Matchouse Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 14 May 2025

1. Introduction

Matchouse ("Matchouse", "we", "us", or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you use our website or services (collectively, the "Platform"). It also outlines your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and EU GDPR, and how you can exercise those rights. We encourage you to read this notice carefully. By using the Platform www.matchouse.com or our mobile application (together, the "Services"), you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy and our Terms and Conditions.

Data Controller: For the purposes of data protection law, Matchouse is the "data controller" of personal data processed through the Platform. If you reside in the United Kingdom or European Economic Area (EEA), Matchouse Ltd. is the data controller responsible for your information under UK and EU GDPR. Our contact information is provided in the "Contact Us" section below.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully before using the https://matchouse.com website ("the Website"), operated by Percy Real Estate Ltd, a Private Limited Company registered in England and Wales with company number 15525233 ("us", "we", "our").

Third-Party Services: Please note that our Platform may introduce you to third-party service providers or other users (for example, property sellers, buyers, landlords, tenants, or contractors). When you engage with a third-party through Matchouse, that third party may become an independent data controller of any personal data you provide to them. This means they are responsible for their own compliance with data protection laws. Matchouse is not responsible for how third parties use your data once you have shared it with them – we recommend you review their privacy policies before sharing information. (For instance, if you are a buyer contacting a home seller via Matchouse, the seller will handle any personal data you provide to them under their own privacy practices.)

2. Information We Collect

We may collect various types of personal data from you when you use Matchouse, including:

We do not intentionally collect special categories of personal data (such as information about your health, political opinions, religious beliefs, etc.) through the Platform, nor do we seek to collect data from children. Matchouse is not intended for use by individuals under 18 years of age, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, please contact us so we can remove it.

3. How We Use Your Data

We will only use your personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so. Under UK/EU GDPR, the main legal bases we rely on are: (a) performance of a contract with you, (b) compliance with a legal obligation, (c) our legitimate interests (or those of a third party), and (d) your consent (where you have given it). We describe the purposes for which we process your data and the corresponding legal bases below:

We will not use your personal data for new purposes that are not described in this Privacy Policy without first notifying you and, if required, obtaining your consent.

4. How We Share Your Information

Matchouse will never sell your personal data to third parties for their own marketing use without your explicit consent. However, we do share your data with certain categories of recipients in order to run our Platform and fulfill the purposes outlined above, under strict safeguards:

No Third-Party Marketing Without Consent: We reiterate that we do not share or rent your contact information to unrelated third parties for their direct marketing purposes unless we have your consent. If in the future we ever consider such sharing, we will seek your opt-in consent.

When we share information with third parties, we apply the principle of data minimization – only the data necessary for each purpose will be disclosed. All third parties with whom we share data must agree to handle it in accordance with applicable privacy laws.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Cookies are small text files that websites store on your device to save information. Matchouse uses cookies and similar tracking technologies (such as web beacons, pixels, and local storage) to provide, personalize, and improve our Platform. We categorize our use of cookies as follows:

Your Choices for Cookies: When you first visit Matchouse, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner (in jurisdictions where required) that allows you to accept or reject non-essential cookies (such as advertising or analytics cookies). You can always manage your cookie preferences through our Cookie Settings tool on the website or by adjusting your browser settings to refuse or delete cookies. Please note that if you disable certain cookies (especially Strictly Necessary or Functional cookies), some features of the Platform may not work correctly – for example, you might not be able to log in or use the search filters effectively.

Most web browsers also let you manually manage cookies. You can usually find these options under the "Settings" or "Preferences" menus of your browser. You may set your browser to refuse all third-party cookies or alert you when a cookie is being placed. For more information on controlling cookies, check your browser's help documentation or visit an online guide about managing cookies (ICO provides guidance on this).

Do Not Track: Some browsers have a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature that signals to websites that you do not want to be tracked. Our Platform currently does not respond to DNT signals, because there is not yet an industry standard for how to interpret them. We instead provide the cookie consent and management options described above.

