Privacy Policy - Cleaner Barnes

This Privacy Policy explains how Cleaner Barnes collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Cleaner Barnes customers in the area, including anyone who books, requests, receives, or enquires about our cleaning services. We are committed to handling personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently, in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this policy. We only collect data that is necessary for legitimate business and service purposes, and we take reasonable steps to keep it secure and accurate.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect personal data directly from you, from your interactions with us, or from third parties where necessary for service delivery. The type of information collected depends on how you use our services.

Information you provide

Identity details such as your name.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details including cleaning preferences, instructions, property access notes, appointment dates, and service history.
Billing and payment information where required for invoicing, payment processing, or refunds.
Communications including messages, complaints, feedback, and any records of calls or written correspondence.

Information we collect automatically

Usage data such as how you interact with our booking or enquiry processes.
Technical data such as device type, browser type, and IP address if you contact us digitally.
Security-related data to help protect our systems and prevent misuse.

Information from third parties

We may receive limited data from payment processors, scheduling tools, reference services, or subcontracted service providers where it is necessary to complete a booking or deliver a service. We may also receive information from someone acting on your behalf, such as a landlord, letting agent, or family member, if they arrange cleaning services for your property and are authorised to do so.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data only for specific and legitimate purposes. These may include:

providing and managing cleaning services;
confirming bookings and arranging schedules;
sending service updates and administrative messages;
issuing invoices, processing payments, and handling refunds;
responding to questions, complaints, and requests;
maintaining records of services delivered;
improving service quality and customer experience;
meeting legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
protecting against fraud, misuse, or unauthorised access.

We will not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons for which it was collected unless we have a lawful basis to do so.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Cleaner Barnes processes personal data under one or more lawful bases set out in data protection law. The lawful basis used depends on the purpose of the processing.

Contract

We process data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes managing bookings, delivering cleaning services, handling payments, and communicating about the service.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include improving operations, maintaining service records, preventing fraud, and managing customer communications. When relying on this basis, we consider the impact on your privacy and apply safeguards where appropriate.

Legal Obligation

Some processing is necessary to comply with legal obligations, such as tax recordkeeping, accounting rules, and responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where it is required for a specific optional use of your data. If we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

Special category data is not normally collected by Cleaner Barnes. If you choose to provide information that may reveal health, access, or vulnerability-related needs, we will only process it where necessary and with appropriate safeguards.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data only where necessary and with appropriate safeguards. We do not sell your personal data.

Processors and service providers

We may use third-party processors to help us deliver our services. These may include:

Payment processors for secure payment handling;
Accounting or invoicing providers for financial administration;
Scheduling or booking systems for appointment management;
IT and cloud storage providers for data hosting and system support;
Communication providers for email, telephone, or messaging services;
Subcontracted cleaning staff or operational partners where needed to complete a service.

These processors only act on our instructions and are required to protect personal data and use it only for the purposes we specify. We take reasonable steps to ensure that any processor we use offers appropriate data protection standards.

Other disclosures

We may disclose personal data if required by law, to protect our rights, to prevent fraud or security incidents, or to respond to a lawful request from a public authority.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law. Retention periods depend on the type of information and the legal or operational reason for keeping it.

Customer and service records are typically retained for the duration of the service relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and accounting records are retained for the period required under tax and accounting laws.
Complaints, disputes, and claims may be retained longer where needed to resolve issues or defend legal claims.
Communication records are kept for as long as necessary to support service administration and customer care.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or otherwise dispose of it in a safe and appropriate manner.

6. 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 data-handling practices.

While we work hard to protect your data, no system is completely secure. If we become aware of a personal data incident that affects your rights and freedoms, we will take appropriate steps in line with applicable law.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights regarding your personal data. These rights may be subject to conditions and exemptions.

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

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.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and households arranging cleaning services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidental to a service request and necessary for safety, access, or household arrangements. If you believe we have collected a child’s data inappropriately, you may ask us to review and delete it where appropriate.

9. International Transfers

Where personal data is processed outside the UK, we will only do so where appropriate safeguards are in place and where the transfer complies with data protection law. This may include the use of standard contractual safeguards or transfers to countries recognised as providing adequate protection.

10. Changes 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 updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated to you. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your personal data.

11. Further Information

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how your personal data is used, you may request further information through the normal service channels. We will handle your request in line with applicable data protection requirements and aim to address concerns fairly and promptly.

Summary: Cleaner Barnes processes customer data lawfully, securely, and transparently for service delivery, administration, and compliance, while respecting user rights and retaining data only as needed.