ChekiRent Privacy Policy

1. Information we collect

Depending on how you use ChekiRent, we may collect the following categories:

• Account and identity information: full name, first and last name, email address, phone number, role, account status, email-verification status, and your terms decision.
• Authentication and security information: password credentials stored in protected form, login and failed-login information, password-reset tokens, verification tokens, refresh tokens, and security logs.
• Property and unit information: property name, address, city, country, unit number and type, rent amount, availability, occupancy, property images, landlord or property-manager assignment, and related dates.
• Tenant and payee information: tenant name, tenant contact or phone number, payee name, and payee phone number entered by a landlord or property manager. Tenants do not need a separate account for this information to appear in a managed property record.
• Payment and subscription information: amount, payment date, channel, M-Pesa receipt number, tenant or payee details connected to a payment, property payment destination, subscription payment status, and subscription receipts.
• M-Pesa integration credentials: where a landlord enables an integration, credentials and payment configuration such as business short code, party identifiers, phone number, initiator name, and passkey. Sensitive credential values are encrypted in the backend.
• Contact, demo, and support information: name, email, phone number, portfolio size, primary goal, message, and information you send to our team.
• Reviews and communications: review name, property type, message, support requests, reminder records, and your notification preferences.
• Technical and usage information: IP address, browser and device information, pages or features used, approximate activity time, consent or preference information, and analytics events. Cookies and similar technologies may be used for these purposes.

2. Why we collect and how we use information

We use information only as reasonably necessary for the following purposes:

• Create and administer landlord, property-manager, and administrator accounts.
• Authenticate users, verify email addresses, reset passwords, prevent fraud, investigate misuse, and secure the platform.
• Store and display property, unit, tenant, occupancy, maintenance, payment, and reporting records for the authorized people managing that portfolio.
• Record and reconcile rent payments, process ChekiRent subscription payments, provide receipts, and support M-Pesa payment workflows.
• Send service messages such as verification emails, password-reset messages, payment updates, subscription reminders, rent reminders, support responses, and important account or security notices.
• Respond to demo requests, provide onboarding and customer support, and improve the platform.
• Measure website performance, understand feature use, detect technical problems, and evaluate marketing effectiveness.
• Meet legal, accounting, tax, regulatory, dispute-resolution, and law-enforcement obligations, and establish or defend legal claims.

We do not sell personal information. We do not use tenant contact information for unrelated marketing merely because it was entered into a landlord's property record.

3. Controller and processor roles

Under Kenya's Data Protection Act, 2019 and applicable regulations, the role responsible for personal data depends on the processing activity. ChekiRent generally acts as a data controller for information it collects directly for its own accounts, website, demos, subscriptions, security, and service administration.

For tenant, payee, property, and payment records entered by a landlord or property manager, that landlord or property manager will generally determine the purpose and means of processing and may act as the data controller. ChekiRent generally acts as a data processor or service provider for those records, processing them on the customer's instructions. The customer remains responsible for giving tenants appropriate notice, collecting information lawfully, limiting access, and responding to tenant requests where the customer is the controller.

4. Who can access information

Access is limited according to role, the relevant property portfolio, and the purpose for which information was collected.

• Landlords and property managers: can access records for portfolios they own, manage, or are assigned to, including tenant and payment information needed for those workflows.
• Authorized team members and administrators: may access information necessary for account support, platform administration, security, audits, and issue resolution. Administrators should access information only for legitimate work purposes.
• Service providers: may process limited information for hosting, databases, email delivery, M-Pesa/payment processing, SMS delivery, analytics, security, anti-spam, and technical support under appropriate contractual or confidentiality controls.
• Authorities and professional advisers: may receive information where required by law, court order, regulatory process, audit, legal advice, or to protect rights, safety, and the platform.
• Other users and the public: property or listing information may be made publicly visible when a user chooses to publish it. Public information should not include private tenant contact details, payment details, passwords, or M-Pesa credentials.

We do not share personal information with unrelated third parties for their own direct marketing.

5. M-Pesa and payment information

ChekiRent may receive payment instructions, callback results, payment amounts, receipt numbers, phone numbers, payment channels, and related property or unit identifiers from M-Pesa or from information entered by an authorized user. We use this information to initiate or record a transaction, reconcile payment activity, show payment status, and provide support.

ChekiRent does not hold, custody, or receive landlords' rental funds. Tenants pay the landlord's configured M-Pesa Paybill or Till directly. ChekiRent records and tracks payment information; the payment provider and relevant financial institutions process the underlying funds under their own terms and privacy notices.

Subscription payments made to ChekiRent may use a separate ChekiRent payment destination. We may retain the payment status, amount, phone number, receipt, and subscription period, but we do not intend to store a customer's M-Pesa PIN. Never send a PIN or password to ChekiRent through a message or support request.

6. Notifications and communications

Depending on account settings, available features, and configuration, ChekiRent may send email, SMS, or in-platform notifications. Current backend integrations include email delivery through configured SMTP and optional SMS subscription reminders through Africa's Talking. WhatsApp notifications are not a standard ChekiRent channel unless we clearly introduce and document that feature. You may manage available notification preferences in your account, but we may still send essential security, legal, billing, and service notices.

7. Cookies, analytics, and similar technologies

The website may use essential browser storage or cookies for authentication, security, session operation, preferences, and core functionality. ChekiRent also currently loads Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity on the public website. These providers may collect technical and usage information under their own privacy policies. You can configure your browser to restrict cookies, although some features may stop working correctly.

8. Security and data retention

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures designed to protect information, including role-based access controls, authentication controls, HTTPS where deployed, password hashing, encrypted storage for sensitive M-Pesa credentials, session and token controls, input validation, rate limiting, backups, and monitoring. No internet service or storage system can be guaranteed completely secure.

• Account and profile data: retained while the account is active and for a reasonable period after closure to handle recovery, disputes, security, and legal obligations.
• Property, tenant, and operational records: retained for as long as the customer needs the service and then deleted or anonymized when no longer required, subject to the customer's instructions and lawful retention duties.
• Payment, subscription, accounting, and audit records: retained for the period reasonably required for accounting, tax, fraud prevention, dispute handling, and other legal or regulatory obligations.
• Security, authentication, and notification logs: retained for as long as reasonably necessary to investigate incidents, maintain security, troubleshoot, and meet legal obligations.
• Marketing and demo requests: retained until the request is resolved, the relationship ends, or you ask us to delete or stop using the information, unless another lawful retention reason applies.

When information is no longer required, we take reasonable steps to delete it, anonymize it, or securely restrict it.

9. Your rights and data-deletion requests

Subject to Kenyan law and applicable exceptions, you may ask for access to, correction of, restriction of, objection to, or deletion of personal information; ask how it is used; or withdraw consent where consent is the legal basis. You may also request correction or deletion of tenant information from the landlord or property manager who supplied it, because that customer may be the controller for the portfolio data.

Send a privacy request to info@chekirent.com with your name, contact details, account or property context, and the action requested. We may verify your identity before responding. We aim to respond within the period required by applicable law. Deletion may be limited where we must retain information for legal, accounting, security, fraud-prevention, or dispute purposes.

You may also contact the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner in Kenya if you believe your rights have not been addressed. A customer using ChekiRent as a processor should first direct a tenant request to the relevant landlord or property manager, while ChekiRent will provide reasonable assistance where required by the customer relationship and law.

10. Children and minors

ChekiRent is a professional property-management service and is not directed to children. Do not create an account or submit information through the service if you are under the age at which you can lawfully provide consent. If a tenant is a minor, the relevant landlord or property manager must ensure that collection and use of the minor's information has an appropriate lawful basis and required consent or notice.

11. Security incidents and data breaches

If we become aware of a suspected or confirmed personal-data breach, we will investigate, contain and remediate it, preserve relevant records, and make notifications to affected customers, the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, or other authorities where required by the Data Protection Act, applicable regulations, and the circumstances. We may contact affected users using the email address or phone number associated with their account.

12. Third-party services and transfers

ChekiRent may use third parties for cloud hosting, database and infrastructure operations, email, M-Pesa and other payment processing, SMS, analytics, anti-spam, monitoring, and security. Some providers may process information outside Kenya. We take reasonable steps to use appropriate safeguards, contractual protections, and lawful transfer mechanisms where required. Third-party services have their own terms and privacy policies, and ChekiRent is not responsible for their independent practices.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when our services, data practices, providers, or legal obligations change. We will update the date above and, where a change is material, provide reasonable notice through the platform, email, or another appropriate channel. Your continued use after the effective date means the updated policy applies to future processing.

14. Contact us

For privacy questions, access requests, correction requests, deletion requests, complaints, or security concerns, contact: