Privacy Policy - Silvertown Storage

This Privacy Policy explains how Silvertown Storage collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data relating to customers, prospective customers, and other individuals whose information is processed in connection with our storage services. It applies to all Silvertown Storage customers in the area, including individuals who enquire about, contract for, access, or otherwise use our storage facilities and related services.

We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK GDPR and applicable data protection laws. This policy is designed to help you understand what information we collect, why we use it, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and what rights you have over your information.

1. Data We Collect

We collect only the information that is necessary for providing storage services, managing our business, meeting legal obligations, and protecting our customers, staff, and property. Depending on your interaction with us, we may collect the following categories of data:

Identity data, such as your name, date of birth, and proof of identity where required.
Contact data, such as postal address, email address, and telephone number.
Account and contract data, including customer reference numbers, tenancy or storage agreement details, and service preferences.
Payment data, such as billing details and transaction records. We do not usually store full card details where payment processing is handled securely by a third party.
Access and security data, such as entry logs, key holder records, gate access information, CCTV footage, and incident reports.
Communication data, including emails, letters, calls, complaints, service requests, and any correspondence with us.
Technical data, if you use any digital systems connected to our services, such as device information, IP address, and usage logs.
Special category data only where strictly necessary and permitted by law, for example if it is provided as part of a safeguarding, insurance, or legal claim matter. We do not seek to collect such data routinely.

We may receive personal data directly from you, from someone acting on your behalf, from payment providers, from identity verification services, from insurance providers, or from lawful authorities where required.

2. How We Use Your Data

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

setting up and managing storage agreements;
verifying identity and preventing fraud;
processing payments and managing accounts;
providing access to units and related services;
communicating with customers about bookings, renewals, reminders, and service issues;
handling complaints, claims, and disputes;
ensuring site safety, security, and loss prevention;
meeting legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
improving service quality and operational efficiency;
defending or pursuing legal claims where necessary.

We will not use personal data for unrelated purposes unless permitted or required by law. Where possible, we limit access to personal data to staff and service providers who need it to carry out their role.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Silvertown Storage relies on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a storage agreement, provide access, manage billing, and deliver the services you have requested.

Legal obligation

We process data where necessary to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, including tax, accounting, fraud prevention, and record-keeping obligations.

Legitimate interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include site security, CCTV monitoring, managing incidents, preventing misuse, and improving our operations.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where it is required for certain optional marketing activities or specific processing that is not covered by another lawful basis. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

Vital interests and legal claims

In exceptional situations, we may process data to protect someone’s vital interests or to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary for the purposes described in this policy. These parties act either as processors or, in some cases, as independent controllers.

Processors are service providers that process data on our behalf and under our instructions. They may include:

payment processing providers;
IT and cloud hosting suppliers;
customer management and communication platforms;
security and CCTV system providers;
identity verification and fraud prevention services;
accountants, auditors, and professional advisers acting under confidentiality obligations;
maintenance and facility management contractors where access to data is required for support tasks.

Where these providers process personal data on our behalf, they are required to protect it with appropriate technical and organisational measures and to use it only in line with our instructions.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, court order, regulator, law enforcement authority, insurer, or where necessary to protect our rights, property, staff, customers, or the public.

We do not sell your personal data.

5. Retention of Personal Data

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

Customer account and contract records are typically retained for the duration of the relationship and for a further period after it ends to manage disputes, legal claims, and compliance obligations.
Payment and invoicing records are retained for periods required by tax and accounting law.
Security logs and CCTV footage are retained only for a limited period unless required longer for an investigation, claim, or legal obligation.
Enquiry records may be kept for a shorter period if no contract is formed.

When personal data is no longer needed, we securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in accordance with our retention procedures.

6. Your Rights

You have rights in relation to your personal data under data protection law. These rights may apply in different circumstances and are subject to certain legal limitations. They include:

The right to be informed about how we use your data, which is the purpose of this policy.
The right of access to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
The right to rectification to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
The right to erasure in certain circumstances, also known as the right to be forgotten.
The right to restrict processing where you want us to limit the way we use your data.
The right to data portability for information you have provided to us in certain cases.
The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Rights relating to automated decision-making, if such processing is ever used in a way that has legal or similarly significant effects.

Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK data protection supervisory authority if you believe your data has been handled unlawfully. We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so that we can try to resolve them promptly.

7. Security of Your Information

We use appropriate security measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, unlawful destruction, and misuse. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training, encryption where appropriate, and restricted use of personal data on a need-to-know basis. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take reasonable and proportionate steps to safeguard the information we hold.

8. International Transfers

If any processor or service provider stores or accesses data outside the United Kingdom, we will take steps to ensure that any transfer is protected by appropriate safeguards in line with data protection law. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent lawful transfer mechanisms.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data protection practices. The latest 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 we handle personal data.

10. Summary of Our Approach

In summary, Silvertown Storage processes personal data only when necessary, uses it for clear and lawful purposes, retains it for appropriate periods, and shares it only with trusted processors or where required by law. We are committed to treating personal data with care, transparency, and respect for your rights.

By using Silvertown Storage services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this Privacy Policy.