Privacy Policy - Queensbury Storage

Effective date: This Privacy Policy applies to all Queensbury Storage customers in the area and explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data in connection with our storage services.

We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy applies to customers, prospective customers, website users where relevant, and individuals who interact with us in relation to storage services, account management, payments, and related support.

1. Personal data we collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide and manage our services, maintain security, and meet legal obligations. Depending on your interaction with us, we may collect:

Identity information such as your name, date of birth, and identification details where required for verification.
Contact information such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Account and transaction information such as rental records, invoices, payment history, service preferences, and correspondence.
Security and access information such as entry logs, CCTV footage, site access records, and other security-related data.
Financial information such as payment method details and billing records, where necessary to process transactions.
Claims and incident information such as reports relating to damage, theft, disputes, or insurance matters.
Technical information such as IP address, browser type, and usage data if you interact with digital services.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is provided by you and is necessary for a specific legal or operational purpose. Where such data is provided, we will only process it where a lawful condition applies.

2. How we use your personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To register and manage storage accounts.
To verify identity and prevent fraud.
To provide access to storage units and maintain site security.
To process payments, refunds, and account administration.
To communicate about bookings, renewals, notices, service changes, and support matters.
To handle complaints, claims, and disputes.
To comply with legal, regulatory, accounting, and insurance obligations.
To protect the rights, property, and safety of customers, visitors, staff, and the business.

We only use your data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably determine that it is needed for a compatible purpose and this is permitted by law. We do not sell personal data.

3. Lawful basis for processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each processing activity. Queensbury Storage relies on the following lawful bases where appropriate:

Performance of a contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a storage agreement, manage your account, deliver services, and carry out related administrative tasks.

Legal obligation

We may process and retain personal data to comply with tax, accounting, insurance, safety, security, and regulatory requirements.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This includes site security, fraud prevention, service improvement, operational management, and record keeping. We balance our interests against your privacy rights before relying on this basis.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where you choose to receive certain optional communications or where local law requires consent for specific processing. You may withdraw consent at any time if processing is based on consent.

Vital interests

In exceptional circumstances, we may process data to protect someone’s vital interests, such as in an emergency involving safety or medical assistance.

4. Data sharing and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as processors or independent controllers, but only where necessary and subject to appropriate safeguards. Our processors may include:

Payment service providers to process transactions securely.
IT and cloud service providers that support secure storage, hosting, backup, and system administration.
Security providers involved in access control, alarm monitoring, or CCTV support.
Accountants, auditors, and professional advisers assisting with compliance, reporting, and legal matters.
Insurance providers and claims handlers where a claim or incident requires review.
Regulators, law enforcement, and public authorities where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect rights and safety.

We require processors to act only on our instructions, keep data secure, and use it solely for the agreed purpose. If data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or standard contractual clauses where applicable.

5. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, contractual, insurance, and dispute resolution obligations. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the reason for processing.

Customer account records are retained for the duration of the contract and for a reasonable period afterwards to manage queries, claims, or statutory requirements.
Payment and invoice records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Security records such as access logs and CCTV footage are generally retained only as long as necessary for security, investigation, or legal purposes.
Correspondence and complaints may be retained to demonstrate how matters were handled and to protect against legal claims.

When data is no longer needed, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you. Retention is reviewed periodically to ensure we do not keep data longer than necessary.

6. Data security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, or alteration. These measures may include access controls, encryption where appropriate, staff training, secure disposal, and restricted system permissions. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to maintain safeguards that are proportionate to the risks associated with processing.

7. Your rights

Subject to applicable law, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

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 ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing, where applicable.
Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

If you exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. Some rights may be limited where we need to keep data for legal reasons or where an exemption applies.

8. Children’s data

Our storage services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidentally provided in relation to an account, claim, or legal matter. If we become aware that we have collected data unlawfully, we will take reasonable steps to delete it.

9. Automated decision-making

We do not use personal data for decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects solely by automated means. If this changes, we will provide appropriate notice and relevant safeguards.

10. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or our data handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

11. Summary of your privacy rights and our responsibilities

Queensbury Storage is committed to processing personal data lawfully, securely, and only for legitimate business and legal purposes. We collect only what is needed, use trusted processors with safeguards in place, and retain information only for as long as necessary. Your rights matter, and we will respond to requests in line with data protection law.