructuring, subject to appropriate safeguards.

Where personal data is shared, we take steps to ensure it is protected and only disclosed where there is a valid legal basis.

6. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, staff training, secure storage, restricted permissions, encryption where appropriate, and regular review of security practices.

While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection appropriate to the risks involved.

7. International Transfers

If personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as an adequacy decision or approved contractual protections, so that your data remains protected in line with UK GDPR requirements.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights regarding your personal data. These rights may be subject to legal limits or exemptions:

Right of access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure: to request deletion of personal data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction: to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain 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 and, where feasible, have it transferred to another controller.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in line with applicable legal timeframes and may need to verify your identity before acting on your request.

9. Children’s Data

Our storage services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in limited circumstances, such as when a parent or guardian provides details for an account or inquiry. If we become aware that we have collected data unlawfully, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or our data handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published. We encourage customers to review this Policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Barkingside Storage is dedicated to handling personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and legitimate purposes, keep it no longer than necessary, and share it only with trusted parties under strict protections. We respect your rights and aim to maintain the privacy and security of your information at all times.