Privacy Policy

1. DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION

In this Privacy Policy, unless the context otherwise requires:

• "Platform" means the RentFusion website, mobile application, WhatsApp chatbot, and all related services
• "We," "Us," "Our," or "RentFusion" refers to the platform operator
• "User," "You," or "Your" refers to any person accessing or using the Platform
• "Property Owner" means any individual or entity listing residential or commercial property for rent
• "Tenant" or "Prospective Tenant" means any individual seeking rental accommodation
• "Listing" means any property advertisement posted on the Platform
• "Personal Data" means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person
• "Processing" means any operation performed on personal data, including collection, storage, use, or disclosure

2. NATURE OF SERVICE AND PLATFORM ROLE

2.1 Platform Function

RentFusion operates exclusively as an intermediary matching platform. We:

• Facilitate introductions between Property Owners and Prospective Tenants
• Provide technology infrastructure for property search and discovery
• Enable direct communication between parties via WhatsApp integration
• Display property listings, multimedia content, and rental information

2.2 What We Are NOT

RentFusion expressly disclaims the following roles:

• We are NOT a real estate agent, broker, or licensed property professional
• We are NOT a landlord, property manager, or lessor
• We are NOT a tenant, lessee, or guarantor
• We are NOT a party to any lease agreement, rental contract, or tenancy arrangement
• We do NOT conduct property viewings, inspections, or due diligence
• We do NOT verify property conditions, legal title, or habitability
• We do NOT collect rent, security deposits, or any rental payments
• We do NOT assume liability for landlord-tenant disputes, property defects, or contractual breaches

3. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

3.1 Property Owner Information

When Property Owners register and list properties, we collect:

• Identity Data: Full legal name, national ID/passport number, proof of ownership or authorization to list
• Contact Data: Phone number, WhatsApp number, email address, physical address
• Property Data: Property address, GPS coordinates, property type (residential/commercial), number of bedrooms/bathrooms, square footage, amenities, lease terms, rental price, availability dates
• Multimedia Content: Property photographs, video walkthroughs, floor plans, documentation
• Financial Data: Bank account details (if applicable for future payment features)
• Verification Documents: Title deeds, lease agreements, municipal approvals, tax clearances

3.2 Prospective Tenant Information

When Prospective Tenants search for properties, we collect:

• Identity Data: Name, national ID number, employment status, income verification
• Contact Data: Phone number, WhatsApp number, email address
• Search Preferences: Location preferences, budget range, property type, move-in date, household size, pet ownership
• Interaction Data: Properties viewed, inquiries sent, saved listings, viewing requests
• References: Previous landlord references, employer contacts (if voluntarily provided)

3.3 Communication Data

All communications through the Platform, including:

• WhatsApp messages exchanged with our chatbot
• Direct messages between Property Owners and Prospective Tenants (metadata only)
• Support inquiries and customer service interactions
• Feedback, reviews, and dispute notifications

3.4 Technical and Usage Data

• IP address, device identifiers, browser type and version
• Operating system, screen resolution, language settings
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, click patterns
• Referral sources, search queries, navigation paths
• Session recordings (anonymized for UX improvement)
• Cookies, pixels, and similar tracking technologies

4. LEGAL BASIS FOR PROCESSING

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

• Contractual Necessity: To provide Platform services and fulfill our Terms of Service
• Consent: Where you have explicitly consented to data processing (e.g., marketing communications)
• Legitimate Interests: To operate our business, prevent fraud, improve services, and ensure platform security
• Legal Obligations: To comply with applicable laws, court orders, regulatory requirements, and law enforcement requests

5. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

5.1 Core Platform Functions

• Matching Property Owners with suitable Prospective Tenants based on search criteria
• Displaying property listings with accurate location, pricing, and availability information
• Facilitating WhatsApp-based communication and chatbot interactions
• Processing search queries and delivering personalized property recommendations
• Managing user accounts, authentication, and access controls

5.2 Property Marketing and Promotion

• Sending property alerts and new listing notifications to matched Tenants
• Promoting properties through targeted advertising (with consent)
• Optimizing listing visibility based on user search behavior

5.3 Fraud Prevention and Security

• Verifying user identities to prevent fake listings and scam attempts
• Detecting and blocking fraudulent activity, duplicate accounts, and suspicious behavior
• Monitoring for "pay to view" scams and unauthorized rental schemes
• Protecting against data breaches, unauthorized access, and cyberattacks

5.4 Analytics and Service Improvement

• Analyzing market trends, rental pricing, and demand patterns
• Improving search algorithms and recommendation engines
• Conducting A/B testing and user experience optimization
• Generating anonymized reports on rental market statistics

5.5 Legal Compliance and Dispute Resolution

• Maintaining records for tax, accounting, and regulatory purposes
• Responding to legal process, subpoenas, and government requests
• Investigating complaints, disputes, or alleged Terms of Service violations
• Enforcing our rights under applicable contracts and laws

6. INFORMATION SHARING AND DISCLOSURE

6.1 Between Property Owners and Tenants

When a Prospective Tenant expresses interest in a property, we facilitate mutual disclosure of contact information to enable direct negotiation. By using the Platform, you expressly consent to this disclosure. We are not responsible for how parties use this information after introduction.

6.2 Service Providers and Subprocessors

We engage third-party service providers to support Platform operations, including:

• Cloud hosting and infrastructure providers (AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean)
• WhatsApp Business API providers for messaging services
• Payment processors (for future subscription features)
• Analytics and monitoring tools (Google Analytics, Mixpanel)
• Email and SMS delivery services
• Customer support software providers

These providers are contractually bound to protect your data and use it only for specified purposes.

