Privacy Policy - Cleaners NW1

Last updated: This Privacy Policy explains how Cleaners NW1 collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data in connection with services provided to customers in the NW1 area. It applies to all Cleaners NW1 customers in the area, whether services are booked once, on a recurring basis, or through an introductory enquiry. We are committed to handling personal information in a fair, lawful, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Scope of This Policy

This policy applies to personal data processed when a customer requests, receives, pays for, or communicates about our cleaning services. It also applies where we process information for administration, service delivery, quality assurance, and legal compliance. This policy is intended to help customers understand what data may be collected, why it is collected, how long it is retained, and what rights individuals have in relation to that data.

2. Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for providing and managing our services. Depending on the nature of the booking or interaction, this may include:

Identity information such as name and, where relevant, business name;
Contact details such as phone number and email address;
Service location information such as the address where cleaning services are to be delivered;
Booking information such as preferred dates, service type, access notes, and frequency of visits;
Payment-related information such as invoice records and transaction references;
Communication records such as emails, messages, notes, or complaints;
Service history such as previous bookings, preferences, and feedback;
Technical information if you interact with digital systems used for administration, such as basic device or usage details.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and lawful to do so. If such information is ever provided to us, it will be handled with additional care and only where a lawful basis applies.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To manage enquiries and arrange cleaning services;
To deliver services at the requested location;
To communicate about appointments, changes, service updates, or issues;
To process payments, invoices, refunds, and accounting records;
To maintain customer preferences and service history;
To respond to complaints, claims, or legal requests;
To improve service quality, staff training, and operational planning;
To meet legal and regulatory obligations.

We always aim to ensure that data use is relevant, limited, and proportionate to the service being provided.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under GDPR, we must have a lawful basis before processing personal data. Cleaners NW1 relies on the following bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to perform a contract with a customer or to take steps at the customer’s request before entering into a contract. This includes managing bookings, delivering cleaning services, and handling billing.

Legal Obligation

We process certain information to comply with legal and tax obligations, including record-keeping, accounting, and responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided those interests are not overridden by the rights and freedoms of the individual. This may include service improvement, fraud prevention, administration, and maintaining accurate business records.

Consent

Where required, we may rely on consent, for example for optional communications or specific processing activities that are not essential to the service. If consent is used, it can be withdrawn at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Data Retention

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

Customer and booking records: kept for the duration of the customer relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards to manage follow-up queries or disputes;
Financial and tax records: kept for the period required by accounting and tax law;
Communication records: retained only as long as needed for administration, quality control, or legal protection;
Complaint or claim records: kept for the time necessary to resolve the matter and defend legal rights if needed.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention practices.

6. Processors and Third Parties

We may use trusted third-party service providers, also known as processors, to help deliver our services and manage our business. These processors only act on our instructions and are required to protect personal data appropriately.

Payment processors to handle card or electronic payments;
Accounting providers for invoicing and financial administration;
IT and cloud service providers for secure storage, communication, or scheduling tools;
Customer management systems used to organise bookings and service records;
Professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers where necessary;
Regulators or public authorities where disclosure is required by law.

We do not sell personal data. If data is shared with processors, we ensure appropriate contractual safeguards are in place and that they process data only for the agreed purpose.

7. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures are designed to reflect the nature of the data and the risks involved. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a high standard of data protection and limit access to information on a need-to-know basis.

8. User Rights

Individuals whose data we process have rights under GDPR. Subject to legal limits, these rights may include:

The right of access to receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
The right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
The right to erasure in certain circumstances, sometimes called the right to be forgotten;
The right to restrict processing in certain situations;
The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
The right to data portability for certain data processed by automated means and based on contract or consent;
The right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
The right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data has been mishandled.

We will respond to valid rights requests within the time limits set by law and may need to verify identity before acting on a request.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults who arrange cleaning services for homes or business premises. We do not knowingly collect children’s personal data except where it is incidental and necessary for access arrangements or household administration. If we become aware that we have collected information inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it where appropriate.

10. International Transfers

If any personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are used so that the data remains protected to a standard consistent with UK GDPR requirements. Any such transfer will be limited to what is necessary for service administration or support functions.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our services, or our internal processes. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how their information is handled.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Cleaners NW1 respects your privacy and treats personal data with care. We collect only what is needed to provide and manage cleaning services, use it only for lawful purposes, retain it for a sensible period, and share it only with necessary processors or where required by law. All Cleaners NW1 customers in the area are covered by this policy, and we aim to ensure that every stage of processing is consistent with GDPR principles of lawfulness, fairness, transparency, data minimisation, accuracy, storage limitation, integrity, and confidentiality.