Privacy Policy

Last updated: 28 September 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Simply House Sit ("we", "us" or "our") collects, uses and shares personal information when you use simplyhousesit.org and the services available through it (the "Services").

1. Who is responsible for your information?

Simply House Sit is the controller of the personal information described in this policy. Privacy questions and requests can be sent to christianredhat@gmail.comor by post to:

2. Information we collect

Depending on how you use the Services, we may collect:

• Account information: your name, email address, general location, profile introduction, verification status and authentication information. Passwords are converted into secure password hashes rather than stored in readable form.
• Listing and profile content: home location, availability dates, pet and care information, descriptions and photos that you choose to publish.
• Applications and communications: applications, messages between homeowners and sitters, application decisions and related timestamps.
• Reviews and safety information: reviews, responses, moderation records, reports and information you provide when contacting support.
• Feedback: feedback responses and any optional contact or device/browser information you submit.
• Technical information: IP address, requested page or API route, timestamps, response status and error or security logs generated when the Services are used. We do not use GPS or collect precise device location.

We do not knowingly collect special-category or sensitive personal information, such as health information, religious beliefs or biometric data. Please do not include sensitive information, passwords, alarm codes or financial details in profiles or messages.

Future membership payments

Paid sitter memberships are not currently available. When they launch, payments will be processed through Stripe's hosted payment services. Stripe will collect and process payment-card or bank details; Simply House Sit will not store full card numbers or security codes. We expect to receive limited transaction information such as a Stripe customer or subscription identifier, membership status, payment dates, amount and limited billing details needed to administer the membership. Stripe processes information under its own Privacy Policy.

3. How and why we use information

We use personal information to:

• create and administer accounts and, once launched, paid memberships;
• publish listings and profiles at your direction;
• enable applications, conversations, decisions and reviews;
• verify email addresses, reset passwords and send service messages;
• provide support, respond to privacy requests and investigate reports;
• secure, maintain, troubleshoot and improve the Services;
• prevent misuse and enforce our terms; and
• comply with legal obligations and protect legal rights or personal safety.

4. Our legal bases

Where EU or UK data-protection law applies, we rely on:

• Contract: where processing is necessary to provide the Services you request or take steps at your request before entering into a contract.
• Legitimate interests: to operate, secure and improve the Services, prevent misuse and provide support, where those interests are not overridden by your rights.
• Legal obligations: where we must process information to comply with applicable law.
• Consent: where we specifically ask for it. You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting earlier lawful processing.
• Vital interests: in rare situations where processing is necessary to protect someone from serious harm.

5. When we share information

We do not sell personal information. We may share it as follows:

• With other users: listing and profile information is shown as part of the marketplace; applications are shared with the relevant homeowner; messages are shared with conversation participants; and published reviews are visible to other users.
• With service providers: providers that support hosting, databases, file storage, backups and transactional email, only as needed to provide those services.
• With Stripe: once paid memberships launch, information necessary to initiate and administer payments and subscriptions will be shared with Stripe.
• For legal and safety reasons: where reasonably necessary to comply with law, respond to lawful requests, enforce our terms, investigate misuse or protect rights and safety.
• Business changes: in connection with a merger, financing, reorganisation or sale, subject to appropriate safeguards.

6. Cookies and similar technologies

Simply House Sit currently uses one first-party login cookie named simplyhousesit_session. It is used to authenticate you and keep you signed in for up to 14 days. It is marked Secure, HttpOnly and SameSite=Lax. Rejecting or deleting it prevents signed-in features from working.

We do not currently use advertising cookies, analytics cookies, tracking pixels, web beacons, device fingerprinting or cross-site behavioural tracking. When Stripe-hosted payments launch, Stripe may use cookies on its payment pages as explained in Stripe's Cookie Policy. We will update this policy and introduce any legally required choices before adding non-essential tracking technologies to our own website.

7. International transfers

Some service providers may process information outside your country. Where required, we use recognised safeguards such as adequacy decisions, the European Commission's standard contractual clauses or the UK international data-transfer addendum.

8. How long we keep information

We keep personal information for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide the Services. When you request account erasure, we delete, hide or redact account, listing, application, message and photo information where appropriate. Limited records may be retained where necessary for legal obligations, fraud prevention, dispute handling or security. Residual copies may remain in protected backups until those backups are rotated or deleted.

9. How we protect information

We use technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information, including encrypted connections, password hashing, secure authentication cookies, access controls, restricted service connectivity, backups and security testing. No internet or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

10. Your privacy rights

Depending on applicable law, you may have rights to access, correct, erase or receive a copy of your information; restrict or object to processing; withdraw consent; and complain to a data-protection authority. These rights may be limited in some circumstances by law.

To exercise a right, contact christianredhat@gmail.comfrom the email address associated with your account where possible. We may need to verify your identity before completing a request.

You may also complain to the Portuguese Data Protection Authority (CNPD)or, if applicable, your local supervisory authority. UK residents may contact the Information Commissioner's Office.

11. Children

The Services are intended for adults aged 18 or over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided information to us, please contact us so we can take appropriate action.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when the Services or applicable requirements change. The date at the top identifies the latest version. We will give appropriate notice of material changes.

This Privacy Policy was prepared with reference to Termly's Privacy Policy Generator.