Privacy Policy

1Overview

StudentStay ("we," "us," "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information of everyone who uses our website, platform, and services (collectively, the "Platform") — students, landlords, and visitors alike. This Policy explains what we collect, why, how it's used, and the choices and rights you have over it. It should be read alongside our Terms and Conditions.

2Information We Collect

We collect information in the following ways:

• Information you provide directly — your name, email address, phone number, and any details you submit through our contact, sign-up, or "Get Early Access" forms, including messages you send us.
• Booking and listing information — details related to accommodation searches, booking requests, and (for landlords) property listings, pricing, and availability.
• Payment-related information — when payments go live on the Platform, transaction records are processed through our payment provider; we do not store your full card details ourselves.
• Automatically collected information — basic technical data such as IP address, browser type, device information, and pages visited, collected through standard web server logs and any analytics tools we use.

3How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Create and manage your account, and authenticate you when you sign in.
• Connect students with landlords, process booking requests, and facilitate communication between both sides.
• Process payments, deposits, and payouts once these features are live.
• Respond to enquiries submitted via our contact and early-access forms.
• Send service-related communications, such as booking updates or account notices.
• Maintain the security, integrity, and proper functioning of the Platform.
• Comply with legal obligations under South African law.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

4Legal Basis for Processing

Under POPIA and, where applicable, the GDPR, we process your personal information on the following bases: your consent (for example, when you submit a form), the performance of a contract (for example, facilitating a booking), our legitimate business interests (such as improving and securing the Platform), and compliance with legal obligations.

5Cookies and Similar Technologies

The Platform uses localStorage in your browser to remember preferences such as your selected language and light/dark theme, and to keep you signed in between visits. These are stored on your device and are not shared with us directly. We do not currently use third-party advertising cookies or trackers.

6Third-Party Services We Use

To operate the Platform, we rely on a small number of trusted third-party service providers, each of which processes certain data on our behalf:

• Formspree — used to process submissions from our contact and early-access forms, which are relayed to us by email. See Formspree's Privacy Policy.
• Netlify — our website hosting provider, which processes standard web traffic logs as part of serving the site.
• Payment processor — once payments are live on the Platform, a licensed South African payment gateway will process transactions on our behalf; we do not store full card numbers.

7How Your Information Is Shared

Beyond the service providers listed above, we share information in these limited circumstances:

• Between students and landlords — to facilitate a booking, relevant contact and booking details are shared between the student and landlord involved.
• Legal requirements — where required to comply with the law, respond to a valid legal process, or protect the rights, property, or safety of StudentStay, our users, or the public.
• Business transfers — if StudentStay is ever involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to this Policy.

8Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including encrypting data in transit via HTTPS and relying on reputable, security-audited infrastructure providers (Netlify, Formspree). No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security, but we work to keep your information protected against unauthorized access, loss, or misuse.

9Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as your account remains active, or as needed to provide the Platform's services, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. When information is no longer needed for these purposes, we take reasonable steps to delete or anonymize it.

10Your Rights

Subject to applicable law, you have the right to: access the personal information we hold about you; request correction of inaccurate information; request deletion of your information; object to or restrict certain processing; and withdraw consent at any time. To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details below.

11Children's Privacy

The Platform is intended for users who meet the eligibility requirements set out in our Terms and Conditions (generally 18 years or older, or the age of majority in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can remove it.

12International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers (including Netlify and Formspree) may process or store data outside South Africa. Where this occurs, we rely on those providers' own compliance safeguards to ensure your information continues to receive an appropriate level of protection.

13Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, operational, or regulatory reasons. Material changes will be communicated via the Platform or by email prior to taking effect. Your continued use of the Platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy.

14Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how your personal information is handled, please contact us at:

StudentStay
Email: studentstayofficial@gmail.com