Privacy Policy — RentalHive

RentalHive is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information in compliance with the Personal Information Protection Act (BC PIPA), SBC 2003, c. 63.

By using RentalHive, you consent to the collection and use of your personal information as described in this Policy.

1. Who We Are

RentalHive is a peer-to-peer equipment rental marketplace operating in British Columbia, Canada. We are responsible for personal information under our control. Questions or concerns about our privacy practices may be directed to our Privacy Officer at privacy@rentalhive.ca.

2. What Information We Collect

We collect personal information that is necessary to operate the platform, including:

Account information: name, email address, phone number, profile photo.
Lister profile: business name (if applicable), pickup address, bio, payout banking details (held securely by Stripe).
Booking and payment information: rental dates, item details, payment card details (processed and stored by Stripe — we do not store full card numbers).
Communications: messages sent through the platform, support requests.
Usage data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, referral source (collected via server logs and cookies).
Reviews and ratings: content you submit as a Lister or Renter.

3. Why We Collect This Information

We collect and use your personal information only for the purposes for which it was collected or for directly related purposes, including:

Creating and managing your account.
Facilitating bookings, payments, refunds, and payouts.
Verifying identity and preventing fraud.
Sending transactional communications (booking confirmations, receipts, reminders).
Sending optional marketing emails (with your consent; you may unsubscribe at any time).
Improving the platform and resolving disputes.
Complying with legal obligations including tax reporting.

4. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only as necessary:

Between Users: When a booking is confirmed, the Renter's name and pickup instructions are shared with the Lister, and the Lister's contact details are shared with the Renter, to facilitate the rental.
Service providers: Stripe (payments), Twilio (SMS notifications), hosting and infrastructure providers operating under confidentiality obligations.
Legal compliance: Where required by law, court order, or to protect the rights and safety of RentalHive and its users.

Where our service providers are located outside BC, we take reasonable steps to ensure comparable privacy protection is in place.

5. Cookies and Tracking

We use session cookies necessary for the platform to function (authentication, CSRF protection). We may also use analytics cookies to understand how the platform is used. You may disable cookies in your browser settings, but some platform features may not function correctly if you do.

We do not use third-party advertising cookies.

6. How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law:

Active account data: retained while your account is open.
Booking and payment records: 7 years for tax/accounting purposes.
Deleted account data: anonymized or deleted within 90 days, except where retention is legally required.

7. Your Rights

Under BC PIPA, you have the right to:

Access the personal information we hold about you.
Correct any inaccurate personal information.
Withdraw consent for non-essential uses (note: withdrawal may affect your ability to use certain features).
Request deletion of your account and personal information, subject to legal retention obligations.

To exercise any of these rights, contact our Privacy Officer at privacy@rentalhive.ca. We will respond within 30 days.

8. Security

We implement industry-standard technical and organizational safeguards to protect your personal information, including encryption in transit (TLS), encrypted storage for sensitive fields, and access controls limited to authorized personnel. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. In the event of a data breach that creates a real risk of significant harm, we will notify affected individuals and the BC Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) as required by law.

9. Children's Privacy

RentalHive is not directed at anyone under the age of 19. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If we become aware that we have collected information from a person under 19, we will delete it promptly.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by email or by posting a notice on the platform. Continued use of RentalHive after the effective date of changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.

11. Contact & Complaints

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, contact our Privacy Officer:

RentalHive Privacy Officer
privacy@rentalhive.ca

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may file a complaint with the BC Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) at oipc.bc.ca.