Privacy Policy - Cleaners Barnes

Effective date: This Privacy Policy applies to all Cleaners Barnes customers in the Barnes area and explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data when we provide cleaning services.

Cleaners Barnes is committed to handling personal information lawfully, fairly, and transparently in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy is written to help you understand what information we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and what rights you have over your data.

We only process personal data where we have a valid lawful basis and we limit the information we use to what is necessary for the purpose concerned. We also take appropriate technical and organisational measures to keep data secure.

1. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to all Cleaners Barnes customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, former customers, and individuals who enquire about our services. It also applies where we interact with homeowners, tenants, landlords, property managers, and business clients in connection with cleaning appointments or service requests.

By using our services, making an enquiry, or communicating with us about a cleaning booking, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this policy.

2. Personal data we collect

We collect only the information needed to provide and manage our services effectively. Depending on how you interact with us, this may include:

Identity data such as your name and, where relevant, the name of another person linked to the booking.
Contact data such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service data such as cleaning preferences, appointment details, access instructions, property notes, and service history.
Payment and billing data such as transaction details, invoicing records, and payment status.
Communication data such as messages, feedback, complaints, and records of enquiries.
Technical data such as basic device or browser information if you contact us through digital channels used in the course of business.
Special category data only where strictly necessary and usually only if you voluntarily provide it and there is a lawful basis for processing it, for example information about access needs that may affect service delivery.

We do not intentionally collect more information than is needed. Please do not share unnecessary sensitive information unless it is relevant to your service request.

3. How we collect data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

request a quote or make a booking;
communicate with us by phone, email, or message;
provide feedback or make a complaint;
complete a form or otherwise give us information relating to a service;
use our services as a customer or on behalf of a property owner, tenant, or business.

We may also receive data from third parties where appropriate, such as from a landlord, letting agent, property manager, or another person authorised to arrange cleaning services for a property. In such cases, we expect the third party to have a lawful reason for sharing the information with us.

4. Why we use your data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotes and manage bookings;
to deliver cleaning services at the correct property and time;
to communicate about appointments, service updates, and service-related issues;
to process payments, invoices, and refunds where applicable;
to handle complaints, queries, and aftercare;
to maintain records for quality, training, and internal administration;
to meet legal, regulatory, and tax obligations;
to protect our business, staff, and customers from fraud, misuse, or unsafe situations.

We use data only for legitimate business purposes connected to our cleaning services and do not use it in ways that are incompatible with those purposes.

5. Lawful basis for processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. We rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process your 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 arranging cleaning appointments, confirming service details, and administering your booking.

Legitimate interests

We may process your data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include business administration, service improvement, record keeping, safeguarding staff, and handling enquiries or complaints.

Legal obligation

We process certain data when required to comply with legal obligations, including accounting, tax, employment, and record-keeping requirements.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, particularly for optional processing that is not necessary to perform a contract or comply with a legal obligation. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

6. Retention of personal data

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

Customer and booking records are generally kept for the period needed to manage the service relationship and resolve any related issues.
Financial records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Correspondence and complaint records may be kept longer where needed to evidence our handling of a matter.
General service notes are deleted or anonymised when they are no longer relevant.

When data is no longer needed, we securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention practices.

7. Processors and data sharing

We may share personal data with trusted processors and service providers who help us operate our business. These parties process data on our instructions and only for specified purposes. Examples may include:

payment service providers;
booking or scheduling systems;
accounting and invoicing providers;
IT, cloud storage, and security service providers;
professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers;
subcontracted cleaning staff or operational partners where necessary to deliver a service.

We require processors to protect personal data and to process it in compliance with applicable data protection law. We do not sell your personal information.

We may also disclose data where required by law, court order, or a lawful request from a public authority. If our business is restructured, sold, or transferred, personal data may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to appropriate safeguards.

8. Data security

We use appropriate security measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality expectations, and limiting access to those who need it for their role.

Although we work hard to protect your information, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If we become aware of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will take appropriate steps in line with our legal obligations.

9. International transfers

Where any of our processors or technology providers store or access data outside the UK, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect personal data in line with applicable law. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations or standard contractual protections.

10. Your rights

You have several rights in relation to your personal data, subject to legal limits and exemptions. These include:

Right of access – you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – you can request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit processing in certain situations.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests.
Right to data portability – you can 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.

To protect your privacy, we may need to verify your identity before responding to a rights request. We will respond within the time limits required by law.

11. Children’s data

Our services are aimed at adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in the context of a service arrangement and is provided by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult. If we become aware that we have collected children’s data inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it where required.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or service operations. Any updated version will apply from the date stated at the top of the policy. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

By using Cleaners Barnes services in the Barnes area, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.