Data Retention Policy

Last updated: 6 February 2026

1. Overview

This Data Retention Policy explains how long SQFT keeps your personal data and how we handle data deletion. We retain data only for as long as necessary to provide our services, comply with legal obligations, and protect our legitimate interests.

This policy should be read alongside our Privacy Policy.

2. Retention Schedule

The following table summarises how long we retain different categories of data:

Data Category Retention Period Reason
Account Profile
Email, name, preferences		 Duration of account Service provision
Property Pipeline
Saved properties, analysis		 Duration of account Service provision
Uploaded Documents
Legal packs, floor plans		 Duration of account Service provision
Investor Profile
Financial info, KYC docs		 Duration of account Partner matching
Investment Outcomes
Actual ROI, accuracy data		 Duration of account Prediction improvement
Authentication Logs
Login times, IP addresses		 12 months Security, fraud prevention
Server Logs
Request logs, errors		 12 months
(Pseudonymised after 6 months)		 Debugging, security
Payment Records
Invoices, transactions		 7 years Legal requirement (HMRC)
Support Communications
Emails, chat transcripts		 3 years after resolution Quality, dispute resolution
Marketing Consent Records
Opt-in/out history		 Duration of consent + 3 years Compliance evidence
Cookie Consent Records
Consent choices		 12 months (refreshed) Compliance evidence
Backup Copies
Full database backups		 90 days rolling Disaster recovery

3. Data After Account Deletion

When you delete your SQFT account:

Immediate (Day 0)

Account deactivated. You cannot log in. Your data is no longer visible in the platform.

Within 30 Days

All personal data permanently deleted from primary database: properties, investor profile, documents, preferences.

Within 90 Days

Data purged from all backup systems. No recoverable copies remain.

Retained (Legal Requirement)

Payment records retained for 7 years per HMRC requirements. These are stored separately and securely.

Account deletion is permanent. Once your data is deleted, it cannot be recovered. Please export any data you wish to keep before requesting deletion.

4. How to Request Data Deletion

You can request deletion of your data in two ways:

Option 1: Self-Service (Recommended)

  1. Log in to your SQFT account
  2. Go to Settings > Data & Privacy
  3. Click "Delete My Data"
  4. Confirm by entering your password

Your data will be permanently deleted within 30 days.

Option 2: Email Request

Send an email to [email protected] with:

  • Subject: "Data Deletion Request"
  • Your registered email address
  • Confirmation that you understand this is permanent

We will process your request within 30 days and confirm by email.

5. Data Export

Before deleting your account, you can export all your data:

The export includes: profile information, all properties, analysis data, investment outcomes, and activity history.

6. Anonymised Data

We may retain anonymised, aggregated data that cannot be linked back to you. This data is used for:

Anonymised data does not constitute personal data under GDPR and is not subject to deletion requests.

7. Third-Party Data

Data held by third parties (payment processors, analytics) is subject to their own retention policies:

When you delete your SQFT account, we will request deletion from third parties where possible.

8. Contact

For questions about data retention or deletion: