Privacy Policy - Cleaner Finchley

This Privacy Policy explains how Cleaner Finchley collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing cleaning services to customers in Finchley and the surrounding area. It applies to all Cleaner Finchley customers in the area, including domestic and commercial clients, one-off bookings, recurring service users, and anyone who communicates with us about an enquiry, estimate, booking, or complaint.

We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy is intended to help you understand what information we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, and what rights you have.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the personal data needed to manage our services, operate our business, and meet our legal obligations. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity details: name, title, and any relevant account reference number.
Contact details: postal address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details: property access instructions, preferred dates and times, service history, and cleaning preferences.
Billing and payment information: invoicing details, payment status, and limited transaction records.
Communication records: emails, messages, call notes, complaints, feedback, and booking correspondence.
Technical information: basic website and device information if you interact with us online, such as IP address, browser type, and cookies where applicable.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and you have provided it voluntarily, for example if you share information relevant to access needs or safety arrangements. Where such data is received, we apply extra care and only use it for the purpose for which it was provided.

2. How We Use Personal Data

Cleaner Finchley uses personal data for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
to arrange and deliver cleaning services;
to manage bookings, scheduling, and access requirements;
to process invoices and handle payments;
to deal with complaints, service issues, and customer support;
to maintain internal records and service history;
to improve our services and customer experience;
to comply with legal, accounting, and tax obligations;
to protect our business against fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We only use personal data in ways that are compatible with the original purpose for which it was collected unless we have a lawful basis to use it for another compatible purpose.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each type of processing. Cleaner Finchley relies on the following lawful bases:

Contract

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

Legal obligation

We process some information to comply with legal requirements, including tax, accounting, record-keeping, and regulatory obligations.

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 managing our business, improving service quality, preventing fraud, and responding to customer complaints.

Consent

Where required, we will ask for your consent before sending certain marketing communications or processing information that does not fall under another lawful basis. You can withdraw consent at any time.

4. Sharing and Processors

We do not sell personal data. However, we may share limited information with trusted third parties, known as processors, when they help us deliver our services or operate the business. These processors may include:

Payment providers: to process card or electronic payments.
Accounting and bookkeeping services: to manage invoices, records, and tax compliance.
IT and cloud service providers: to securely store data, manage email, and maintain systems.
Scheduling or customer management tools: to organise bookings and customer records.
Professional advisers: such as legal, tax, or insurance advisers where necessary.

Where processors are used, we require them to handle personal data securely, only in accordance with our instructions, and in line with data protection law. We may also disclose data if required by law, court order, or a lawful request from public authorities.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected and to meet legal, accounting, or business requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of information and the reason it is held.

Customer service and booking records: kept for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Invoices and financial records: typically retained for up to 6 years to meet tax and accounting obligations.
Complaints and communication records: kept as long as needed to resolve issues and maintain service evidence.
Marketing preferences: retained until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent.

When personal data is no longer needed, we delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you.

6. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, or alteration. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, staff confidentiality duties, and limited access to records on a need-to-know basis.

While we work hard to protect your data, no system is completely secure. If we become aware of a data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will act in accordance with applicable law and take appropriate remedial steps.

7. Your Rights

You have a number of rights under data protection law in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to certain conditions or exemptions. They include:

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

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond within the time limits set by law and may ask for information to verify your identity. You also have the right to raise concerns with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your data has been handled unlawfully.

8. Children’s Data

Our cleaning services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children for marketing or service purposes. If we become aware that such information has been collected without appropriate authority, we will take steps to remove it where necessary.

9. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business practices, or the way we handle personal data. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is used.

10. Our Commitment to You

Cleaner Finchley respects your privacy and aims to keep your personal data accurate, secure, and used only where necessary. We process information in a way that is lawful, transparent, and proportionate, and we are committed to maintaining the trust of every customer we serve in the Finchley area.