Privacy policy
This policy explains what personal data RoomNest collects when you use roomnest.uk, why we collect it, who we share it with, and the rights you have under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Who we are
RoomNest runs roomnest.uk, a website where people look for a room to rent and landlords or agents list one. RoomNest is the data controller for the personal data described here. For any privacy question, email hello@roomnest.uk or call 07412 218887.
What we collect
- Viewing requests. Your name, email, phone number, preferred viewing time and any note you add.
- Rooms wanted ads. The name, age, occupation, budget, move-in date, areas and description you choose to publish, plus your email. Your email is never shown on the public page.
- Messages to room seekers. The name, email and message a landlord sends through a rooms wanted ad.
- Landlord accounts. Your username, email and password (stored as a secure hash, never in plain text), and the listings and photos you add.
- Contact. Anything you send to hello@roomnest.uk or tell us by phone.
- Usage data. Pages visited, device and browser type, and approximate location, collected by Google Analytics.
Why we use it, and the lawful basis
- To pass your viewing request to the landlord and let them reply. Lawful basis: taking steps at your request before a possible agreement (contract).
- To publish your listing or rooms wanted ad and forward messages about it. Lawful basis: contract.
- To run landlord accounts, review listings before they go live and keep the site safe from spam and fraud. Lawful basis: legitimate interests.
- To understand how the site is used so we can improve it. Lawful basis: consent, given through the cookie notice.
- To meet legal obligations, such as responding to a lawful request from the police or a regulator. Lawful basis: legal obligation.
Who we share it with
- The landlord or agent for the room you ask to view receives your viewing request details.
- The person who posted a rooms wanted ad receives the message a landlord sends them.
- Service providers who host the website, send email and provide analytics (Google Analytics), acting on our instructions.
We do not sell personal data, and we do not use advertising cookies.
Cookies
- roomnest_cookie remembers that you have seen the cookie notice.
- sessionid and csrftoken keep you signed in and protect forms. They are strictly necessary.
- Google Analytics cookies (names starting
_ga) measure how the site is used.
International transfers
Some service providers, including Google, may process data outside the UK. Where they do, the transfer is covered by UK adequacy regulations or the International Data Transfer Agreement or Addendum.
How long we keep it
We keep listings, rooms wanted ads and account details while they are active, and viewing requests and messages for as long as the landlord or seeker needs them to arrange a room. When you close your account or ask us to delete something, we remove it unless the law requires us to keep it.
Your rights
You have the right to ask for a copy of your data, to correct it, to have it deleted, to restrict or object to how we use it, to move it to another service, and to withdraw consent at any time. Email hello@roomnest.uk and we will reply within one month.
If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.
Changes
If we change this policy, we will update the date at the top of this page.