Privacy Policy - Highgate Storage

This Privacy Policy explains how Highgate Storage collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with the services we provide. It applies to all Highgate Storage customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, account holders, authorised users, and individuals who interact with us in relation to storage services, billing, security, and site operations.

1. Who We Are

Highgate Storage provides storage services and related customer support. In doing so, we act as a data controller for the personal data we collect and use for our own business purposes. This means we determine why and how your personal data is processed, in line with applicable data protection law, including the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 where relevant.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data necessary to provide and manage our services, maintain security, and meet legal obligations. Depending on your relationship with us, this may include:

Identity information, such as your name, title, and date of birth where needed for verification;
Contact information, such as postal address, email address, and telephone number;
Account and contract information, such as booking details, tenancy or storage agreements, payment status, and communication records;
Payment information, such as billing details and transaction records;
Security information, such as CCTV images, access logs, vehicle registration details, and site entry records;
Correspondence, including enquiries, complaints, feedback, and service-related communications;
Technical information, such as device and usage information when you interact with our systems or digital tools;
Verification information where required to confirm identity, prevent fraud, or meet legal requirements.

We generally do not seek to collect special category data unless it is required by law, necessary for a claim, or voluntarily provided in a specific situation where we have a lawful basis to process it. If such data is ever processed, we will do so with extra care and only where permitted by data protection law.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to set up and manage customer accounts and storage arrangements;
to verify identity and prevent unauthorised access or fraud;
to process payments, refunds, and billing-related matters;
to maintain site security, including access control and CCTV monitoring;
to communicate with customers about their account, service updates, or operational matters;
to respond to questions, complaints, and support requests;
to comply with legal, regulatory, tax, accounting, and insurance obligations;
to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims;
to improve our services, processes, and security measures.

We only process personal data for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes and do not use it in ways that are incompatible with those purposes.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Depending on the activity, Highgate Storage relies on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes managing your storage agreement, providing access to your unit, handling billing, and delivering customer support.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data where necessary to comply with legal obligations, such as tax requirements, accounting rules, regulatory duties, anti-fraud measures, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This includes maintaining site security, protecting property, preventing misuse of services, operating administrative systems, and improving our business. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider whether the processing is proportionate and whether your privacy rights are protected.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where required for specific optional communications or certain uses of non-essential data. If we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time, and we will stop the relevant processing where legally possible.

Vital Interests and Public Task

These bases are unlikely to apply in ordinary storage services, but may be used in rare circumstances where necessary to protect someone’s life or where required by law.

5. Retention of Personal Data

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, tax, insurance, and dispute-resolution requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the reason for processing.

Customer and contract records are kept for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards;
Payment and accounting records are retained for the periods required by applicable law;
Security records, including CCTV and access logs, are retained only for as long as needed for safety, investigation, or operational purposes;
Correspondence and complaints may be retained to manage ongoing service issues and potential claims.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in accordance with our retention practices. In some cases, we may retain data for longer if needed to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims or where required by law.

6. Processors and Third Parties

Highgate Storage may use trusted third-party service providers to help us operate our business. These organisations act as processors when they process personal data on our behalf and under our instructions. Examples may include:

payment service providers and accounting systems;
information technology and cloud hosting providers;
customer management and communication platforms;
security and CCTV system providers;
professional advisers such as insurers, auditors, accountants, or legal advisers;
contractors who support maintenance, site operations, or system administration.

We require processors to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data and to process it only in accordance with our instructions. We may also share data with independent third parties where required by law, to protect rights and safety, to prevent fraud, or in connection with legal proceedings.

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK or EEA, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as an adequacy decision, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent protection recognised by law.

7. Data Security

We take the security of personal data seriously and use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect it against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, encryption where appropriate, and monitoring of site systems. However, no system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your Rights

Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, you may have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

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 situations;
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases;
Right to data portability – to receive certain information in a structured, commonly used format;
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;
Right to complain – to raise concerns with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have been infringed.

Some rights may be limited where legal obligations, contractual requirements, or legitimate grounds apply. If you exercise your rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business practices, or service arrangements. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how personal data is handled.

10. Our Commitment to Privacy

Highgate Storage is committed to processing personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently. We aim to collect only what is necessary, keep it secure, retain it only as long as needed, and respect individual rights at every stage. By using Highgate Storage services, you acknowledge that this Privacy Policy applies to you if you are a customer in the area.

We believe privacy protection is an essential part of providing a reliable and trusted storage service.