Privacy Policy
How we look after your personal data at Darney Barn.
Your privacy matters to us. This notice explains what personal data we collect when you visit darneybarn.co.uk, enquire, or book a stay, how we use it, who we share it with, how long we keep it, and the rights you have over it.
1. Who We Are
Darney Barn is a family-owned four-bedroom holiday let on a working arable farm, 6 miles from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. For the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, we are the data controller.
2. What Personal Data We Collect
| Data category | What we collect | Where from |
|---|---|---|
| Identity & contact | Name, email address, phone number, postal address of the lead booker | Booking form, email enquiries, Airbnb/Vrbo |
| Booking details | Arrival/departure dates, number of adults, children and dogs, any special requests | You (booking form or email) |
| Payment data | Limited transaction data. We do NOT store your full card details — payments are processed by Stripe / your bank / the booking platform | Payment processor, bank, or Airbnb/Vrbo |
| Correspondence | Emails and messages exchanged with you about your stay | You |
| Website technical | IP address (truncated), browser/device type, pages viewed, referring site | Automatic server logs and privacy-friendly analytics, if enabled |
| Reviews & feedback | Your first name and comments, if you leave a review | You, Airbnb, or other review platforms |
We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under the age of 16. We do not collect "special category" personal data (e.g. health, ethnicity) unless you voluntarily share it (for example, to tell us about an accessibility need).
3. Why We Use Your Data & Our Legal Basis
| Purpose | Legal basis under UK GDPR |
|---|---|
| To respond to booking enquiries | Taking steps at your request before entering a contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) |
| To administer your booking, take payment and refund deposits | Performance of a contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) |
| To keep accurate records for tax and accounting | Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)) |
| To protect our property (e.g. investigating damage or breaches of the booking terms) | Our legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)) — protecting our property and recovering losses |
| To send you occasional updates about Darney Barn (ONLY if you have opted in) | Your consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) — you can withdraw at any time |
| To improve the website and prevent abuse | Our legitimate interests — running a secure website |
4. Who We Share Your Data With
We never sell your personal data. We share it only with trusted third parties who help us run the business, and only when necessary:
- Payment processors (e.g. Stripe, your card issuer) — to take payment and refund deposits
- Booking platforms (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com) — where you booked via that platform, in accordance with their own terms and privacy notices
- Email & website hosting providers — who host the website, our email and our booking data
- Accountants, auditors and HMRC — to comply with our tax obligations
- Cleaners / maintenance contractors — only minimal information (e.g. arrival and departure dates, number of guests)
- Legal, insurance and law-enforcement bodies — only where legally required or to defend our legal rights
5. International Transfers
Some of the services we use (for example cloud email, Airbnb) may process data outside the UK / EEA. Where that happens, we rely on UK adequacy regulations or the International Data Transfer Agreement / Standard Contractual Clauses to ensure your data stays protected.
6. How Long We Keep Your Data
- Booking enquiries that do not become bookings: up to 12 months, then deleted.
- Confirmed bookings and related correspondence: kept for 6 years after the stay (to comply with HMRC record-keeping requirements and to handle any disputes).
- Marketing email list (if you opted in): kept until you unsubscribe.
- Server / analytics logs: up to 12 months.
7. Cookies & Website Technology
Darney Barn's website uses only strictly necessary cookies required for the booking calendar and form to function. We do not use third-party advertising cookies or trackers. If we ever add analytics, we will use a privacy-friendly tool that does not require a cookie banner under UK law, and we will update this notice.
8. Your Rights Under UK GDPR
You have the right to:
- Ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you (right of access)
- Ask us to correct inaccurate data (rectification)
- Ask us to delete your data, where we have no lawful reason to keep it (erasure)
- Restrict or object to our processing of your data
- Ask us to port your data to another provider (data portability)
- Withdraw consent for marketing at any time
- Complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) — ico.org.uk — though we'd appreciate a chance to put things right first
To exercise any of these rights, please email bookings@darneybarn.co.uk. We aim to respond within 30 days.
9. How We Keep Your Data Secure
We take data security seriously. Measures include: strong passwords and two-factor authentication on admin accounts, HTTPS encryption on the website, encrypted email and backups, principle of least privilege (only people who need access to your data have it), and regular deletion of data we no longer need.
10. CCTV
CCTV may operate on the external perimeter of the property and farmyard (driveway / entrance only) for security. Signs are displayed. Footage is retained for up to 30 days unless needed for an investigation. There are no cameras inside the barn or on the enclosed patio.
11. Children's Data
Most bookings are made by adults, but we will record the number of children staying and their ages where you tell us. We do not market directly to children. If you believe we hold data about a child under 16 that shouldn't be there, please email us and we will delete it.
12. Changes to This Notice
We may update this privacy notice from time to time. The date at the top shows when it was last changed. Material changes will be communicated by email to anyone who has an active booking at the time.
13. Contact Us
Any questions about this notice or how we handle your data?
Email: bookings@darneybarn.co.uk
Post: Darney Barn, Near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK