Privacy Policy

Introduction

FlatConnect ("we," "our," or "us") is a residential society and apartment community management platform operated by FlatConnect, a sole proprietorship based in India founded by Saumya Prakash. FlatConnect is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application FlatConnect (the "App").

This Privacy Policy is published in accordance with the provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the rules made thereunder, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 ("DPDP Act"). By using the App, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

Information We Collect

Personal Information

• Name: To identify you within your apartment community
• Email Address: For account creation and important notifications
• Phone Number: For contact purposes and notifications
• Apartment Details: Flat number, tower, apartment complex information
• Role Information: Whether you are an owner, tenant, or manager

Financial Information

• Payment Details: Maintenance fee amounts and payment status (when applicable)
• Bank Account Information: For maintenance fee collection (admin only)

Technical Information

• Device Information: Device type, operating system, app version
• Usage Data: How you interact with the app
• Authentication Data: Secure tokens for app access

Contact Information

• Contact Access: Optional access to your device contacts for easy user registration

How We Use Your Information

Primary Purposes

• Account Management: Creating and maintaining your user account
• Community Management: Facilitating apartment community interactions
• Notifications: Sending important updates about your apartment community
• Maintenance Tracking: Managing maintenance requests and payments
• Communication: Enabling communication between residents and management

Service Improvement

• App Functionality: Improving app features and user experience
• Security: Protecting against unauthorized access and fraud
• Support: Providing customer support and technical assistance

Communication Preferences

FlatConnect allows authorized society administrators and managers to configure communication preferences for their society, including the types of notifications sent and the channels used (such as in-app notifications, email, and WhatsApp). These communications may include maintenance generation notices, payment reminders, overdue notices, resident onboarding updates, and other society-related operational messages.

Notification channels and notification types may be configured by authorized society administrators.

Information Sharing

Within Your Community

• Residents: Your name, phone number, and flat details are visible only to other residents who live in or are tied to the same flat as you. They are not visible to residents of other flats.
• Management: Society managers and administrators can view resident information for all flats in the complex in order to manage the community.

Third-Party Services

FlatConnect uses trusted third-party service providers to operate and deliver the Service. These providers may process limited personal information on our behalf for purposes such as authentication, data storage, communication delivery, analytics, and infrastructure operations.

Examples include:

• Google Firebase: authentication, database, storage, hosting, and related cloud services
• Brevo: email delivery and transactional notifications
• Meta WhatsApp Business Platform: WhatsApp-based transactional notifications

These providers are authorized to process information only as necessary to provide their respective services to FlatConnect.

• No Sale of Data: We do not sell your personal information to third parties

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or to protect our rights and safety.

Business Transfers

If FlatConnect is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, sale of assets, or bankruptcy, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will take reasonable steps to ensure that any such recipient continues to handle your personal information in a manner consistent with this Privacy Policy, and we will notify you of any change in ownership or the use of your personal information that materially affects your rights.

Data Security

Encryption

• All data is encrypted in transit using HTTPS/TLS
• Data at rest is protected using Firebase security measures

Access Controls

• Role-based access to information
• Secure authentication required
• Regular security updates and monitoring

Data Retention

• Account data retained while account is active
• Deleted data removed from active systems
• Backup data may be retained for security purposes

We do not retain your personal information longer than necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, or as required to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations, resolve disputes, prevent fraud, and enforce our agreements. Even after your account is terminated, we may retain limited information as required by applicable law.

Data Storage and Transfer

• Your information is stored and processed using Google Firebase cloud infrastructure on servers located within India, in the Mumbai region.
• Certain ancillary services (such as authentication, communication delivery, or analytics) may process limited data on servers outside India. Where data is transferred outside India, we take reasonable steps to ensure it remains protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable law.
• By using the App, you consent to such storage, processing, and transfer of your information.

Breach Notification

In the event we become aware of a breach of the security of your personal information, we will promptly take appropriate action to remedy the breach and will notify you and the relevant authorities where required by applicable law.

Your Rights

Access and Control

• View Data: Access your personal information through the app
• Update Information: Modify your profile and apartment details
• Delete Account: Request account deletion and data removal
• Data Export: Request a copy of your data

Permissions

• Contact Access: Optional - only used for contact picker feature
• Notifications: Can be disabled in device settings
• Location: Only used if you choose to share apartment location

Withdrawal of Consent

The consent you provide for the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information remains valid until withdrawn by you in writing. You may withdraw your consent at any time by adjusting the relevant settings in the App or by contacting us at [email protected]. If you withdraw your consent, we will stop processing the relevant personal information, except where we have other lawful grounds to continue processing under applicable law. Please note that withdrawing consent may limit your ability to use certain features of the App.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by:

• Posting the new Privacy Policy in the app
• Sending an email notification (if applicable)
• Updating the "Last updated" date

Data Protection Rights (GDPR)

If you are in the European Union, you have additional rights:

• Right of Access: Request copies of your personal data
• Right of Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data
• Right of Erasure: Request deletion of your data
• Right of Restriction: Request limitation of data processing
• Right of Data Portability: Request transfer of your data
• Right to Object: Object to data processing

Governing Law & Compliance

This Privacy Policy is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India, including the Information Technology Act, 2000 (and the rules made thereunder) and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Any disputes arising in relation to this Privacy Policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of India.

FlatConnect is intended for use within India. If you access the App from outside India, you do so at your own initiative and are responsible for compliance with your local laws.

Grievance Officer

In accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and the rules made thereunder, the name and contact details of our Grievance Officer are provided below. The Grievance Officer can be contacted regarding any complaints or concerns about the processing of your personal information or any breach of this Privacy Policy.

• Name: Saumya Prakash (Founder)
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: +91 9945342325

We will acknowledge and respond to grievances within the timeframes prescribed under applicable law.