Privacy Policy - Leamouth Storage

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

1. Introduction

Leamouth Storage is committed to protecting your privacy and handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent way. This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and the rights available to you under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our services, entering into an agreement with us, or otherwise interacting with us, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this policy. We only process personal data where we have a valid legal basis to do so and only for clearly defined purposes.

2. Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data needed to provide and manage our storage services, maintain records, and meet legal and operational obligations. The categories of data we may collect include:

Identity data: name, date of birth, and identification details where required for verification.
Contact data: postal address, email address, and telephone number.
Account and contract data: storage unit references, booking details, rental terms, payment status, and communication history.
Payment data: billing information, payment method details, and transaction records.
Security and access data: CCTV images, access logs, gate entry records, and related security information.
Communications data: enquiries, complaints, service requests, and correspondence with us.
Technical data: limited device and usage information if you interact with our digital systems, where applicable.

We generally collect data directly from you, but we may also receive information from third parties such as payment processors, identity verification providers, insurers, legal representatives, or public authorities where appropriate and lawful.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data only for specific and legitimate purposes. These include:

creating and managing customer accounts and storage agreements;
verifying identity and preventing fraud;
processing payments, issuing invoices, and handling refunds where applicable;
operating and securing storage facilities;
monitoring access and investigating incidents or misuse;
responding to enquiries, complaints, and support requests;
maintaining business and accounting records;
meeting legal, regulatory, tax, and insurance obligations;
defending or establishing legal claims;
improving service quality and internal operations.

We do not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with those stated above without first ensuring that we have a lawful basis to do so.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis before processing your personal data. Depending on the specific activity, we may rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as setting up a storage agreement, managing your account, taking payment, and providing access to your unit.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data to comply with legal obligations, including recordkeeping, tax requirements, fraud prevention, health and safety duties, and compliance with court orders or lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided that these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include securing our premises, preventing misuse, maintaining business records, improving services, and managing operational risk.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example if you choose to receive certain optional communications or if consent is required for a specific processing activity. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

5. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties that help us operate our business. These parties act as processors when they process data on our instructions, or as independent controllers where they determine the purpose and means of processing themselves.

Processors may include:

payment service providers;
IT hosting, software, and system maintenance providers;
cloud storage and data backup providers;
security and CCTV service providers;
identity verification and fraud prevention providers;
professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, insurers, and legal advisers;
property management or facilities service providers where needed for operations.

We require processors to handle personal data securely, use it only for the purposes we specify, and apply appropriate technical and organisational safeguards. Where personal data is shared with third parties acting as independent controllers, they will process data in accordance with their own privacy obligations.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, by a court, or to protect our rights, property, customers, staff, or the safety of others.

6. Data Retention

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

As a general approach:

customer and contract records are retained for the duration of the agreement and for a reasonable period after it ends;
payment and accounting records are retained in line with tax and financial obligations;
security records, including access logs and CCTV footage, are retained only for as long as needed for security, incident management, or legal purposes;
correspondence and complaint records are retained for as long as necessary to manage the matter and defend possible claims.

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

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access restrictions, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and monitoring of systems and facilities.

While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we regularly review our safeguards and take reasonable steps to reduce risk and protect your information.

8. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we ensure that suitable safeguards are in place to protect it to the required legal standard. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent approved mechanisms.

9. Your Rights

You have rights under data protection law in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and any legal exemptions. They include:

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 personal data in certain situations.
Right to restriction: to request limited processing in certain cases.
Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability: to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
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 may need to verify your identity before responding. We will respond within the time limits set by law, unless an extension is permitted.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adult customers and business users. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children in the ordinary course of our services. If we become aware that we have collected such data without a lawful basis, we will take appropriate steps to delete or secure it.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, regulation, or our business practices. The latest version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated to customers. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so that you remain informed about how we process personal data.

12. Summary of Our Commitments

Leamouth Storage is committed to processing personal data lawfully, transparently, and securely. We only collect the information needed to provide storage services and run our business responsibly. We keep it only as long as necessary, share it carefully with trusted processors, and respect your legal rights at every stage. Our aim is to protect your privacy while providing a reliable storage service to all customers in the area.