Privacy Policy - Sladegreen Storage

This Privacy Policy explains how Sladegreen Storage collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Sladegreen Storage customers in the area, including prospective customers, account holders, authorised users, visitors, contractors, and individuals whose data is provided to us in connection with storage services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, transparent, and secure manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Data We Collect

We collect only the information that is necessary to provide storage services, manage our relationship with customers, meet legal obligations, and operate our business effectively. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity data such as name, date of birth, and identification documents where required for verification.
Contact data such as postal address, email address, and telephone number.
Account data such as customer reference numbers, booking details, unit allocation, access permissions, and service preferences.
Financial data such as payment details, billing records, transaction history, and information needed to process charges or refunds.
Usage data such as access logs, entry records, CCTV-related records where applicable, and information about how services are used.
Correspondence data such as emails, forms, complaints, queries, and any other communications with us.
Technical data such as device, browser, or security information collected when a digital service is used, where relevant.

We generally do not seek to collect special category data. If such information is provided to us incidentally, we will only process it where we have an appropriate lawful basis and a specific need to do so. We ask customers to avoid sharing unnecessary sensitive information.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To create and manage customer accounts.
To verify identity and prevent fraud.
To provide storage units, access, billing, and related services.
To communicate about bookings, payments, service changes, and account matters.
To handle enquiries, disputes, complaints, and support requests.
To maintain security, protect property, and investigate incidents.
To comply with legal, regulatory, tax, and accounting obligations.
To improve service quality, operational performance, and customer experience.

We do not use personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was collected, unless permitted by law or we have obtained appropriate consent.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We only process personal data when we have a lawful basis under data protection law. Depending on the context, we rely on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes setting up accounts, allocating storage, managing access, processing payments, and delivering services you have requested.

Legal Obligation

We process personal data where required to comply with legal duties, including tax, accounting, fraud prevention, safety obligations, and record-keeping 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. This may include securing premises, preventing misuse, improving services, managing internal administration, and defending legal claims. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider the impact on individuals and use appropriate safeguards.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on consent, for example where it is required for certain optional communications or non-essential data use. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as data processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. Any sharing is limited to what is necessary and is subject to appropriate contractual and security protections.

Examples of processors or service providers may include:

Payment processors that handle card or bank transactions.
IT and hosting providers that store or maintain systems and records.
Security and surveillance service providers that support site protection and incident management.
Administrative and customer support providers that assist with routine operational tasks.
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, auditors, and legal advisers.
Public authorities where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect rights, safety, or property.

All processors are required to act only on our instructions, keep data secure, and implement suitable technical and organisational measures. We do not sell personal data.

5. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, regulatory, and operational requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason for holding it.

Customer account and contract records are usually retained for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Security records such as access or incident logs are retained for as long as necessary for safety, investigation, or dispute resolution.
Correspondence and complaint records are kept while needed to manage the matter and for an appropriate period thereafter.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention procedures. We regularly review our records to ensure they are not kept longer than needed.

6. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, staff training, secure storage, monitoring, and restricted sharing. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection appropriate to the risks involved.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and any legal exemptions. Your rights include:

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 your data in certain cases.
Right to restrict processing – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing, where applicable.
Right to data portability – to request transfer of data you have provided to us, 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 exercise a right, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We will respond within the time limits required by law and explain if any exemption applies.

8. Automated Decision-Making

We do not make decisions about customers based solely on automated processing that produce legal or similarly significant effects, unless this is permitted by law and subject to suitable safeguards. If this changes, we will provide appropriate information about the logic involved and your rights.

9. 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 handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is issued. We encourage customers to review the policy periodically so they remain informed about how their personal data is used.

10. Additional Information

This Privacy Policy is intended to provide clear and transparent information about our data practices. It applies to all Sladegreen Storage customers in the area and should be read alongside any terms and conditions that apply to the storage services you use. If there is a conflict between this policy and any specific legal requirement, the legal requirement will take precedence.

By using Sladegreen Storage services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this Privacy Policy and in accordance with applicable data protection law.