Privacy Policy - Cleaners Kennington

This Privacy Policy explains how Cleaners Kennington collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in relation to its services. It applies to all Cleaners Kennington customers in the area, including individuals who enquire about services, request quotations, make bookings, receive cleaning services, or otherwise interact with us. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Cleaners Kennington acts as a data controller when determining why and how personal data is processed for the delivery and administration of our cleaning services. This means we decide which information is needed, how it is used, and how long it is retained.

This policy sets out our practices in a clear and accessible way so customers understand what happens to their personal information from the point of collection through to deletion or anonymisation.

2. Information We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for providing our services, meeting legal obligations, and improving the quality of our operations. Depending on your relationship with us, we may collect the following categories of information:

Identity details such as name and title
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number
Service information such as property access notes, cleaning preferences, appointment history, and service instructions
Billing and payment information such as payment status and transaction records
Communication records including messages, complaint details, and feedback
Technical information where relevant, such as basic website or device usage data if you interact with digital systems used for enquiries or bookings

In some cases, we may also process limited special category data if it is necessary and explicitly provided by you, for example where a customer shares access requirements or health-related information relevant to service delivery. Such information is handled with enhanced care and only where lawful grounds permit.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data only for legitimate and clearly defined purposes. These may include:

responding to enquiries and providing quotations
setting up and managing customer accounts or bookings
delivering cleaning services at requested premises
handling invoices, payments, refunds, and accounting
communicating updates, schedule changes, or service-related notices
dealing with complaints, disputes, and service improvement
complying with legal, regulatory, tax, and accounting obligations
protecting the security of our customers, staff, and business operations

We do not use personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was originally collected, unless we have a valid lawful basis to do so.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis before processing personal data. The lawful bases we rely on may vary depending on the situation:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes managing bookings, carrying out cleaning services, taking payment, and handling customer requests related to the service.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain information where we are required to do so by law, including tax, accounting, insurance, and record-keeping obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include improving service quality, maintaining internal records, managing customer relationships, preventing fraud, and ensuring the security of our operations.

Consent

Where we rely on your consent, we will make that clear and obtain it in a specific, informed, and unambiguous manner. You can withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

Vital Interests

In rare situations, we may process personal data to protect someone’s vital interests, for example if an urgent safety issue arises during service delivery.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary for operational, legal, or administrative purposes. These recipients may act as processors or, in limited cases, independent controllers.

Examples of processors or service providers include:

Payment service providers who process card or electronic payments
Accounting and bookkeeping providers who help with financial records
IT and system support providers who host or maintain our business systems
Communication platforms used for booking confirmations, reminders, or customer support
Professional advisers such as legal, insurance, or tax advisers where necessary

All processors are required to handle personal data only on our instructions, keep it secure, and comply with applicable data protection law. We do not sell personal data. We also take steps to ensure that any sharing is limited to what is necessary for the intended purpose.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as it is needed for the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason it is held.

In general:

Customer service and booking records are retained for as long as necessary to manage the service relationship and resolve queries
Financial and invoice records are kept for the period required by tax and accounting law
Complaints and correspondence may be retained for a reasonable period to evidence how matters were handled
Consent-based records are kept until consent is withdrawn or the data is no longer needed

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete it, anonymise it, or archive it in line with our retention practices. We do not keep data indefinitely.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and routine review of data handling procedures. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take reasonable and proportionate steps to safeguard the information we hold.

8. Your Rights Under GDPR

As a customer or prospective customer, you have rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to certain conditions and exemptions, these rights include:

The right to be informed about how your data is used
The right of access to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
The right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete information
The right to erasure in some circumstances, also known as the right to be forgotten
The right to restrict processing where certain conditions apply
The right to data portability for information processed by automated means under contract or consent
The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing
Rights related to automated decision-making where applicable

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will consider your request in accordance with applicable law and respond within the required timeframe. Please note that some rights may not apply in all circumstances, and legal obligations may mean we cannot delete certain records immediately.

9. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms. We take additional steps where necessary to ensure that overseas processing does not reduce the level of protection afforded to your data.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adult customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidentally provided in connection with a household booking or service instruction and only where it is relevant and necessary. If we become aware that we have collected such data inappropriately, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or data handling practices. Any updates will take effect when published in the revised version. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how personal data is handled.

12. Complaints and Further Information

If you believe your data has been handled improperly, you have the right to raise a concern with the relevant data protection authority in the UK. We encourage customers to contact us first so we can try to resolve issues promptly and fairly. We will always aim to handle privacy concerns with transparency, professionalism, and respect.

In summary: Cleaners Kennington processes personal data responsibly, only for lawful and necessary purposes, retains it for appropriate periods, uses trusted processors under contract, and respects the rights of all customers in the area.