6.3 Legal Disclosures

We may disclose your information without prior notice when:

• Required by law, statute, regulation, or legal process
• Responding to government requests, court orders, or subpoenas
• Necessary to investigate fraud, security incidents, or criminal activity
• Protecting the rights, property, or safety of RentFusion, users, or the public
• Enforcing our Terms of Service or other agreements
• In connection with a merger, acquisition, bankruptcy, or asset sale (with notice)

6.4 What We Never Do

7. WHATSAPP INTEGRATION AND MESSAGING

7.1 WhatsApp as Primary Channel

RentFusion leverages WhatsApp Business API as a core communication channel. By using our WhatsApp services, you acknowledge that:

• Messages are processed by WhatsApp Inc. (a Meta company) under their Privacy Policy
• Your phone number is shared with WhatsApp to facilitate messaging
• Message content may be analyzed by our chatbot for property matching purposes
• We store message metadata (timestamps, delivery status) but not full message content

7.2 Chatbot Processing

Our AI-powered chatbot processes natural language queries to understand rental preferences. We use this data to:

• Extract search parameters (location, budget, property type)
• Provide personalized property recommendations
• Improve chatbot accuracy and response quality

7.3 Direct Owner-Tenant Communication

After introduction, Property Owners and Tenants communicate directly via WhatsApp. RentFusion is not a party to these conversations and assumes no liability for:

• Misrepresentations, false information, or fraudulent statements made by either party
• Negotiation outcomes, rental terms, or lease agreement contents
• Privacy breaches, harassment, or inappropriate communications
• Disputes arising from direct interactions

8. DATA SECURITY MEASURES

We implement industry-standard security controls to protect your data:

• Encryption: TLS 1.3 for data in transit; AES-256 for data at rest
• Access Controls: Role-based access with multi-factor authentication (MFA)
• Network Security: Firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), DDoS protection
• Application Security: Regular penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, secure code reviews
• Data Minimization: We collect only necessary data and delete it when no longer required
• Monitoring: 24/7 security monitoring and incident response procedures
• Employee Training: Mandatory data protection and security awareness training
• Vendor Management: Due diligence on third-party security practices

9. DATA RETENTION AND DELETION

9.1 Retention Periods

• Active Users: Data retained for the duration of account activity
• Inactive Accounts: Automatically deleted after 24 months of inactivity (with prior notice)
• Listings: Retained for 12 months after property is rented or delisted
• Transaction Records: Retained for 7 years for accounting and tax compliance
• Legal Holds: Data subject to litigation or investigation retained until resolution
• Backup Systems: Deleted data may persist in backups for up to 90 days

9.2 Account Deletion

Upon account deletion request, we will:

• Deactivate your account immediately
• Delete personal data within 30 days, except where retention is legally required
• Anonymize data used in aggregated analytics
• Remove active listings and cease future communications

Exception: We may retain minimal data (e.g., email address) to prevent account recreation and ban evasion if you violated our Terms of Service.

10. YOUR RIGHTS AND CHOICES

10.1 Access and Portability

You have the right to:

• Request a copy of all personal data we hold about you
• Obtain your data in a structured, machine-readable format (CSV, JSON)
• Request transfer of your data to another service provider

10.2 Correction and Updating

You may update your account information at any time through your profile settings. For corrections to listing data or historical records, contact us directly.

10.3 Deletion and Erasure

You may request deletion of your account and personal data, subject to:

• Completion of pending transactions or dispute resolutions
• Legal retention obligations (tax, accounting, fraud prevention)
• Legitimate business interests (e.g., ban enforcement)

10.4 Objection and Restriction

You may object to certain processing activities, including:

• Marketing communications (opt-out anytime)
• Profiling and automated decision-making (request human review)
• Data sharing with specific service providers (may limit functionality)

10.5 Withdraw Consent

Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw consent at any time. This does not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

10.6 Lodge a Complaint

If you believe we have violated your privacy rights, you may:

• Contact us directly to resolve the issue
• File a complaint with your local data protection authority
• Seek legal remedies under applicable privacy laws

11. COOKIES AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES

We use the following technologies:

• Essential Cookies: Required for authentication, session management, and core functionality
• Analytics Cookies: Track usage patterns, page views, and user interactions (Google Analytics, Mixpanel)
• Functional Cookies: Remember preferences, language settings, and saved searches
• Advertising Cookies: Deliver targeted ads and measure campaign effectiveness (with consent)

You may manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may impair Platform functionality.

12. INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS

Your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside your jurisdiction, including countries that may not provide the same level of data protection as your home country. We ensure adequate safeguards through:

• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by regulatory authorities
• Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) with international service providers
• Adherence to Privacy Shield principles (where applicable)

By using the Platform, you consent to international data transfers necessary for service delivery.

13. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

RentFusion is NOT intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. Rental agreements require legal capacity to contract, which is typically 18+ in most jurisdictions. We do not knowingly collect data from minors. If we discover we have inadvertently collected data from a person under 18, we will delete it immediately.

14. UPDATES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time. Material changes will be communicated via:

• Prominent notice on the Platform homepage
• WhatsApp notification to active users
• Email notification (if email address is on file)
• In-app notification upon next login

The "Effective Date" at the top of this policy reflects the date of the latest revision. Continued use of the Platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

15. GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the Republic of Zimbabwe. Any disputes arising from this policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Harare, Zimbabwe.

16. CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to know what personal information is collected, used, and shared
• Right to delete personal information (subject to exceptions)
• Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell data)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

To exercise these rights, contact us using the information below.

17. EUROPEAN PRIVACY RIGHTS (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including:

• Right to access, rectification, erasure, and restriction of processing
• Right to data portability and to object to processing
• Right to withdraw consent and lodge complaints with supervisory authorities
• Right to not be subject to automated decision-making (where applicable)