1. Introduction
ValleyUnit ("we," "us," or "our") operates a rent collection platform for independent landlords. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website and services (collectively, the "Service").
By accessing or using the Service, you agree to this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not access the Service.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Information You Provide
We collect information you provide directly to us, including:
- Account Information: Name, email address, password, and phone number when you create an account.
- Property Information: Property addresses, unit details, and lease terms you enter into the platform.
- Tenant Information: Names, email addresses, and contact information for tenants you invite to the platform.
- Communication Data: Messages sent through our in-app messaging system and maintenance requests.
- Support Communications: Information you provide when contacting our support team.
2.2 Payment Information
Payment processing is handled by Stripe, Inc. We do not store credit card numbers, bank account numbers, or other sensitive payment credentials on our servers. When you make or receive payments:
- Stripe collects and processes payment card information directly.
- We receive limited payment metadata (transaction amounts, dates, payment status) necessary to display payment history and generate receipts.
- Landlords who connect their Stripe accounts provide authorization through Stripe's OAuth flow.
2.3 Automatically Collected Information
When you access our Service, we automatically collect:
- Device Information: Browser type, operating system, and device identifiers.
- Usage Data: Pages viewed, features used, and actions taken within the platform.
- Log Data: IP address (stored as a hashed value), access times, and referring URLs.
- Session Information: Login timestamps, session duration, and authentication events.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Provide, maintain, and improve our Service.
- Process rent payments and generate financial records.
- Send transactional emails (payment confirmations, rent reminders, maintenance updates).
- Facilitate communication between landlords and tenants.
- Generate reports and analytics for landlords (payment history, occupancy rates, etc.).
- Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents.
- Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service.
- Respond to your support requests and inquiries.
4. Information Sharing
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share your information in the following circumstances:
- Between Landlords and Tenants: Information necessary for the landlord-tenant relationship (names, contact information, lease details, payment status) is shared between parties on the platform.
- Service Providers: We share information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf (see Section 5).
- Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or governmental authority.
- Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, user information may be transferred to the acquiring entity.
- With Your Consent: We may share information with your explicit consent.
5. Third-Party Services
We use the following third-party services to operate our platform:
5.1 Stripe (Payment Processing)
Stripe processes all payments on our platform. When you make or receive payments, Stripe collects payment information directly. Stripe's privacy policy is available at stripe.com/privacy.
5.2 SendGrid (Email Delivery)
We use SendGrid to deliver transactional emails (payment confirmations, rent reminders, invitations). SendGrid processes email addresses and message content. SendGrid's privacy policy is available at sendgrid.com/policies/privacy.
5.3 Sentry (Error Monitoring)
We use Sentry to monitor and fix errors in our application. Sentry may receive technical information about errors, including user context (user ID, role) but not sensitive personal data. Sentry's privacy policy is available at sentry.io/privacy.
6. SMS / Text Messaging Communications
6.1 Overview
ValleyUnit sends transactional text messages (SMS) to landlords and tenants who opt in to text notifications. SMS notifications are used solely for service-related events on the ValleyUnit platform. We do not use SMS to send marketing, promotional, advertising, or third-party content.
6.2 Categories of SMS Messages Sent
SMS messages are transactional only and cover the following categories:
- Rent charges: Notice that a rent charge has been posted to your account.
- Payment receipts: Confirmation that a payment has been received.
- Payment plan status: Payment plan setup, installment due, and missed-installment notices.
- Late fee assessments: Notice that a late fee has been assessed under your lease terms.
- Lease updates: Notice of lease term changes or upcoming renewal.
- Security events: Login from a new device, password reset, payout bank-account change, and similar account-security events.
6.3 No Sharing of Mobile Information with Third Parties
Mobile information (including phone numbers, mobile opt-in data, and consent records) will not be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Mobile information and messaging consent are not sold, rented, or transferred to third parties for marketing purposes at any time. Sharing of phone numbers with subcontractors is limited solely to support services strictly required to deliver the SMS messages described above (for example, the SMS carrier delivery network operated by our SMS service provider).