Analytics Opt-Out: To opt-out of Google Analytics specifically, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, which prevents Google Analytics from collecting your data on any site.

For more details, please refer to our detailed Cookie Policy (if available on our site), which provides a full list of cookies in use and their purposes.

6. Data Retention

Matchouse retains personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. In general:

When we have no ongoing legitimate need or legal obligation to process your personal information, we will either delete it or anonymize it (so it can no longer be associated with you). If anonymization is used, we may retain anonymized information (which is no longer personal data) for analytics and improvement purposes without further notice to you.

7. Data Security

We take the security of your personal data seriously. Matchouse implements appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include, but are not limited to:

Despite our strong efforts, no website or internet transmission is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of data, and you should also take care with how you handle and disclose your personal data. You are responsible for keeping your account credentials (passwords, verification codes) confidential and for monitoring any suspicious activity on your account. If you believe your account or data has been compromised, please contact us immediately so we can assist.

Phishing & Fraud Warning: Matchouse will never email or call you to ask for your password or authentication codes. Beware of fraudulent "phishing" emails or sites impersonating Matchouse. Always ensure you are logging in via our official domain. If you receive any communication that purports to be from Matchouse asking for sensitive info, double-check the sender's address and contact us through our official channels if in doubt. We are not responsible for breaches or losses arising from your sharing of personal data with a third party due to phishing or other fraudulent schemes outside of our Platform.

Account Security Features: We encourage you to use a strong, unique password for Matchouse and not reuse passwords from other accounts. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) if we offer it, for an extra layer of security. Keep your devices and apps updated to ensure you have the latest security patches.

In the unfortunate event of a data breach that poses a high risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you and the relevant supervisory authority (such as the ICO) as required by law, and work to mitigate any potential harm.

8. International Data Transfers

Matchouse is based in the United Kingdom. However, we may process your data in other countries if our service providers or partners are located outside the UK or EEA. For example, if we use a cloud hosting service or support team in the United States or another country, your personal data might be transferred to or accessed from that jurisdiction.

Whenever we transfer personal data out of the UK or EEA, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it, as required by UK/EU GDPR. These safeguards may include:

You can request more information about our international data transfer safeguards (and obtain a copy of the relevant contractual commitments, where applicable) by contacting our Data Protection Officer (see Contact section).

Please note that users accessing the Platform from outside the UK/EEA are transferring their data to the UK by using our services. We process that data under this Policy and the same security measures.

9. Your Rights Under GDPR

As a user in the UK or EU, you have specific rights regarding your personal data. Matchouse is committed to honoring these rights. Your rights include:

We strive to make it easy for you to exercise these rights. Many actions (like updating or deleting profile info, or opting out of marketing) you can do yourself through the Platform's user settings. For any rights that require our assistance, please see the next section on how to submit a request.

10. Exercising Your Rights and Contacting Us

Contact for Privacy Requests: If you wish to exercise any of your data subject rights, or have any questions or concerns about how we handle your personal data, you can contact us using the following details:

To help us process your request efficiently, please provide: (i) the email address associated with your Matchouse account (or other identifier we can use to locate your records), (ii) what right you wish to exercise (e.g., access, deletion, etc.), and (iii) details about your request (for example, specific data you want to access or delete). For security, we may need to verify your identity before fulfilling your request. This could involve asking you to confirm some information we already have on file, or through other verification methods. We do this to ensure we don't disclose data to the wrong person or delete the wrong account.

We will respond to legitimate requests as soon as possible and no later than one month from receipt of the request. If your request is particularly complex or if you have made multiple requests, we are allowed to extend this period by up to two further months. We will inform you within the initial one-month period if an extension is needed and the reasons why. If we decline your request (either wholly or partially) due to a legal exemption or overriding interest, we will explain our reasoning and outline how you can challenge our decision.

Generally, we charge no fee for the exercise of your rights. However, if a request is manifestly unfounded or excessive (for example, repetitive requests with no reasonable purpose), we may either charge a reasonable fee to cover the administrative cost or refuse to act on the request. We will explain our justification if this situation arises.

If you request deletion, restriction, or rectification, we will notify any third parties/processors who have received your data from us (where feasible) about these changes, so they can also act accordingly. However, some third parties (like those you engaged with directly) may still have lawful grounds to keep your data in their own systems – in such cases, your rights should be exercised directly with those parties.

11. Marketing Communications and Preferences

Opt-In: Matchouse will send you promotional communications (such as newsletters, offers, or event updates) via email, SMS, or other channels only if you have opted in to receive them, or if you are an existing user and the communications relate to products or services similar to those you've previously used (as permitted under applicable law). We aim to conduct our marketing in line with your preferences and the law – you will not receive a barrage of unrelated marketing from us or any third party without consent.

Opt-Out: You have full control over your marketing preferences. If you no longer wish to receive marketing emails or texts from Matchouse, you can opt out at any time. The easiest way is to click the "Unsubscribe" link in any promotional email, which will instantly remove you from our mailing list for that type of content. For SMS, you may reply with a stop command if instructed, or contact our support. You can also adjust your preferences in your account settings under "Notification Preferences" or a similarly named section – there, you can usually toggle off newsletters, updates, or partner offers.

Please note that even if you opt out of marketing messages, we will still send you transactional or service-related communications when necessary. These include messages like account notifications, password reset emails, legal/terms updates, booking confirmations, and other essential notices. You cannot opt out of those as they are considered part of the service, except by discontinuing use of the Platform.

If you have multiple communication channels with us (e.g., multiple email addresses or a phone number and email), please make sure to adjust preferences for each or let us know specifically which contact method you want to opt out from. We will endeavor to comply with opt-out requests promptly; however, do allow a few days for all our systems to be updated, during which you might still receive communications already in process.

We do not perform unsolicited telemarketing. If we ever consider phone outreach for marketing, it will be in accordance with your consent and applicable "Do Not Call" laws.

12. Third-Party Links and Services

The Matchouse Platform may contain links to websites or services operated by third parties (for example, a link to a partner's service, or user-posted link, or an integration with a map or social media site). Clicking on those links or enabling those integrations may allow third parties to collect or share data about you. We do not control these third-party sites and are not responsible for their privacy practices or content.

We encourage you to be cautious when you leave our Platform and to read the privacy notices of every website/app you visit that collects personal data. This Privacy Policy applies solely to data processed by Matchouse within our Platform. If you provide personal information to a third-party site or via a plugin (like a payment provider's widget or a chat tool provided by a third party), that data is governed by the third party's terms.

For example, if we use Google Maps for location selection in listings, using that feature might be subject to Google's Privacy Policy. Or if you go to a mortgage provider's site through a link on Matchouse, any data you give to that provider would not be covered by Matchouse's Privacy Policy. We strive to make it clear when you are engaging with a third-party service, but please be mindful of this.

13. User Responsibilities and Community Privacy

As a user of Matchouse, you may have access to other users' personal information (for example, through profiles, reviews, or communications). You are responsible for protecting the privacy of others just as we protect yours. You agree to use any personal data obtained through Matchouse only for the intended purpose (such as communicating regarding a transaction) and not for unauthorized purposes (like harvesting data, spamming, or violating someone's privacy).

You must not misuse any personal data accessed on our Platform. This includes refraining from stalking, harassing, or abusing other users, and not disclosing someone's information to third parties without consent. Any misuse of user data is a serious violation of our terms and may lead to account suspension or termination, and potentially legal consequences.

If you are a business user (for example, an independent landlord or service provider using Matchouse), you may also have legal obligations under GDPR as a data controller for any personal data you obtain via our Platform. For instance, a landlord receiving a tenant's information should handle that data in accordance with data protection laws (keeping it secure, using it only for tenancy purposes, etc.). Matchouse cannot be held liable for any breach on your part in how you handle data you obtained through our system. We encourage all users to respect privacy and secure any data they download or store from Matchouse.

