Privacy policy
Last updated: 20 October 2025
Jurisdiction: United Kingdom (UK GDPR & Data Protection Act 2018)
This Privacy Policy explains how Abodle ("Abodle", "we", "us", "our") collects, uses, discloses, and protects personal data when you use our mobile application (the "App") and website (the "Site"). The Site mainly provides information about Abodle and links to download the App. The App enables landlords and tenants to list, find, and manage rental properties, payments, and related services.
By using the Site or App, you acknowledge this Privacy Policy.
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1. Who we are and our role
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* Controller: Abodle is the data controller for personal data related to your Abodle account, platform operations, fraud prevention, payments orchestration, support, and service analytics.
* Processor on behalf of landlords: For certain tenancy related activities (for example handling tenant applications, documents, references) Abodle may act as a data processor for the relevant landlord, who is a separate controller for their property management decisions.
* Independent or joint controllers: Some integrated partners (for example payment providers) may act as independent controllers of your data for their own purposes such as anti fraud and regulatory duties. Their privacy notices apply in parallel.
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2. What we collect
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We collect personal data in the following categories.
2.1 Data you provide to us
* Account and profile: name, email, phone number, profile photo (optional), role (tenant or landlord), authentication credentials (hashed).
* Identity and Right to Rent: identity documents (for example passport, BRP), Government share code, visa or immigration status results returned by official services, date of birth. For UK citizens, ID upload results.
* Contact and address: current or residential address history (if you choose to provide it), emergency contact (optional).
* Tenancy information: property preferences, application details, household composition (for example number of adult occupants, children information limited to occupancy only, no dates of birth required), references (if supplied), employment or affordability data you choose to provide.
* Property and listing (landlords): property address, photos, amenities, availability, pricing, compliance certificates (for example EPC, gas safety), inventory forms, tenancy agreements.
* Payments and deposits: payment intent IDs, transaction IDs, payout preferences, tokenised card or bank details via payment providers, deposit amounts, rent schedule. We do not store full card numbers.
* Maintenance and communications: maintenance tickets, photos or videos, in app messages between tenants and landlords, support chats with Abodle.
* Marketing preferences: your opt in or opt out choices for updates and offers.
2.2 Data we collect automatically
* App and device data: device type, operating system version, unique device identifiers, IP address, app version, language, time zone, crash logs, and basic diagnostics.
* Usage data: feature interactions, screens visited, timestamps, performance metrics to improve service reliability and user experience.
* Site cookies: the Site uses strictly necessary cookies only (for example to remember basic preferences and present download links). We do not use analytics, advertising, or social media tracking cookies on the Site.
2.3 Data from third parties
* Identity and Right to Rent providers or UK Government services: verification results obtained when you submit a share code or upload ID for checks.
* Payment providers (for example payment gateways, open banking): payment confirmations, payout statuses, fraud signals.
* References or employment (optional): information received if you ask us to collect a reference or verification.
* App stores: basic install and purchase signals provided by Apple or Google for fraud prevention and support.
We do not intentionally collect special categories of data (for example health, religion) or precise geolocation. If such data is inadvertently provided, we will minimise it and delete it where appropriate.
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3. Why we use your data and legal bases
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We use your data for the purposes below.
* Provide and operate the App
Examples: account creation, login, profiles, listings, search, messaging, maintenance tickets.
Legal basis: Contract (to deliver the service).
* Right to Rent and identity checks
Examples: processing share codes, identity verification, storing result records.
Legal basis: Legal obligation under UK law and Contract.
* Payments and payouts
Examples: rent collection, deposit handling, platform fees, landlord payouts.
Legal basis: Contract and Legitimate interests (fraud prevention and financial integrity).
* Compliance and recordkeeping
Examples: tenancy documents, deposit records, audit logs.
Legal basis: Legal obligation.
* Security and fraud prevention
Examples: access controls, risk monitoring, abuse detection, crash logs.
Legal basis: Legitimate interests.
* Service improvement
Examples: feature usage, diagnostics, performance monitoring.
Legal basis: Legitimate interests.
* Customer support
Examples: responding to requests, resolving disputes and complaints.
Legal basis: Contract.
* Marketing (optional)
Examples: product updates, promotions, offers.
Legal basis: Consent. You can withdraw consent at any time.
Where we rely on legitimate interests, we balance our interests against your rights and expectations.
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4. How we share your data
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We share personal data only as necessary and with safeguards.
* Between landlords and tenants to progress applications, agreements, maintenance, and occupancy management.
* With payment providers to process payments, prevent fraud, and comply with financial regulations. Some providers act as independent controllers.