6.4 SMS Service Provider
We use Twilio Inc. ("Twilio") as our SMS service provider to deliver text messages. Twilio acts as a data processor and receives only the data required to deliver each message (recipient phone number, message body, sender identifier, and delivery metadata). Twilio's privacy policy is available at twilio.com/en-us/legal/privacy.
6.5 How You Opt In
SMS notifications are off by default. You opt in inside your ValleyUnit account by (a) verifying your phone number with a 6-digit code sent by SMS, and (b) toggling on the specific notification categories you want to receive. The full opt-in flow is documented on our SMS Consent page.
6.6 Message Frequency
Message frequency varies by event. You will only receive a text when a qualifying event occurs on your account. Typical volume is fewer than 10 messages per month for tenants and fewer than 30 messages per month for landlords across all subscribed categories. There is no fixed schedule and no recurring marketing schedule.
6.7 Message and Data Rates
Message and data rates may apply. Standard messaging rates from your mobile carrier may apply to each message you send or receive. ValleyUnit does not charge you for the messages themselves. Contact your wireless carrier for details on your messaging plan.
6.8 STOP, HELP, and Other Keywords
You can opt out of all ValleyUnit text messages at any time:
- STOP: Reply STOP to any ValleyUnit text message to unsubscribe from all SMS notifications. You will receive one final confirmation message and no further texts will be sent. Other opt-out keywords accepted: STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT, REVOKE, OPTOUT.
- HELP: Reply HELP to any ValleyUnit text message to receive help information, including our support contact details. INFO is also accepted.
You may also disable notifications at any time inside your account settings on the ValleyUnit website. Disabling SMS does not affect your ability to receive in-app or email notifications, except where SMS is the only delivery channel for a critical security alert.
6.9 Phone Number Accuracy
You are responsible for keeping your registered phone number accurate. If you change or cancel your phone number, you must update it in your ValleyUnit account or opt out of SMS to avoid messages being sent to a number you no longer control.
6.10 Where to Read More
The full SMS consent flow, sample messages, and a list of every opt-in event are documented on the SMS Consent page. The corresponding contractual terms are in Section 20 of the Terms of Service.
7. Data Retention
We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide our services and comply with legal obligations:
- Account Data: Retained while your account is active and for 30 days after deletion request.
- Financial Records: Payment history and ledger entries are retained for 7 years to comply with tax and legal requirements.
- Audit Logs: Security and access logs are retained for 7 years.
- Analytics Events: Raw event data is retained for 90 days; aggregated analytics are retained for 2 years.
- Messages and Maintenance Requests: Retained while your account is active.
8. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information:
- All data transmission is encrypted using TLS/HTTPS.
- Passwords are hashed using industry-standard algorithms.
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is available for landlord accounts.
- Access to personal data is restricted to authorized personnel.
- Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments are conducted.
- Sensitive credentials are encrypted at rest using Data Protection APIs.
While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.
9. Your Rights
You have the following rights regarding your personal information:
- Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements.
- Data Portability: Request an export of your data in a machine-readable format (available via the Data Export feature in your account settings).
- Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw consent at any time.
To exercise these rights, please contact us at privacy@valleyunit.com or use the settings in your account dashboard.
11. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)
If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):
- Right to Know: You may request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you.
- Right to Delete: You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.
- Right to Opt-Out: We do not sell personal information, so this right does not apply.
- Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.
To submit a request, contact us at privacy@valleyunit.com. We will verify your identity before processing your request.
12. Children's Privacy
Our Service is not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@valleyunit.com, and we will delete such information.
13. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by:
- Posting the new Privacy Policy on this page with an updated "Last updated" date.
- Sending an email notification to the address associated with your account for material changes.
Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.
14. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:
- Operator: Espinosa Bookkeeping LLC (doing business as ValleyUnit)
- Email: privacy@valleyunit.com
- Support email: support@valleyunit.com
- Business phone: (702) 469-2340
- Support: valleyunit.com/Support