14. Liability Disclaimer

No Warranty for Third-Party Actions: While Matchouse is committed to protecting your information, we cannot and do not guarantee the privacy or security of information you choose to share with another Matchouse user or third-party, and we disclaim liability for the actions of those third parties. If you suffer harm or loss because another user or an unrelated third party misused your personal data (for example, a counterparty using your phone number for harassment, or a data breach on a third-party payment processor), Matchouse will not be responsible for those outcomes. We contractually require certain standards of our partners and provide guidance to users, but ultimately we do not control third parties' actions and thus cannot accept liability for them.

Security Incidents Outside Our Control: Matchouse maintains high security standards (see Data Security section). However, in the event of a breach or unauthorized access that occurs despite our safeguards – particularly if caused by factors beyond our control, such as a cyber-attack by an advanced actor, force majeure events, or your own security lapses (e.g., you fell victim to phishing or reused a compromised password) – Matchouse will not be held liable for the consequences of such incidents, provided we have complied with applicable laws and taken reasonable measures to protect your data. We will of course fulfill any legal obligations in responding to the incident (including notification and remediation), but we cannot guarantee compensation for external breaches or user errors that are not due to our negligence.

No Indirect Liability: We are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages related to your use of personal data on the Platform, or any loss of data that was beyond our reasonable control. Our liability to you, in any event, will be limited as set out in our Terms of Service. (This clause is not intended to limit rights you have under GDPR or applicable law to seek compensation for breaches; rather it clarifies that standard platform provider limitation of liability applies to contexts outside of legal violations.)

Indemnity for Misuse: If you, as a user, misuse the Platform or someone's data causing Matchouse to incur liability (for instance, a claim or fine because of something you did with data obtained from Matchouse), you may be required to indemnify Matchouse as per our Terms of Service. We put this here as a reminder that protecting privacy is a shared responsibility.

15. Updates to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. If we make material changes, we will notify you by posting the updated policy on our website and updating the "Last Updated" date at the top. In some cases, we may provide additional notice (such as adding a statement to our homepage or sending you a notification or email).

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information. If you do not agree with any updates to the policy, you should discontinue using the Platform or adjust your preferences. Where required by law (for example, if new processing purposes are introduced that rely on consent), we will obtain your consent or give you a choice before the changes take effect.

16. Contact Us and Complaints

If you have any questions, comments, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data handling practices, please do not hesitate to contact us:

Email: [email protected]
Address: Percy Real Estate Ltd, 25 Cabot Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 4QZ
Data Protection Officer: Percy Real Estate Ltd

We will be grateful for the chance to address your concerns. Your feedback helps us improve.

Complaints: If you are ever dissatisfied with how we handle your personal data or any privacy request, please let us know and we will try our best to resolve the issue. In the event that you feel we have not adequately addressed your concerns, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) or your local supervisory authority.

We do ask that before you approach a regulator, you give us the opportunity to address your complaint directly – we are committed to resolving any issues in a fair and transparent manner. Your privacy is of utmost importance to Matchouse, and we will continually work to protect and respect it in everything we do.

When you exercise any of these rights we will respond within a reasonable period and in any event within one month (in compliance with the UK GDPR and the EU GDPR). Please note that in some circumstances we have the right to extend the period within which we respond to your rights request by up to two months.

If you have consented to our processing of your personal data, you have the right to withdraw, at any time, any consent that you have previously given to us for use of your personal information. In certain circumstances even if you withdraw your consent we may still be able to process your personal information if required or permitted by law or for the purpose of exercising or defending our legal rights or meeting our legal and regulatory obligations.

To make a request to exercise any of these rights (where applicable) in relation to your personal data, please contact us using the relevant contact details above.