Privacy Policy - Lambeth Cleaners

Lambeth Cleaners is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in the area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. It applies to all Lambeth Cleaners customers in the area, including individuals who enquire about, book, receive, or otherwise use our cleaning services.

We value transparency and want you to understand what happens to your information. This policy sets out the categories of data we collect, the lawful bases we rely on, how long we keep data, the types of third parties that may process data for us, and the rights available to you. Where this policy refers to personal data, it means any information that identifies, or can reasonably be used to identify, a person.

1. Data We Collect

We collect only the information needed to provide and manage our services, respond to requests, maintain records, and meet legal obligations. The data we may collect includes:

Identity data: your name and, where relevant, company or household details.
Contact data: address, email address, and telephone number.
Service data: information about the cleaning service requested, property access details, preferences, instructions, and service history.
Billing and payment data: invoice details, payment status, and limited payment-related information necessary to process transactions.
Communication data: records of enquiries, complaints, feedback, and correspondence.
Technical data: limited information such as IP address, device type, browser type, and basic usage information if you interact with our online systems.
Legal and compliance data: records required for accounting, taxation, insurance, or dispute resolution.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary, relevant, and lawfully permitted. Special category data may include information about health, religion, ethnicity, or other sensitive details. If you choose to share such information with us, we will only process it where a valid legal condition applies and where it is necessary for the service requested.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data to deliver reliable cleaning services and manage our relationship with you. Typical uses include:

responding to enquiries and preparing service quotations;
booking, confirming, and delivering cleaning appointments;
managing access instructions, preferences, and service notes;
issuing invoices, processing payments, and maintaining accounts;
handling customer support, complaints, and service follow-up;
maintaining records for legal, tax, insurance, and audit purposes;
improving service quality, training, and operational planning;
preventing fraud, misuse, and unlawful activity; and
meeting applicable regulatory and legal requirements.

We ensure that the information we process is adequate, relevant, and limited to what is necessary for the stated purposes. We do not use your data in ways that are incompatible with the reasons it was collected.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each processing activity. Depending on the context, we may rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Performance of a Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes booking services, carrying out cleaning work, managing appointments, and taking payment where applicable.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain data to comply with legal obligations, such as tax, accounting, employment, insurance, or regulatory requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Legitimate interests may include running our business efficiently, improving services, maintaining records, ensuring security, and defending legal claims. We always consider whether the processing is proportionate and whether your privacy is protected.

Consent

In some situations, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain optional communications or specific uses of information that are not necessary for service delivery. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

Vital Interests and Public Task

These bases are unlikely to apply in most cleaning service situations, but we may rely on them if needed in exceptional circumstances to protect someone’s life or comply with lawful public duties.

4. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, and reporting obligations. Retention periods vary depending on the nature of the data and the reason it is held.

Customer and service records: retained for a reasonable period after the last service to manage follow-up, dispute handling, and business records.
Invoice and payment records: retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Communication records: retained as needed to resolve queries, protect our legal position, and improve service quality.
Security and technical logs: retained for a limited period for system security, troubleshooting, and fraud prevention.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will delete, anonymise, or securely archive it in line with our retention practices. We do not keep data indefinitely.

5. Processors and Data Sharing

We may share personal data with trusted third-party service providers who process data on our behalf. These parties act as processors and are required to handle data securely, follow our instructions, and comply with data protection law.

Examples of processors may include:

IT and hosting providers that store data, maintain systems, or provide email and software services;
payment service providers that facilitate secure transaction processing;
accounting or bookkeeping providers that support invoicing and financial records;
customer management tools used to organise appointments and service notes;
professional advisers such as insurers, legal advisers, or auditors where necessary;
subcontractors or operational staff who need limited information to perform a booked service.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, court order, regulatory authority, or to protect our rights, customers, staff, or property. Where possible and appropriate, we limit such disclosures to the minimum necessary.

If personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms.

6. Your Rights

You have rights over your personal data under data protection law. Subject to legal limits and exemptions, these rights include:

Right of access: you can ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
Right to rectification: you can request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data;
Right to erasure: you can ask us to delete data in certain circumstances;
Right to restriction: you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases;
Right to object: you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
Right to data portability: you can request a copy of data you provided to us in a structured format, where applicable;
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time;
Right to complain: you may raise concerns with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have been infringed.

To protect your privacy, we may need to verify your identity before responding to a request. We aim to respond without undue delay and within the time limits required by law.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our internal procedures. However, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, and we encourage customers to contact us promptly if they believe their data has been compromised.

8. Marketing and Communications

We may send service-related messages where necessary to manage your bookings, payments, or customer relationship. We will only send marketing communications where permitted by law, and where required, with your consent. You can object to marketing at any time. We will not use personal data for unrelated purposes without a lawful basis.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect data from children unless it is necessary in a domestic context or provided by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult for service delivery. If we become aware that we have collected personal data unlawfully, we will take appropriate steps to delete or protect it.

10. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or our data handling practices. Any changes will take effect when published in the revised version. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Lambeth Cleaners processes personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently. We collect only what is needed, use it for clear and legitimate purposes, keep it no longer than necessary, and only share it with trusted processors or where required by law. Your privacy matters to us, and we work to ensure that your data is handled responsibly at every stage.