Privacy Policy
Last updated: 2026-09-02
This Privacy Policy explains how SurveyorSuite Ltd. collects, uses, and protects your personal data when you use our service. We have written it in plain English so that it is easy to understand. If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected].
1. Who We Are
SurveyorSuite Ltd. is a company registered in England and Wales (company number 17103482). We are registered with the UK Information Commissioner's Office under registration number ZC111433 and with HMRC for UK VAT under registration number GB517402220. Our registered address is:
SurveyorSuite Ltd. 4 Brading Road London SW2 2AN
Email: [email protected]
We are the data controller for the personal data you provide to us. This means we decide how and why your data is used.
We have not appointed a Data Protection Officer (DPO) as we do not meet the threshold requiring one under UK GDPR. If you have a data protection concern, please contact us directly at the address above.
2. What Data We Collect
Account Data
When you sign up and use our service, we collect:
- Your name and email address
- A hashed version of your password (we never store your password in plain text)
- Your company name and RICS membership number
Payment Data
Payments are handled securely by Stripe Inc. We never see or store your full card number, CVV, or other sensitive payment details. Stripe may share billing confirmation data with us (such as the last four digits of your card and expiry date) for display purposes only.
Survey Data
Our core service involves creating survey reports. In doing so, we store:
- Property addresses you inspect
- Client names and contact details you enter
- Survey content, inspection notes, condition ratings, and report text
This data belongs to you. We process it on your behalf to deliver the service.
Photos
You may upload photos of properties as part of your survey reports. These photos are stored securely in Cloudflare R2. Photos may include images of private residential or commercial properties. You are responsible for ensuring you have appropriate permission to photograph and upload images of any property.
Voice Data
Our voice dictation feature uses your browser's or device's built-in speech recognition — Google (Chrome), Microsoft (Edge), Apple (Safari and iOS), or Android's on-device recogniser. SurveyorSuite does not see, store, or transmit the raw audio. Each browser or device vendor handles your audio under their own privacy policy. Only the resulting text transcript is sent to our servers and saved as part of your survey.
AI Drafting Data
If you choose to use our optional AI-assisted report drafting feature, the inspection notes you paste into the site-notes input are sent to Anthropic, Inc. (the provider of the Claude AI model) so that a draft report can be generated. Anthropic acts as a sub-processor. Their handling of API content is governed by their Commercial Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. By default, Anthropic does not train its models on Customer Content submitted via its API. Anthropic's default retention for API content is up to 30 days. SurveyorSuite Ltd. retains the AI usage metadata (timestamp, user, token counts, duration) for the audit trail required by the RICS Professional Standard on AI; we do not retain the raw prompt content beyond that audit-trail requirement. Use of this feature is optional — you can write reports entirely without it.
Calendar Integration Data (optional)
If you choose to connect an external calendar (Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook), we store an encrypted access/refresh token for the connected account and that account's email address. With your authorisation we (a) read your free/busy times so we do not offer inspection slots when you are already busy, and (b) write the inspection bookings you make in SurveyorSuite into your calendar (updating or removing them if a booking changes). We do not read, store, or use the contents of your existing calendar events. Disconnecting the integration deletes the stored tokens. This feature is optional.
Usage Data
When you use our service, we automatically collect technical data including:
- Your IP address
- Device type and operating system
- Browser type and version
- Pages and features you visit or use
- Timestamps of activity
We use this data to operate and improve the service, and to detect security issues.
3. How We Use Your Data
The table below sets out what we use your data for and the lawful basis we rely on under UK GDPR.
| Purpose | Data Used | Lawful Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Creating and managing your account | Account data | Contract performance |
| Delivering the survey report writing service | Survey data, photos | Contract performance |
| Processing your subscription payment | Billing data (via Stripe) | Contract performance |
| AI-assisted report drafting (optional) | Inspection notes you submit to the feature, sent to Anthropic | Contract performance |
| Voice dictation transcript ingestion (no audio captured by us) | Transcript text returned by your browser / device | Contract performance |
| Calendar sync (optional) — read your availability + write your bookings | Calendar free/busy times + booking events, via Google / Microsoft | Contract performance |
| Generating PDF and DOCX reports | Survey data, photos | Contract performance |
| Sending service-related emails (e.g. invoices, account notices) | Name, email | Contract performance |
| Keeping the service secure and preventing fraud | Usage data, account data | Legitimate interests |
| Diagnosing technical issues and improving the service | Usage data, anonymised feature engagement metrics | Legitimate interests |
| Retaining billing records for tax purposes | Billing data | Legal obligation (HMRC — 6 years) |
| Responding to lawful requests from authorities | Relevant data as required | Legal obligation |
| Sending marketing emails | Name, email | Consent (we will ask you separately) |
We do not currently send marketing emails. If we introduce them in future, we will ask for your consent first and you will always be able to opt out.
4. AI and Machine Learning
Please read this section carefully. It explains how AI features in the Service work and how your data is and is not used.
4.1 AI-assisted report drafting (Anthropic)
If you choose to use the optional AI-assisted report drafting feature, the inspection notes you paste into the site-notes input are sent to Anthropic, Inc. (the provider of the Claude AI model) for the purpose of generating a draft report. The following applies:
- Default no training. Anthropic's Commercial Terms of Service state that, by default, Anthropic does not train its models on Customer Content submitted via its API. SurveyorSuite Ltd. relies on this default and does not opt in to any feedback channel that would forward your inputs or outputs for training.
- Default 30-day retention at Anthropic. Anthropic's default API retention is up to 30 days, after which API content is automatically deleted. Trust & Safety actions on Anthropic's side may extend that period; we have no day-to-day visibility into Trust & Safety reviews.
- No third-party sale or sharing for marketing. SurveyorSuite Ltd. does not share your Content with any third party for marketing or model training purposes.
- You decide what to send. You are responsible for what you paste into the site-notes input. Avoid pasting confidential client information (health, financial, dispute, or any personal data the client has not given you written consent to share with an AI system). The Service displays a guidance reminder at the point of input.
The AI feature is optional — you can write reports entirely without it. See §4 of the Terms of Service (clauses 9.1–9.10) for the contractual terms.
4.2 Voice dictation (browser / device)
Voice dictation uses your browser's or device's built-in speech recognition (Web Speech API on web; Capacitor on-device recognition on iOS and Android). SurveyorSuite Ltd. does not see, store, or transmit the raw audio. Each browser or device vendor processes your audio under their own privacy policy. Only the resulting transcript text is sent to our servers and saved as part of your survey.
4.3 Internal use of anonymised data
We may use anonymised, aggregated data about how the Service is used (e.g. which templates are used most often, time-to-complete metrics, feature engagement) to improve our products and develop new features. We never use identifiable data for this purpose: property addresses, client names, surveyor names, and survey content are excluded. We never share Content with any third party for marketing or model training.
4.4 Your right to opt out
You can opt out of having your anonymised usage data included in our internal product improvement analytics at any time by emailing [email protected] with the subject line "AI Analytics Opt-Out". We will action your request within 30 days. Opting out does not affect any feature of the Service.
5. Data Sharing and Sub-Processors
We do not sell your data.
5.1 Sub-processors of Customer Content
When you create reports in SurveyorSuite, you are the data controller for your clients' personal data (their names, addresses, photos of their properties, your inspection notes about them). We are the data processor for that data. The third parties we engage to help process Customer Content are sub-processors under UK GDPR Article 28.
The current list of sub-processors of Customer Content is published at surveyorsuite.co.uk/legal/sub-processors. It identifies each sub-processor, region, purpose, and a link to their data-protection terms.
We give you at least 30 days' advance notice by email of any addition or material change to that list, except in urgent security situations where shorter notice is permitted by contract.
