Privacy Policy

Last updated: 12 November 2024 | Version: 3.1 | Applies to: cleaninghouses.org and all associated subdomains

Summary

CleaningHouses.org is committed to protecting your personal data. We do not sell your data to third parties. We collect only data that is necessary to operate and improve this platform. This policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, how long we retain it, and what rights you have under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the German Federal Data Protection Act (Bundesdatenschutzgesetz, BDSG).

1. Data Controller

The data controller responsible for the processing of personal data on this website is:

CleaningHouses.org
Königsallee 52
40212 Düsseldorf
Germany
Phone: +49 211 8745 3092
Email: [email protected]

Our designated Data Protection Officer (DPO) can be reached at the above address or by email at [email protected].

2. What Personal Data We Collect and Why

2.1 Automatically Collected Technical Data

When you visit CleaningHouses.org, our web server automatically records standard access log data, including:

IP address (anonymized after 24 hours by truncating the last octet)
Date and time of the request
URL of the page requested
HTTP status code
Browser type and version (derived from the User-Agent string)
Referrer URL (the page from which you navigated to our site)
Operating system and device type

Legal basis: Article 6(1)(f) GDPR — our legitimate interest in maintaining site security, diagnosing technical errors, and generating aggregate traffic analytics. We do not use this data to identify or profile individual users.

2.2 Contact Form and Email Enquiries

When you submit the contact form or send us an email, we process the personal data you voluntarily provide, which may include your name, email address, organisational affiliation, and the content of your message.

Legal basis: Article 6(1)(b) GDPR (processing necessary to respond to a contractual or pre-contractual enquiry) and/or Article 6(1)(a) GDPR (your explicit consent where given). Retention period: 36 months from the date of last correspondence, unless a statutory retention obligation applies.

2.3 Newsletter Subscription

If you subscribe to our research newsletter, we collect your email address and, optionally, your name. We use a confirmed opt-in (double opt-in) procedure: you will receive a confirmation email requiring an active click to activate your subscription. Your subscription data is stored until you unsubscribe.

Legal basis: Article 6(1)(a) GDPR — your freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous consent. You may withdraw consent and unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any newsletter or by emailing [email protected].

2.4 Cookies and Analytics

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate our website and analyze usage patterns. For full details, including your opt-out options, please see our Cookie Policy. Strictly necessary cookies are placed without consent; all other cookies require your explicit consent via our cookie consent management tool.

Legal basis: Article 6(1)(c) GDPR for technically necessary cookies; Article 6(1)(a) GDPR for all other cookies and tracking technologies.

3. Sharing and Disclosure of Personal Data

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We may share data with third-party processors acting on our behalf under GDPR-compliant data processing agreements, including:

Web hosting provider: Server infrastructure located within the EEA; contractually bound to GDPR compliance.
Email delivery service: Used to send transactional and newsletter emails; processes only recipient email addresses and delivery metadata.
Analytics platform: Anonymized, aggregated data only. No personally identifiable data transmitted. IP anonymization applied.

We may also disclose data if required to do so by applicable law, court order, or at the request of German law enforcement authorities, provided such requests meet the requirements of German and EU law.

4. International Data Transfers

We process data primarily within the European Economic Area (EEA). Where data is transferred to third countries, we ensure compliance with Chapter V GDPR through Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or adequacy decisions issued by the European Commission.

5. Data Retention

Data Category	Retention Period	Legal Basis
Server access logs	14 days (full IP anonymized after 24 hours)	Legitimate interest (security)
Contact form enquiries	36 months from last correspondence	Consent / Contractual necessity
Newsletter subscription data	Until unsubscribe + 3 months (documentation)	Consent
Invoice and financial records	10 years (German HGB §257 / AO §147)	Legal obligation
Consent records	3 years from withdrawal of consent	Legal obligation (GDPR documentation)

6. Your Rights Under GDPR

As a data subject under the GDPR, you have the following rights, exercisable at any time by contacting our DPO at [email protected]:

Right of access (Art. 15 GDPR): To obtain confirmation of whether we process your personal data and, if so, to receive a copy.
Right to rectification (Art. 16 GDPR): To have inaccurate personal data corrected without undue delay.
Right to erasure (Art. 17 GDPR): To have your personal data deleted under specified conditions ("right to be forgotten").
Right to restriction of processing (Art. 18 GDPR): To restrict the processing of your data under specified conditions.
Right to data portability (Art. 20 GDPR): To receive your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
Right to object (Art. 21 GDPR): To object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.
Right to withdraw consent (Art. 7(3) GDPR): To withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority. In North Rhine-Westphalia, the competent authority is:

Landesbeauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit Nordrhein-Westfalen (LDI NRW)
Kavalleriestraße 2–4, 40213 Düsseldorf
Phone: +49 211 38424-0
Website: www.ldi.nrw.de

7. Children's Privacy

CleaningHouses.org is not directed at children under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal data from persons under 16. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data without parental consent, please contact our DPO immediately and we will delete the data.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our data processing practices, applicable law, or our platform's features. We will indicate the date of the most recent revision at the top of this page. For material changes affecting your rights, we will provide prominent notice on our website or, where appropriate, notify newsletter subscribers directly.

See also: Cookie Policy · Terms of Use · Disclaimer