Privacy Policy – Barking Storage

This Privacy Policy explains how Barking Storage collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with the storage services we provide. It applies to all Barking Storage customers in area, including prospective customers, current customers, and former customers who have used our services. We are committed to handling personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our services, making an enquiry, or entering into an agreement with Barking Storage, you acknowledge that we may process your personal data as described in this Privacy Policy. We aim to keep this policy clear and accessible, while ensuring that it covers the key information required under data protection law.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary for the operation of our services, the administration of our contractual relationship, the maintenance of security, and the fulfilment of legal obligations. The categories of data we may collect include:

Identity data such as your name, date of birth, and signature where needed.
Contact data such as billing address, email address, and telephone number.
Account and contract data including customer reference details, storage unit details, rental dates, and payment arrangements.
Payment data such as bank transfer details, card transaction references, and payment status. We do not store full card details unless securely handled by a payment provider.
Verification data including copies or references of identification documents where required for fraud prevention, compliance, or access control.
Security data such as CCTV footage, entry logs, access records, alarm events, and incident reports.
Communications data including correspondence, complaints, service requests, and notes relating to your account.
Technical data such as device, browser, and usage information if you interact with our systems or digital services.

We generally collect personal data directly from you when you complete forms, communicate with us, sign an agreement, make payments, or use our facilities. In some cases, we may receive data from third parties such as payment processors, identity verification services, insurers, legal advisers, or public authorities.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data only when we have a valid reason to do so. The main purposes for which we process your data include:

creating and managing your storage account;
verifying your identity and protecting against misuse or fraud;
issuing invoices, receiving payments, and managing overdue accounts;
providing access to storage facilities and maintaining site security;
communicating with you about your account, our services, and any changes to terms or operations;
handling enquiries, complaints, disputes, and legal claims;
meeting legal, regulatory, tax, and accounting obligations;
monitoring and improving the safety, reliability, and quality of our services;
protecting our property, staff, customers, and legitimate business interests.

Where appropriate, we may also use data for internal reporting and service improvement, provided that the information is used in a way that respects your privacy and is not kept longer than necessary.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis before processing your personal data. Depending on the context, Barking Storage relies on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes managing bookings, providing storage services, processing payments, and responding to account-related requests.

Legal Obligation

We process certain information where required to comply with legal and regulatory obligations, including taxation, accounting, fraud prevention, site safety, and record-keeping duties.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include securing our premises, preventing unauthorised access, managing business operations, and defending legal claims. When relying on this basis, we assess whether the processing is proportionate and whether your privacy interests are protected.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain optional marketing communications or non-essential uses of information. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

4. Sharing and Processors

We do not sell personal data. However, we may share information with trusted third parties when necessary to run our business and provide our services. These parties act either as processors or as independent controllers, depending on their role.

Processors are third parties that process personal data on our behalf and under our instructions. We use written contracts and appropriate safeguards to ensure that processors protect your data and only use it for the agreed purpose. Typical processors may include:

IT and hosting providers that support our systems and record storage;
payment service providers that process transactions securely;
identity verification or anti-fraud service providers;
security and CCTV monitoring providers;
accounting, administrative, and software support services;
professional advisers, including legal and insurance advisers, where necessary.

We may also share personal data with law enforcement, regulators, courts, insurers, or other public bodies where we are legally required to do so or where it is necessary to protect our rights, customers, staff, or property.

Where personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or standard contractual clauses, so that your information remains protected to a standard consistent with UK data protection law.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected. The exact retention period depends on the type of information, the nature of the relationship, and any legal requirements that apply. In general:

customer account and contract records are retained for the duration of the agreement and for a reasonable period afterwards;
financial and tax records are kept for the period required by law;
security records, including CCTV footage and access logs, are retained only for as long as needed for safety, incident handling, or investigation purposes;
correspondence and complaint records are kept for as long as needed to resolve the matter and manage any follow-up;
data held for marketing purposes is retained until you withdraw consent or object, where applicable.

When retention is no longer necessary, we will securely delete, anonymise, or destroy the data. We regularly review retained information to make sure it remains relevant and lawful to keep.

6. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the legal basis for processing and the circumstances of your request. Your rights may 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 information.
Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data in certain situations.
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit how your data is used in certain circumstances.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – to request certain data in a structured, commonly used format 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 lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. Before doing so, we encourage you to raise any concerns directly with us so we can investigate and try to resolve the issue.

7. Security Measures

We use 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, staff training, encryption, monitoring, and restricted permissions. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we are committed to maintaining a level of security that is proportionate to the risks involved.

8. Children’s Data

Our storage services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is necessary in connection with a lawful customer relationship and supported by appropriate safeguards.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, operational practices, or security requirements. Any revised version will continue to apply to all Barking Storage customers in area from the date it becomes effective. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so that you remain informed about how we protect your personal data.

Last updated: This policy applies as published and remains in force until replaced by a revised version.

Barking Storage is committed to ensuring that personal data is handled responsibly, securely, and in line with applicable data protection laws.