RooMates is committed to protecting your personal information. This policy explains what we collect, why we collect it, and how we keep it safe, under Ghanaian data protection law and our own standards. Transparency is not just a policy here; it's a core value.
01Information we collect
- Personal identification
- Name, email address, phone number, and student ID when you register or book a hostel through RooMates.
- Academic information
- University name and student status used solely to match you with eligible hostels near your campus.
- Usage data
- Pages visited, search queries, device type, and IP address collected automatically to improve platform performance.
- Communications
- Messages, booking requests, and complaints you submit through our platform, kept for service continuity and dispute resolution.
02How we use your information
- Service delivery
- To match you with suitable hostels, process bookings, and manage your reservation through our platform.
- Identity verification
- To confirm your student status and eligibility, in line with our commitment to transparency and security.
- Communication
- To send you updates about your booking, payment status, complaints, and platform changes.
- Platform improvement
- Anonymised usage data helps us improve the RooMates experience for all students and hostel owners.
03Data sharing
- Hostel owners
- Relevant booking details are shared with hostel owners only after your booking is confirmed.
- Payment gateways
- Payment data is processed directly by your hostel's chosen gateway (Hubtel or Paystack). RooMates never stores card details.
- Legal obligations
- We disclose data to authorities only when required by Ghanaian law or a valid court order.
- No third-party sale
- We will never sell your personal data to advertisers or unaffiliated third parties.
04Data security
- Encryption
- All data in transit is protected using TLS encryption. Sensitive records at rest are encrypted using industry-standard protocols.
- Access control
- Only authorised RooMates staff with a legitimate need can access your personal information.
- Retention
- We retain your data for as long as your account is active and for up to 5 years after closure, in line with Ghanaian legal requirements.
- Breach notification
- In the unlikely event of a data breach, we will notify affected users within 72 hours and take immediate remedial action.
05Your rights
- Access
- Request a copy of all personal data we hold about you at any time.
- Correction
- Ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Deletion
- Request deletion of your data, subject to legal retention requirements.
- Portability
- Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format to transfer to another service.
We also use cookies and similar tracking technologies. See our Cookie Policy for the full list and how to manage them.