Privacy Policy - Maryland Storage

This Privacy Policy explains how Maryland Storage collects, uses, shares, stores, and protects personal data relating to our customers in the Maryland area. It applies to all Maryland Storage customers in area, including individuals who use our storage services, visit our facilities, request information, or otherwise interact with us in connection with our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner and to respecting the privacy rights of every individual whose data we process.

1. Scope of This Policy

This policy applies to personal data we process as a controller in connection with our storage services and related administration. It covers data collected from current and prospective customers, authorized users, account holders, visitors to our premises, and individuals who communicate with us about our services. It does not cover data we process solely on behalf of another organization where that organization determines the purposes and means of processing.

2. Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

Identity data: name, date of birth, and other identifying details.
Contact data: mailing address, email address, and telephone number.
Account and contract data: account number, service preferences, rental history, payment status, and agreement details.
Payment data: billing information, transaction records, and limited payment-related details necessary to complete and record payments.
Facility and security data: access logs, key or code usage, CCTV footage, and records of entry or exit where permitted by law.
Communication data: correspondence, service requests, complaints, and records of interactions with our team.
Technical data: device and browser information, IP address, and usage data if you interact with our digital services.

We generally collect personal data directly from you when you complete forms, enter into a rental agreement, make payments, contact us, or use our facilities. We may also receive data from third parties such as payment processors, identity verification providers, insurance or administrative partners, and public or official sources where lawful.

3. How We Use Personal Data

Maryland Storage uses personal data only where we have a valid legal basis and for legitimate business purposes connected to our services. We may use personal data to:

set up and administer storage accounts;
verify identity and prevent fraud;
process payments and manage billing;
maintain security at our facilities;
provide customer support and respond to inquiries;
send service-related notices, reminders, and administrative messages;
enforce agreements, resolve disputes, and recover debts where necessary;
comply with legal obligations;
improve our services, operations, and security controls;
protect the rights, property, and safety of Maryland Storage, our customers, staff, and visitors.

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

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the GDPR, we rely on one or more lawful bases for processing personal data. These may include:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a storage agreement, manage your account, provide services, and fulfill our obligations to you.

Legal Obligation

We process personal data where we must comply with applicable laws, regulations, court orders, tax rules, accounting requirements, or lawful requests from public authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. These interests may include operating and securing our facilities, improving our services, managing administrative processes, preventing misuse, and protecting against liability or fraud.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, such as for certain marketing activities or optional communications. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

Vital Interests

In rare situations, we may process data to protect someone’s vital interests, such as in an emergency involving personal safety.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We do not sell personal data. We may share personal data with trusted third-party service providers and other recipients only when necessary and subject to appropriate safeguards. These parties may act as processors on our behalf or, in some cases, as independent controllers.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

payment processing providers;
cloud storage and IT hosting providers;
customer support and communication platforms;
security and monitoring vendors;
record-keeping, accounting, and administrative service providers;
identity verification or fraud prevention services.

Where processors handle personal data for Maryland Storage, they are required to process it only on our instructions, keep it confidential, apply suitable technical and organizational measures, and assist us in meeting our GDPR obligations. We may also disclose personal data to professional advisers, law enforcement agencies, courts, regulators, insurers, or debt recovery entities where necessary and lawful.

6. International Transfers

If personal data is transferred outside the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy decisions, standard contractual clauses, or other legally recognized transfer mechanisms. We take steps to ensure that any such transfer provides an adequate level of protection consistent with applicable data protection law.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, regulatory, insurance, and operational requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the purpose of processing. For example:

contract and billing records may be retained for the duration of the agreement and for a legally required period afterward;
security records may be retained for a limited period based on operational need and safety requirements;
customer correspondence may be retained as needed to manage services, resolve disputes, or maintain accurate records;
marketing preferences are retained until you withdraw consent or object, where applicable.

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete, anonymize, or securely archive it in accordance with our retention procedures and legal obligations. Retention is reviewed periodically to ensure data is not kept longer than necessary.

8. Security Measures

We use appropriate technical and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal data against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, loss, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, restricted staff access, monitoring, encryption where appropriate, secure storage practices, and staff confidentiality obligations. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to reduce risks and maintain a strong security environment.

9. Your GDPR Rights

Depending on your circumstances and the legal basis for processing, you may have the following rights under the GDPR:

Right of access: request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and obtain a copy of it.
Right to rectification: request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
Right to erasure: request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction: request that we limit processing in certain cases.
Right to data portability: receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format and, where applicable, request transmission to another controller.
Right to object: object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent: withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
Right not to be subject to automated decision-making: request human review where legally applicable if we use automated decisions producing legal or similarly significant effects.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so that we can address them promptly.

10. How We Respond to Rights Requests

We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request. We will respond within the timeframes required by GDPR, ordinarily within one month, subject to lawful extensions where requests are complex or numerous. If we cannot fulfill a request, we will explain the reasons, where permitted by law.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are not intended for children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where necessary in connection with an authorized customer relationship or as otherwise permitted by law. If we become aware that we have collected data unlawfully from a child, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or our data processing practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it becomes effective. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how personal data is handled.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Maryland Storage is committed to responsible data handling, lawful processing, limited retention, secure storage, and transparent communication. We process personal data only where there is a valid legal basis, we work with processors under appropriate safeguards, and we respect the rights granted to individuals under the GDPR. Our goal is to protect customer privacy while providing reliable storage services throughout the Maryland area.