Privacy Policy - Longlands Storage

Longlands Storage is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in our area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. It applies to all Longlands Storage customers in area, including prospective customers, current customers, former customers, and anyone who communicates with us about our services.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Longlands Storage acts as the data controller for the personal data we collect and process in connection with our storage services. This means we determine why and how your personal data is used. We take our responsibility seriously and aim to process personal information lawfully, fairly, and transparently.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect and process only the personal data that is necessary for the provision and administration of our services. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name, date of birth, and identification documents where required.
Contact details such as billing address, correspondence address, telephone number, and email address.
Account and service details such as booking records, unit allocation, payment history, tenancy or hire records, and service preferences.
Financial information such as payment card details or bank account information processed for payments, refunds, or billing.
Security and access information such as entry logs, CCTV footage, gate access data, or records of site visits where relevant.
Communications including emails, messages, complaints, feedback, and notes from phone calls or in-person conversations.
Technical data where you interact with our digital systems, such as IP address, device identifiers, or browser information.

We generally collect data directly from you when you make an enquiry, reserve a unit, sign an agreement, make a payment, or contact us. In some cases, we may receive information from third parties such as payment providers, credit reference agencies, insurers, or law enforcement bodies where permitted by law.

3. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide storage services and manage customer accounts;
to verify identity and prevent fraud;
to process payments, refunds, and invoices;
to communicate service updates, notices, and account-related matters;
to maintain site security and monitor access;
to handle complaints, claims, or disputes;
to comply with legal and regulatory obligations;
to improve our services, systems, and customer experience;
to defend or establish legal rights where necessary.

We will only use your personal data for the purpose for which it was collected unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another compatible purpose. If we need to use it for an unrelated purpose, we will explain the legal basis for doing so.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis to process your personal data. Depending on the activity, Longlands Storage may rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Performance of a Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform our storage agreement with you. This includes setting up accounts, providing access to your unit, managing payments, and delivering customer support.

Legal Obligation

We process certain data to comply with legal requirements, such as accounting rules, tax obligations, health and safety requirements, crime prevention duties, and lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include security monitoring, fraud prevention, service improvement, internal administration, and record keeping. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we ensure the processing is proportionate and respectful of your privacy.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example for optional marketing communications. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

Vital Interests

In rare cases, we may process personal data where necessary to protect someone’s life or physical safety.

5. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, and to meet legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. The length of time we retain data depends on the type of information and the reason for processing.

For example, customer account records, payment records, and contractual documents are generally retained for the duration of the customer relationship and for a further period after it ends so that we can deal with claims, disputes, and compliance obligations. Security records may be retained for shorter or longer periods depending on operational and legal needs. Where data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention procedures.

We review retained data periodically to ensure it is still necessary. Personal data will never be kept indefinitely without a valid reason.

6. Processors and Third Parties

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as processors on our behalf, or in limited cases as independent controllers. These third parties only process data under our instructions or where required by law. Categories of processors may include:

Payment service providers who handle card or bank payments securely;
IT and cloud service providers who support storage, email, security, and system maintenance;
Accounting and bookkeeping providers who assist with financial administration;
Security and monitoring providers who may support CCTV, access control, or alarm systems;
Professional advisers such as lawyers, insurers, auditors, or consultants;
Public authorities such as courts, regulators, police, or HMRC when disclosure is legally required.

We require processors to protect personal data appropriately, act only on our instructions, and implement suitable technical and organisational safeguards. When we share data outside the UK or EEA, if applicable, we will ensure appropriate transfer safeguards are in place.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate security measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or loss. These may include access controls, encryption, secure storage, staff training, and physical security measures. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we continuously review our safeguards and improve them where needed.

8. 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 legal basis for processing and the circumstances of the request. They 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 ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – to request that we 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.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage you to contact us first so that we can try to resolve any concerns promptly and fairly.

9. Automated Decision-Making

Longlands Storage does not normally use automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects for customers. If this changes, we will provide clear information about the logic involved and the impact on you, together with your rights in relation to such processing.

10. Marketing Communications

If we send optional marketing communications, we will do so only where permitted by law and, where required, with your consent. You can opt out of marketing at any time. Even if you opt out of marketing, we may still send essential service or account-related communications.

11. 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 updated version will apply from the date it takes effect. We encourage customers to review the policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Longlands Storage respects your privacy and processes personal data responsibly. We collect only the information needed to deliver and manage our services, use it under a valid lawful basis, keep it only as long as necessary, share it only with trusted processors or where required by law, and respect your rights under data protection legislation. This policy applies to all Longlands Storage customers in area and is intended to provide clear, fair, and transparent information about our data practices.