Privacy Policy - Westheath Storage

Westheath Storage is committed to protecting your personal data and handling it in a fair, transparent, and secure way. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in connection with our storage services. It applies to all Westheath Storage customers in area, including prospective customers, current customers, and individuals who interact with us in relation to our services.

1. Who this policy applies to

This Privacy Policy applies to anyone who uses, enquires about, or enters into an agreement for storage services with Westheath Storage. It also applies to individuals whose personal data we may receive when managing accounts, billing, deliveries, access, security, complaints, or legal obligations related to our business operations.

2. Personal data we collect

We collect and process only the personal data necessary for our business purposes. The information we may collect includes:

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Account information such as customer references, payment status, service history, and communication preferences.
Financial information such as billing details, payment records, and transaction confirmations.
Service usage information such as storage unit allocations, access records, and dates of occupancy.
Security information such as CCTV footage, alarm records, access logs, and incident reports where applicable.
Communication records such as correspondence, complaints, enquiries, and notes of conversations.

We may also collect information from third parties where necessary, for example from payment providers, fraud-prevention services, legal advisers, or authorities where disclosure is required by law.

3. How we use your personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide storage services and manage your account.
To verify identity and prevent fraud.
To process payments, refunds, and account administration.
To communicate with you about your booking, occupancy, invoices, service updates, or contract matters.
To maintain security, prevent unauthorised access, and protect property.
To deal with complaints, disputes, and claims.
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations.
To improve our services, systems, and customer experience.

We will not use your data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was collected unless we have a lawful basis to do so.

4. Lawful basis for processing

Under the UK GDPR and GDPR principles, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Westheath 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 setting up your storage account, managing access to your unit, issuing invoices, and handling service requests.

Legal obligation

We process personal data where required to comply with legal obligations, such as tax, accounting, fraud prevention, health and safety, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This includes maintaining site security, investigating misuse, preventing fraud, improving services, and managing internal administration.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain optional marketing communications. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

Vital interests

In rare circumstances, we may process personal data to protect someone’s vital interests, such as in an emergency involving health or safety.

5. Sharing your personal data

We may share your information with trusted third parties where necessary to deliver our services or comply with the law. These third parties may act as processors or, in some cases, independent data controllers.

Examples of processors and service providers include:

Payment processors that handle card or electronic payments.
IT and cloud service providers that host our systems, storage records, and communications.
Security providers that support alarm systems, monitoring, and access control.
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers.
Maintenance and facilities contractors where necessary to support the premises and services.
Authorities or regulators where disclosure is required by law or to protect legal rights.

All processors are required to protect your personal data, process it only on our instructions, and maintain appropriate technical and organisational safeguards. We do not sell personal data.

6. Data retention

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

Customer account and contract data are typically retained for the duration of the relationship and for a period afterwards to manage claims, disputes, and legal obligations.
Payment and accounting records are retained for the period required under tax and financial laws.
Security records such as CCTV or access logs are retained for a limited time unless needed for an investigation, incident response, or legal proceeding.
Correspondence and complaints may be kept for as long as needed to resolve matters and demonstrate compliance.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or destroy it.

7. Security of your data

We take appropriate measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include restricted access, password controls, secure storage, staff training, and physical security measures. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection appropriate to the risks involved.

8. Your rights under GDPR

You have important rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal conditions and exemptions, these 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 data.
Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
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 relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have been infringed.

9. Automated decision-making

Westheath Storage does not generally make decisions about customers based solely on automated processing that produces legal or similarly significant effects. If such processing were ever used, we would ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place and provide any required information about the logic involved and your rights.

10. International transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK or the EEA, we will take steps to ensure that appropriate protections are in place. This may include using approved contractual safeguards or relying on adequacy decisions where available.

11. Changes to this Privacy Policy

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

12. Summary of your privacy protections

In summary, Westheath Storage collects only the information needed to provide and secure storage services, uses it on a lawful basis, keeps it only as long as required, and shares it only with trusted processors or where legally necessary. We respect your rights and aim to handle your personal data with care, lawfulness, and accountability at all times.

By using Westheath Storage services, customers in area acknowledge that their personal data may be processed in line with this Privacy Policy.