* With identity or verification providers and UK Government services to conduct Right to Rent or identity checks based on your submission.
* With cloud and technical vendors for hosting, databases, storage, content delivery, error and crash reporting, and authentication.
* With professional advisors and insurers for legal claims, risk management, and compliance.
* With law enforcement or regulators where required by law, court order, or to protect rights and safety.
* In connection with business transfers such as a merger, acquisition, or reorganisation, subject to this Policy.
We do not sell your personal data.
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5. International transfers
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We may store and process data in the UK, the European Economic Area (EEA), and where necessary outside the UK or EEA. Where transfers occur to countries without an adequacy decision, we use appropriate safeguards such as UK or EU Standard Contractual Clauses and supplementary measures.
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6. Retention
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We keep personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes set out above.
* Account data: kept for the life of your account, then deleted or anonymised within a reasonable period.
* Payments and financial records: typically retained for 6 years to meet tax and audit obligations.
* Right to Rent check records: retained as required by law, commonly up to 2 years after a tenancy ends.
* Tenancy agreements and deposit records: kept for the tenancy term plus up to 6 years for limitation periods.
* Maintenance tickets and support logs: typically kept for 3 years from closure unless a longer period is required for legal reasons.
* Cookies on the Site: strictly necessary cookies persist only as needed to operate basic Site functionality.
When retention ends, we securely delete or irreversibly anonymise data.
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7. Your rights
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Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:
* Access your personal data and obtain a copy.
* Rectify inaccurate or incomplete data.
* Erase data in certain circumstances (right to be forgotten).
* Restrict processing in specific situations.
* Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
* Data portability for data you provided to us, where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
* Withdraw consent at any time where processing relies on consent.
* Complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO website explains how to raise a concern.
Exercising your rights: You can manage many settings directly in the App. If you cannot find what you need, you can submit a request through the in app help area or account settings. We may need to verify your identity before we act on your request.
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8. Children
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Abodle is intended for individuals aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If we become aware that we hold data from a person under 18, we will delete it promptly unless retention is required by law.
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9. Security
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We use administrative, technical, and organisational measures to protect personal data, including:
* Encryption in transit.
* Access controls and least privilege principles.
* Segregation of environments and secure key management.
* Monitoring, logging, and vulnerability management.
* Vendor due diligence and contractual safeguards for processors.
No system is 100 percent secure. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and securing your devices.
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10. Payments and open banking
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Payments, including Pay by Bank where available, are processed by integrated payment providers. Abodle does not store full card numbers or bank credentials. Payment providers may collect and process personal data as independent controllers for compliance, fraud prevention, and regulatory reporting. Their terms and privacy notices apply in addition to this Policy.
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11. Right to Rent and identity checks
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Where you submit a share code or identity document, Abodle and its verification providers process your data to perform the required checks and store the results to demonstrate compliance. We retain records for the legally required period and restrict access to authorised personnel only.
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12. Household composition (children)
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We may ask about household composition for occupancy, safety, and property suitability. We do not require children’s dates of birth. This data must not be used for discriminatory decisions. Landlords are responsible for complying with equality and housing laws.
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13. Landlords’ responsibilities
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If you are a landlord, you may be a data controller for tenant data you collect and process. You must:
* Use tenant data lawfully, fairly, and transparently.
* Limit processing to the purposes for which it was collected.
* Keep data accurate and secure.
* Respect tenants’ rights.
* Comply with retention and disclosure obligations, such as Right to Rent and deposit schemes.
Abodle provides tools and acts as a processor for specific activities under your instructions.
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14. Automated decision making
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Abodle does not perform solely automated decision making that produces legal or similarly significant effects about you, such as fully automated tenant rejection. Where risk signals or heuristics are used, for example to detect fraud, human review is applied before any significant action.
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15. Marketing communications
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We send marketing only with your consent or as permitted by law. You can opt out at any time in the App or by using the controls provided in messages. Transactional or service notifications, such as rent receipts and maintenance updates, are not marketing and will continue as part of the service.
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16. Third party links
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The Site may link to third party app stores or resources. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. You should review their privacy notices before providing personal data.
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17. Changes to this Policy
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We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our services, technology, or legal requirements. The "Last updated" date above shows the latest revision. Material changes will be notified in the App and or on the Site. Continued use after changes means you accept the updated Policy.
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18. How to contact us about privacy
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If you have questions about this Policy or your data, please use the in app support or privacy request options available in your account settings. If you do not have access to the App, please refer to the contact options provided on our Site.
End of Privacy Policy.