Privacy Policy - Soho Storage

This Privacy Policy explains how Soho Storage collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data relating to all Soho Storage customers in the area. It applies to customers, prospective customers, visitors, and anyone who interacts with Soho Storage services in the area. Soho Storage is committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who This Policy Applies To

This policy applies to all Soho Storage customers in area, including individuals, sole traders, and representatives of businesses using our storage services. It also applies to people who enquire about our services, request quotations, make bookings, access storage facilities, or communicate with us for service-related matters.

2. Personal Data We Collect

Soho Storage collects only the personal data that is necessary for specific and legitimate purposes. The information we may collect includes:

Identity information: name, title, date of birth, and proof of identity where needed.
Contact information: address, email address, and telephone number.
Account and booking information: storage unit details, rental dates, payment status, and service preferences.
Payment information: billing details and payment records. Card details are handled securely by payment providers and are not ordinarily stored by Soho Storage.
Security and access information: entry logs, key or access records, CCTV footage, and incident reports where relevant.
Communication records: enquiries, complaints, service requests, and correspondence.
Technical information: limited device or usage information if collected through digital systems used to support services or security.

We may also collect data from third parties where necessary, such as identity verification providers, payment processors, insurance providers, debt recovery services, or public authorities, but only where permitted by law.

3. How We Use Personal Data

Soho Storage uses personal data for the following purposes:

To register and manage customer accounts and storage agreements.
To verify identity and prevent fraud, misuse, or unauthorised access.
To provide access to storage facilities and manage security.
To process payments, refunds, and account administration.
To communicate about bookings, service changes, billing, and customer support.
To maintain safety, monitor site security, and investigate incidents.
To meet legal, regulatory, tax, accounting, and insurance obligations.
To manage disputes, enforce agreements, and recover debts where lawful.
To improve our services, systems, and customer experience.

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

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Soho Storage processes personal data only when we have a lawful basis under data protection law. Depending on the context, our lawful bases include:

Performance of a Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a storage agreement, manage customer accounts, provide services, or take steps at the request of a customer before entering into a contract.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data to comply with legal and regulatory duties, including accounting, tax, security, fraud prevention, and lawful requests from authorities.

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. This may include site security, CCTV monitoring, service improvement, fraud prevention, and managing customer relationships.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain optional communications or non-essential processing. Where consent is used, it can be withdrawn at any time.

Vital Interests and Public Interest

These bases are unlikely to apply in most storage situations, but we may process data where necessary to protect life or in connection with a public task, if ever relevant.

5. Sharing of Personal Data and Processors

Soho Storage may share personal data with trusted third parties, but only where necessary and subject to appropriate safeguards. These third parties may act as processors on our behalf or as separate controllers in their own right.

Processors may include:

Payment processors that handle card or electronic payments securely.
IT and cloud service providers that support storage systems, email, and secure data management.
Security providers that assist with CCTV, access control, alarm monitoring, or site protection.
Identity verification and fraud prevention providers that help confirm identity and reduce misuse.
Insurance, legal, accounting, and debt recovery providers where needed for contract management or legal obligations.

We may also disclose personal data to law enforcement, courts, regulators, or other public bodies where required by law or necessary to protect our rights, property, customers, or staff.

Soho Storage requires processors to process personal data only on our instructions, to keep it secure, and to use it only for authorised purposes.

6. Data Retention

Soho Storage keeps personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, tax, and operational requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason for processing.

Customer and contract records: retained for the duration of the storage agreement and for a period afterward as required for legal, financial, and dispute resolution purposes.
Payment and accounting records: retained in line with tax and accounting obligations.
Security records, including CCTV and access logs: retained for a limited period unless needed for an incident investigation, legal claim, or regulatory requirement.
Correspondence and complaints: retained for as long as necessary to resolve the issue and maintain evidence of handling.

When personal data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe and appropriate manner.

7. Data Security

Soho Storage uses appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage systems, restricted permissions, monitoring, staff training, and physical security arrangements.

Although no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we take data protection seriously and regularly review our controls to help protect customer information.

8. International Transfers

If any personal data is transferred outside the UK, Soho Storage will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, approved contractual terms, or equivalent legal protections, so that personal data remains protected to the required standard.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, individuals have a number of rights in relation to their personal data. These rights may be subject to legal limitations and exceptions. You may have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you.
Rectification of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Erasure of your data in certain circumstances.
Restriction of processing in certain situations.
Data portability for information you provided to us, where applicable.
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

You also have the right to be informed about how your data is used and, where applicable, to challenge decisions made solely by automated means if such processing were ever used in a way that affects you significantly. Soho Storage does not intend to rely on automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects without appropriate safeguards.

We will respond to valid rights requests in accordance with data protection law.

10. Children’s Data

Soho Storage services are intended for adults and business users. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in exceptional circumstances and with appropriate legal basis.

11. Changes to This Policy

Soho Storage may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made effective.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Soho Storage is committed to processing personal data lawfully, transparently, and securely. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and legitimate purposes, share it responsibly with trusted processors, and retain it only for as long as necessary. This Privacy Policy applies to all Soho Storage customers in area and is designed to ensure that personal data is handled with care and respect.