Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how WhileAway Ltd ("WhileAway", "we", "us", "our") collects, uses, and protects your personal data when you visit whileaway.uk, make a booking, register a property, or otherwise interact with us. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

WhileAway Ltd is registered in England and Wales (Company No. 17308481), with its registered office at 124 City Road, London EC1V 2NX. We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) under registration reference ZC185910.

For any privacy-related questions, contact us at hello@whileaway.uk.

WhileAway Ltd is the data controller responsible for your personal data — meaning we decide how and why your data is processed. You can reach us about any data matter at hello@whileaway.uk.

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

• Guests and prospective guests: name, email address, phone number, booking details and dates, and any information you provide in enquiry or booking forms. Payment card details are collected and processed directly by our payment provider (Stripe) — we do not store your full card details.
• Property owners and prospective owners: name, email address, phone number, property address and details, and information provided in the "Register Your Property" form.
• Website visitors: technical data such as IP address, browser type, and usage data collected via cookies and similar technologies (see our Cookie section below).
• Guest identification: where required for booking verification, we may collect identity information. We are moving to third-party identity verification services to handle this securely.

We process your personal data for the following purposes:

• To manage bookings and enquiries (lawful basis: performance of a contract, or steps taken at your request before entering a contract).
• To provide guest support and concierge services during your stay (performance of a contract).
• To communicate with property owners about managing their property (performance of a contract or legitimate interests).
• To respond to enquiries submitted through our contact and registration forms (legitimate interests).
• To seek feedback and conduct guest satisfaction surveys about your stay, so we can improve our service (legitimate interests).
• To send marketing communications where you have opted in (consent — you may withdraw this at any time).
• To establish, exercise, or defend legal claims where necessary (legitimate interests).
• To comply with legal and regulatory obligations, including tax, accounting, and safety requirements (legal obligation).
• To improve our website and services (legitimate interests).

Booking payments made through whileaway.uk are processed securely by Stripe, a third-party payment processor. Your card details are provided directly to Stripe and are not stored by WhileAway. Stripe’s handling of your data is governed by their own privacy policy. Where a booking is paid by bank transfer (available on request for certain bookings), we process only the transaction reference and the information necessary to confirm payment.

We may share your personal data with:

• Booking platforms (such as Airbnb and Booking.com) where your stay is arranged through them.
• Our booking and property management systems and technology providers, who process data on our behalf.
• Payment processors (Stripe) to take payment.
• Concierge and service partners (for example, private chefs, transfer providers, or other services you request) — only the information necessary to arrange the service you have requested.
• Cleaning, maintenance, and other contractors where necessary to service a property.
• Professional advisers, and regulatory or legal authorities where required by law.

We do not sell your personal data. Where we use third parties to process data on our behalf, we put appropriate data protection agreements in place.

We keep your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes set out above, or as required to meet legal, accounting, or regulatory obligations. Booking and financial records are typically retained for at least six years in line with UK tax requirements. Marketing data is retained until you withdraw consent or object. Identity verification data is retained only for as long as necessary and then securely deleted.

Providing the data needed to make a booking or to manage a property is necessary for us to enter into and perform a contract with you — if you choose not to provide it, we may be unable to offer our services. Providing data for marketing purposes is entirely optional and based on your consent, which you can withdraw at any time.

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to: access your personal data; request correction of inaccurate data; request erasure; restrict or object to processing; data portability; and withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@whileaway.uk. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the ICO (ico.org.uk).

Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help a website function. We keep our use of cookies to a minimum.

We use Google Maps in two ways: to display property locations on our listings and search pages, and to power the address lookup when you search or register a property. When Google Maps loads, it may set its own cookies. For the map displays, which are not essential to browsing the site, we ask for your consent before loading them, using our cookie banner. The address lookup uses Google Maps’ services as part of a function you actively request (searching or entering an address), which may set cookies when you use it.

We do not currently use analytics, advertising, or social media tracking cookies. Our WhatsApp contact button is simply a link — it does not set cookies on our site.

You can also control or delete cookies through your browser settings. If we add analytics or other cookies in future, we will update this policy and our cookie banner accordingly.

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. While no system is completely secure, we work to protect your information and to limit access to those who need it.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available on whileaway.uk, with the "last updated" date shown above.

For any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, contact:

WhileAway Ltd, 124 City Road, London EC1V 2NX — hello@whileaway.uk