Privacy Policy - Chelsea Cleaner

Effective date: This Privacy Policy applies to all Chelsea Cleaner customers in the area and explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data in connection with our cleaning services.

We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy applies to personal data collected from customers, prospective customers, household contacts, and other individuals whose information we process while providing our services.

1. Who We Are

Chelsea Cleaner provides residential and commercial cleaning services. In order to carry out our services properly, we may need to process personal data relating to service users, property access, scheduling, invoicing, and service preferences. We only collect and use data that is necessary for running our business and delivering our services effectively.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of information:

Identity data: name, title, and any relevant household or business contact details.
Contact data: address, email address, telephone number, and service location.
Service data: booking history, cleaning preferences, instructions, property access notes, and service feedback.
Billing data: payment status, invoice records, and transaction details where needed for accounting.
Technical data: basic website or communication metadata if you interact with us electronically, where applicable.
Communication data: messages, queries, complaints, and any correspondence relating to our services.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and you choose to provide it. If you share any sensitive information, we will only process it where we have a lawful basis to do so and where this is relevant to the service requested.

3. How We Collect Data

We collect personal data directly from you when you:

request a quote or make a booking;
communicate with us by phone, email, text, or other methods;
provide instructions for cleaning services or property access;
raise a complaint or give feedback;
complete forms, surveys, or service-related documents.

We may also receive data from third parties where this is necessary for service delivery, for example from a person authorised to arrange cleaning services on your behalf. In such cases, we will process the information in line with this Privacy Policy.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Chelsea Cleaner relies on the following lawful bases:

Contract

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

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. This includes business administration, scheduling, quality control, service improvement, fraud prevention, and record keeping.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data when required to comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, insurance, and regulatory requirements.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example if you agree to receive certain optional communications or provide information that is not otherwise necessary for our services. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide and manage cleaning services;
to confirm appointments and service arrangements;
to communicate about schedules, access, and service updates;
to handle payments, invoices, and bookkeeping;
to respond to enquiries, complaints, and feedback;
to maintain internal records and service history;
to improve our services, operations, and customer experience;
to comply with legal, tax, and accounting obligations;
to protect our business, staff, customers, and property.

We only use your data where necessary and proportionate. We do not sell personal data.

6. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third-party processors who help us operate our business. These processors act on our instructions and are required to protect your data. Examples may include:

Payment processors for handling payments securely;
Accounting providers for bookkeeping and tax administration;
IT and cloud service providers for secure storage and communication systems;
Scheduling or booking tools used to manage appointments;
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers where necessary.

We may also disclose information if required by law, court order, or government authority, or to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims. Where possible, we take steps to ensure any data shared is limited to what is necessary.

7. International Transfers

If any of our processors store or access data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other legally recognised transfer mechanisms. We aim to keep personal data within secure environments and only work with providers that meet appropriate data protection standards.

8. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, or reporting obligations. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the reason for processing.

Customer and service records: retained for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and tax records: retained for the period required by law and applicable accounting rules.
Communication records: kept for as long as needed to resolve queries, manage services, or maintain business records.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in accordance with our retention practices.

9. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our data handling practices. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to protect your data to a high standard.

10. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and legal exemptions. They include:

The right to be informed about how your data is used.
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 data.
The right to erasure in certain circumstances, also known as the right to be forgotten.
The right to restrict processing in certain situations.
The right to data portability where applicable.
The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Rights related to automated decision-making where such processing applies.

You also have the right to withdraw consent where we rely on consent as the lawful basis for processing. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

11. How to Exercise Your Rights

If you wish to exercise any of your rights, we may ask you to provide enough information to verify your identity and help us locate the relevant records. We will respond within the time limits set out by data protection law, usually within one month, unless the request is complex or numerous.

If we are unable to comply with a request, we will explain the reasons where permitted by law.

12. Complaints

If you believe that your personal data has been handled improperly, you have the right to raise concerns with the relevant data protection authority. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue promptly and fairly. However, this does not affect your right to complain to the regulator.

13. Children’s Data

Our services are generally not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary for service arrangements and provided by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without appropriate authorisation, we will take steps to delete it where required.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, operational practices, or our services. The updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

15. Summary of Key Points

We collect only the personal data needed to provide and manage Chelsea Cleaner services.
We process data under lawful bases including contract, legitimate interests, legal obligation, and, where relevant, consent.
We may share data with trusted processors who support our operations under strict safeguards.
We retain data only as long as necessary and then securely delete or anonymise it.
You have rights over your personal data, including access, correction, deletion, objection, and restriction.

This Privacy Policy is designed to support compliance with applicable data protection requirements while clearly explaining how Chelsea Cleaner handles personal information for all customers in the area.