Privacy Notice

1. Introduction

Rently ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy and personal information. This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use our rent tracking application.

This notice complies with the Privacy Act 2020 (New Zealand) and applies to all users of the Rently application.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

Account Information: Name, email address, and password (encrypted)
Tenant Information: Tenant names, expected rent amounts, payment keywords, and tenancy start dates
Multi-Factor Authentication: Verification codes sent to your email (temporary, expires after 10 minutes)

2.2 Information from Akahu

When you connect your bank account through Akahu, we collect:

Bank Account Information: Account name, type, and unique identifier
Transaction Data: Incoming transactions (deposits/credits) from the last 90 days, including:
- Transaction description
- Transaction amount
- Transaction date
- Transaction type
- Unique transaction identifier
Access Tokens: OAuth tokens to access your bank data (encrypted and stored securely)

2.3 Automatically Collected Information

Usage Data: Login times, MFA verification timestamps
Technical Data: Session information for security purposes

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information for the following purposes:

3.1 Core Services

Track rent payments from your tenants
Match bank transactions to tenant records
Display payment status and history
Calculate payment balances and trends

3.2 Security & Authentication

Verify your identity through multi-factor authentication
Protect your account from unauthorized access
Maintain secure sessions

3.3 Communications

Send MFA verification codes
Send payment notifications (if enabled by you)
Provide important service updates

3.4 Service Improvement

Improve application functionality
Troubleshoot technical issues
Ensure service reliability

4. Akahu Integration

Rently uses Akahu, a licensed financial data aggregator, to securely connect to your bank account. Here's how this works:

4.1 Authorization

You authorize Akahu to access your bank account on our behalf
Your bank credentials are never shared with Rently
Akahu uses bank-level security to protect your data

4.2 Data Access

We request read-only access to your transaction data
We cannot make payments or transfer money from your account
Access is ongoing until you revoke it

4.3 Data Storage

We only store transactions that match your tenant payment keywords
We do not store your complete transaction history
Access tokens are encrypted using industry-standard encryption (Fernet)

4.4 Akahu's Privacy Policy

Akahu has its own privacy policy governing how they handle your data. View Akahu's Privacy Policy

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information.

5.1 Third-Party Service Providers

We share limited information with:

Akahu: To access your bank transaction data (with your authorization)
Email Service Provider: To send MFA codes and notifications (email addresses only)
Hosting Provider: To store and process your data securely

5.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or to:

Comply with legal obligations
Protect our rights and property
Prevent fraud or security issues
Protect the safety of our users

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:

Encryption: All sensitive data (passwords, access tokens) is encrypted
Multi-Factor Authentication: Required for all account access
Secure Connections: HTTPS encryption for all data transmission (production)
Access Controls: Strict authorization checks on all data access
Regular Security Reviews: Ongoing security assessments and updates

Note: While we implement strong security measures, no system is 100% secure. You are responsible for keeping your password confidential.

7. Data Retention

7.1 Active Accounts

We retain your data while your account is active
Transaction data is kept to maintain payment history
MFA codes are automatically deleted after 10 minutes

7.2 When You Disconnect Akahu

Your access tokens are immediately revoked and deleted
Existing payment records are retained for historical purposes
No new transaction data is collected

7.3 Account Deletion

When you delete your account, all your data is permanently removed
This includes: account information, tenant records, payment history, and access tokens
Deletion is irreversible

7.4 Legal Retention

We may retain certain information if required by law or for legitimate business purposes (e.g., resolving disputes, enforcing agreements).

8. Your Rights Under the Privacy Act 2020

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

8.1 Right to Access

Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
View your data through your Rently dashboard

8.2 Right to Correction

Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
Update your account and tenant information directly in the app

8.3 Right to Deletion

Request deletion of your personal information
Delete your account and all associated data

8.4 Right to Revoke Consent

Disconnect your bank account at any time
Disable email notifications
Close your account

8.5 Right to Complain

If you believe we have breached your privacy, you can:

Contact us directly (see contact information below)
Lodge a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner: www.privacy.org.nz

9. Cookies and Tracking

9.1 Essential Cookies

Rently uses essential cookies to:

Maintain your login session
Remember your MFA verification status
Protect against CSRF attacks

9.2 Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how users interact with our application and to improve our services. Google Analytics collects information such as:

Pages you visit and time spent on each page
How you navigate through the application
Your browser type and device information
General geographic location (city/country level)
Traffic sources (how you found our website)

Important: Google Analytics does not collect:

Your personal financial information
Your bank account details
Your tenant information or payment data
Your email address or password

9.3 Google's Privacy Policy

Google Analytics is provided by Google LLC. Google's use of data collected through Google Analytics is governed by their privacy policy:

9.4 Opting Out of Google Analytics

You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by:

Installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
Using browser settings to block cookies
Using browser extensions that block analytics scripts

Note: Opting out of Google Analytics will not affect your ability to use Rently's core features.

10. Children's Privacy

Rently is not intended for use by individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

11. Changes to This Privacy Notice

We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of significant changes by:

Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this notice
Sending an email notification (for material changes)
Displaying a notice in the application

Your continued use of Rently after changes are made constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Notice.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Notice or your personal information, please contact us:

Email: privacy@rently.nz

Application: Use the feedback feature in your dashboard

Response Time: We aim to respond within 5 business days

13. Consent

By using Rently, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Privacy Notice. You can withdraw your consent at any time by:

Disconnecting your bank account
Disabling email notifications
Deleting your account