Privacy Policy - Hounslow Cleaners

Effective for all Hounslow Cleaners customers in the area. This Privacy Policy explains how Hounslow Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing cleaning services to customers in the area. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to all Hounslow Cleaners customers in area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and business clients who receive or enquire about our services. It also applies to anyone whose personal data we process in connection with bookings, quotations, service delivery, billing, complaints, or customer support.

By using our services, making an enquiry, or providing personal information to us, you acknowledge that your data may be processed in the ways described in this policy.

2. Information we collect

We collect only the personal data that is relevant and necessary for operating our cleaning services, managing customer relationships, and meeting legal obligations. The information we may collect includes:

Identity details such as your name, title, and, where relevant, business name.
Contact details such as email address, phone number, and service address.
Booking and service information such as service type, preferred dates, access instructions, and cleaning preferences.
Billing and payment data such as invoice information and payment confirmation, where applicable.
Communication records including emails, messages, complaints, feedback, and notes about customer requests.
Technical data if you interact with our digital systems, including limited usage data and device-related information needed for security and performance.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you have provided it, or unless another valid legal condition applies. If such information is ever shared with us, we will handle it with extra care and only for a legitimate purpose.

3. How we use your data

We use personal data to provide efficient and reliable cleaning services. The main purposes for processing include:

responding to enquiries and providing quotations;
processing bookings, scheduling visits, and managing service delivery;
issuing invoices, managing payments, and maintaining financial records;
communicating with customers about appointments, changes, or service issues;
handling complaints, queries, and service-related support;
improving service quality, training, and customer experience;
meeting legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
protecting our business, staff, customers, and property from fraud or misuse.

We only process your data for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes. We will not use it in a way that is incompatible with those purposes.

4. Lawful basis for processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Depending on the situation, Hounslow Cleaners relies on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, or to perform a contract with you. This includes managing bookings, delivering cleaning services, and handling invoicing.

Legal obligation

Some data is processed because we are required to comply with legal or regulatory obligations, such as tax record-keeping, accounting rules, or 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 your rights and freedoms. This may include improving services, maintaining records, managing customer relationships, and ensuring operational security.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where we need permission for certain optional communications or uses of data. When consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

5. Sharing your data with processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who process data on our behalf, known as processors. These processors only act under our instructions and are required to keep data secure and confidential.

The types of processors we may use include:

Booking and scheduling providers used to organise appointments and service records;
Payment and invoicing processors used to handle transactions and financial administration;
IT and cloud service providers used for secure storage, email, and system maintenance;
Customer support tools used to manage communications and feedback;
Professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, or legal advisers where necessary;
Public authorities where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect rights and safety.

We do not sell your personal data. We also ensure that any processor we use provides appropriate safeguards and only processes personal information in accordance with data protection law.

6. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the reason for processing.

In general, we will retain:

service records and correspondence for the period needed to manage the customer relationship and address disputes;
financial and invoice records for the duration required by tax and accounting law;
complaint and support records for a reasonable time to resolve issues and improve service;
technical and security logs only for as long as needed to maintain system security and integrity.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in a way that prevents unauthorised access.

7. Data security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include restricted access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our data handling practices.

While we take data security seriously, no method of transmission or storage is completely risk-free. We therefore continue to review and improve our safeguards to keep information as secure as reasonably possible.

8. Your rights under GDPR

You have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal limitations, but we will always consider your request carefully and respond within the required timeframe.

Right of access – you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – you can request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to data portability – you can request that we provide certain information in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing, where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the relevant data protection supervisory authority if you believe your data rights have not been respected.

9. Automated decision-making

We do not use personal data for fully automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects. If this changes in the future, we will update this policy and provide the required information.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or how we process data. The most current version will apply to all Hounslow Cleaners customers in area from the date it is published or otherwise made available.

We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is used and protected.

11. Summary of our commitments

Hounslow Cleaners is committed to using personal data responsibly, lawfully, and transparently. We collect only what is necessary, process it under a valid lawful basis, retain it for appropriate periods, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. We respect your rights and aim to handle every customer’s information with care, confidentiality, and accountability.