Voice dictation does not use a SurveyorSuite sub-processor — it uses your browser's or device's built-in speech recognition; see §4.2.
5.2 Other recipients of your data
To operate our SaaS we share limited personal data with:
- A payment processor to handle your subscription billing — currently Stripe. We never see or store your full card number, CVV, or other sensitive payment details.
- A transactional email provider to deliver service emails such as invoices and password resets — they receive your email address, the subject line and the body of those messages.
We do not share your data with any other recipients except where required by law (see §5.3) or with your explicit consent.
5.3 Lawful disclosures
We may disclose data where we are legally required to do so — for example, in response to a court order or a lawful request from a UK law enforcement authority.
5.4 Calendar integration (Google Calendar / Microsoft Outlook)
If you connect an external calendar, SurveyorSuite accesses your Google or Microsoft calendar data solely to (a) create, update, and delete the inspection bookings you make in SurveyorSuite, and (b) read your free/busy availability to prevent double-booking. We only ever act on the calendar account you connect, and only with your OAuth authorisation. Access tokens are stored encrypted at rest and are used only for those actions; disconnecting deletes them.
Google API Limited Use. SurveyorSuite's use and transfer of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. We do not use Google calendar data for advertising, we do not sell it, we do not use it to train generalised AI/ML models, and we do not transfer it to others except as necessary to provide this feature, to comply with applicable law, or as part of a merger or acquisition with your consent.
Microsoft. The same limitations apply to data accessed via Microsoft Graph when you connect an Outlook calendar.
Where a booking you choose to sync contains your client's details, Google and Microsoft act as sub-processors for that content and are included in our sub-processor list.
6. International Data Transfers
Some of our sub-processors are based outside the UK, including in the United States. Whenever we transfer personal data outside the UK, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it.
We rely on the following transfer mechanisms:
- UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA): Used where a sub-processor has entered into an IDTA with us or operates under equivalent protections.
- Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs): The EU-approved SCCs, as adopted for UK transfers, are used where appropriate.
- Adequacy decisions: Where the UK government has deemed a country or framework to provide adequate data protection.
You can request a copy of the relevant transfer safeguards by emailing [email protected].
7. Data Retention
We retain data only for as long as necessary. The table distinguishes an active Subscription, deliberate report deletion, cancellation and a trial that never converts.
| Data Type | Retention Period |
|---|---|
| Account data, survey data and photos while your Subscription is active | Retained for the life of your active Subscription. Inactive reports are archived, not deleted. |
| Identifiable AI-usage metadata while your Subscription is active | At least 6 years from each entry and for the duration of the active Subscription. The policy does not require retaining unnecessary prompt or draft content. |
| A deliberately deleted report that has never been successfully exported | Restorable in the recycle bin for 60 days, then deleted with its working content and files. |
| A deliberately deleted report that has been successfully exported | Its editable working report is removed after the 60-day recycle-bin period. A reduced Compliance Record is retained until the earlier of 6 calendar years from its latest successful export or final deletion of the whole firm account after delivery of its Cancellation Exit Pack. It contains retained export versions and relevant supporting evidence; it is not a live, editable report. Photographs included through an exported report are 1920px working-tier copies, not original uploads or their original EXIF and capture metadata. |
| After cancellation — account and customer Content | Nothing is deleted at cancellation. The account is read-only for 12 months and remains read-only during the final 30-day notice. The Cancellation Exit Pack is an immutable cutoff snapshot; integrations stop and the client portal becomes read-only. Final deletion follows the 12 months plus the final notice. Ordinary final deletion does not depend on a customer downloading the Pack. Before the effective cutoff, we ask customers to sync devices; data that remains unsynchronised locally is not on our servers, is not in the Pack and is not automatically erased from the device. |
| Cancellation Exit Pack and post-cancellation addendum | The Pack contains existing successful export bytes (including embedded images), relevant report-bound notes, Compliance Record and AI evidence, executed Terms-of-Engagement and e-sign evidence, available supplier and legal snapshots, and a manifest. It excludes loose photographs, miscellaneous attachments, reusable libraries or settings, standalone invoices and general CRM dumps. Those exclusions do not remove separate read-only or download rights. A limited addendum may record permitted post-cutoff payment events or client replies without changing the Pack. |
| Earlier deletion | Available only after the Exit Pack and any addendum are verified, downloaded and acknowledged by the owner, followed by a 14-day cooling-off period. Subject to a hold or legal obligation, deletion completes within 30 days of the original request. |
| Never-converted trial | A trial with reports or successful exports receives 30 days of download-only access, then deletion. A trial with no material customer data may close immediately after confirmation. Genuine beta customers are grandfathered as converted-equivalent customers during rollout. |
| Legal hold | Relevant data is retained for as long as the hold or legal obligation requires. We record when a hold is applied and released. |
| Detailed AI usage and linked audit evidence after final account deletion | Deleted. Only genuinely anonymous, non-reversible aggregate service statistics may remain. |
| Billing, payment and refund records | Retained separately for the applicable 6-year statutory period. |
| Deleted data in backups or object-storage version histories | Removed from live systems on deletion, but may remain in encrypted backup or version-history copies until their normal expiry. A restricted deletion record prevents restoration to service. |
| Unsynchronised local device data | Not held by us and not included in a server-generated Exit Pack. We warn customers to sync devices before cancellation takes effect. |
| Voice audio | Never received by us — your browser or device handles it. |
| Usage / technical logs | Up to 90 days. |
Firm custody and erasure instructions: If a member leaves a firm, their access ends but the firm's records and compliance evidence remain with the firm owner and authorised administrators. Work created before the member joined remains personal unless explicitly transferred. Deleting a working report is not the same as asking us to erase a client or other data subject's personal data. You normally act as controller for that information; contact [email protected] with an erasure or redaction instruction. A legal hold, legal obligation or legal-claims basis may require us to delay or limit action.
8. Your Rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:
- Right of access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to rectification: You can ask us to correct inaccurate data.
- Right to erasure: You can ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances (e.g. if you withdraw consent, or if we no longer need it).
- Right to restriction: You can ask us to pause processing of your data in certain circumstances.
- Right to data portability: You can request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
- Right to object: You can object to processing based on legitimate interests, including the use of anonymised usage data for product analytics (see §4.3 and §4.4).
To exercise any of these rights, please email [email protected] with your request. We will respond within one calendar month. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.
Complaints
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):
- Website: https://ico.org.uk
- Phone: 0303 123 1113
- Post: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
We would appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns before you contact the ICO, so please reach out to us first if possible.
9. Cookies
We use only essential cookies necessary to operate the service. These include:
- Session cookies: Used to keep you logged in during your visit.
- Authentication cookies: Used to maintain your secure session between pages.
We do not use advertising cookies or cross-site tracking. For product and website analytics we use a privacy-friendly, cookieless tool (PostHog, hosted in the EU): it sets no cookies and stores no identifiers on your device, and it never tracks you across other websites. Because our analytics are cookieless and we run no advertising trackers, you still do not need to accept a cookie banner to use our service. See §4.3–§4.4 for how this usage data is used and how to opt out.
10. Children
Our service is intended for use by professional chartered surveyors. It is not directed at, and should not be used by, anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us at [email protected] and we will delete it promptly.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by email or by displaying a prominent notice in the app before the changes take effect. The "Last updated" date at the top of this document will always reflect the most recent version.
We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of the service after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
12. Contact Us and Complaints
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or about how we handle your data, please contact us:
SurveyorSuite Ltd. 4 Brading Road London SW2 2AN Email: [email protected]
We aim to respond to all enquiries within 5 working days.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at https://ico.org.uk.
This policy is also displayed inside the app at app.surveyorsuite.co.uk/legal/privacy. Both render the same canonical document.