Privacy Policy - Cleaner Bermondsey

This Privacy Policy explains how Cleaner Bermondsey collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with the cleaning services we provide. It applies to all Cleaner Bermondsey customers in the area, including residential and commercial clients who use our services within our operating region. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent way, in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Cleaner Bermondsey is the data controller for the personal data we process in relation to our services. This means we determine the purposes and means of processing your personal information when you book, use, or enquire about our cleaning services. We take data protection seriously and aim to ensure that all personal data is processed securely and only where there is a valid legal basis to do so.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect and process different types of personal information depending on your relationship with us and the services you request. This may include:

Identity information such as your name and title.
Contact information such as your address, email address, and phone number.
Service details such as the type of cleaning requested, service preferences, appointment notes, and property access instructions.
Billing and transaction information such as payment status, invoicing records, and service history.
Communication records such as messages, feedback, complaints, and correspondence with us.
Technical data such as basic website or device information if you interact with digital systems used for booking or communication.

We generally do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and you choose to provide it, for example where it is relevant to access needs, health-related restrictions, or safety instructions. If such information is provided, we will only process it where permitted by law and only to the extent necessary for service delivery or safety.

3. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide and manage cleaning services.
To confirm appointments, schedules, and access arrangements.
To respond to enquiries and customer requests.
To process payments, issue invoices, and maintain accounting records.
To improve our services, training, and operational planning.
To deal with complaints, disputes, or service issues.
To comply with legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations.
To protect our business, staff, clients, and property against fraud or misuse.

We only collect and use personal data where it is necessary for a specific, legitimate purpose. We will not use your information in ways that are incompatible with the reason it was collected.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. Depending on the context, we may rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract. For example, we need your contact details and service information to arrange and deliver cleaning services.

Legal obligation

We may process personal data where it is necessary to comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, health and safety, and record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided that your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include managing bookings, improving service quality, handling customer communications, preventing fraud, and maintaining internal records. We always assess whether our interests are proportionate and appropriate.

Consent

In some limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where consent is required for certain optional communications or the processing of sensitive information. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to operate our services effectively and lawfully. These third parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the service they provide.

Examples of processors may include:

Booking and scheduling service providers.
Payment processing providers.
IT, hosting, and cloud storage providers.
Communication and email service providers.
Professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers.

We require our processors to protect personal data, follow our instructions, and comply with applicable data protection law. We do not sell personal information. If data is shared with any independent controller, such as a tax authority, insurer, or law enforcement body, this will only occur when required or permitted by law.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including the need to meet legal, accounting, and reporting obligations. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason we hold it.

Customer service and booking records are generally kept for the duration of the service relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and invoicing records are retained for as long as required by tax and accounting laws.
Correspondence and complaint records may be retained to resolve disputes, maintain service quality, or demonstrate compliance.
Data no longer needed is securely deleted or anonymised.

We regularly review the personal data we hold to make sure it is not kept for longer than necessary.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure systems, limited internal access, and staff awareness procedures. Although no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, we take reasonable steps to safeguard the information entrusted to us.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These may include:

The right of access to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
The right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
The right to erasure in certain circumstances, also known as the right to be forgotten.
The right to restrict processing where you want us to limit the use of your data.
The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
The right to data portability where applicable, allowing you to receive certain data in a structured format.
The right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

If you exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We aim to respond within the time limits set by law. Please note that some rights may not apply in all circumstances, and legal obligations may sometimes mean we must continue to keep or process certain data.

9. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or standard contractual clauses, to protect your information and maintain a level of protection consistent with UK data protection law.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidental to providing services requested by an adult customer. If we become aware that we have collected children’s data without appropriate authority or legal basis, we will take steps to delete it as soon as reasonably possible.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how we handle personal information.

12. Your Responsibility

Where you provide personal data to us, you should ensure that the information is accurate and up to date. If your details change, please inform us so we can maintain correct records. This helps us provide services efficiently and reduces the risk of errors in communication or scheduling. Accuracy is especially important for booking, access, and billing purposes.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Cleaner Bermondsey respects your privacy and handles personal data responsibly. We collect only the information needed to provide and manage our services, use it on a valid legal basis, keep it only as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. We also recognise and support your rights under applicable data protection legislation. Our goal is to ensure that every customer in the Cleaner Bermondsey area can use our services with confidence and clarity about how their personal information is handled.