Who We Are
SwapSmart ("we", "us", "our") is a mutual exchange platform for UK social housing tenants, operated by StackWave HQ Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales.
Our platform is available at swapsmartapp.co.uk and related subdomains. For data protection purposes, StackWave HQ Ltd is the data controller of your personal information.
Information We Collect
We collect personal information you provide directly, including:
- Account information — name, email address, phone number
- Property details — address, property type, number of bedrooms, photos
- Tenancy information — tenure type, council or housing association
- Preferences — desired area, property requirements, deal-breakers
- Communications — messages sent through the platform
We also collect certain technical data automatically, such as IP addresses, browser type, and usage data, to ensure the platform operates securely and improves over time.
How We Use Your Information
Your personal data is used to:
- Create and manage your SwapSmart account
- Match you with compatible tenants for mutual exchanges
- Facilitate secure communications between matched tenants
- Verify your tenancy with your housing authority (where applicable)
- Notify you of matches, messages, and swap progress
- Comply with legal obligations and prevent fraud
We do not sell your personal data to third parties, and we do not use it for advertising purposes.
Legal Basis for Processing
We process your data on the following legal bases under UK GDPR: contract performance (to provide the service you signed up for), legitimate interests (to operate and improve the platform securely), and legal obligation (where required by law).
Data Sharing
We may share your information with:
- Your housing authority — for tenancy verification purposes only
- Other tenants — limited profile information to facilitate matching
- Trusted service providers — such as hosting and email infrastructure
- Law enforcement — where required by law or court order
All third-party providers are contractually required to process data in accordance with UK GDPR.
Data Retention
We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active. If you close your account, we will delete or anonymise your data within 90 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal or regulatory reasons.
Your Rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
- Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
- Object to or restrict certain types of processing
- Data portability — receive your data in a structured format
- Lodge a complaint with the ICO at ico.org.uk
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@swapsmartapp.co.uk.
Contact Us
Questions about this Privacy Policy? Contact our team or email us directly at privacy@swapsmartapp.co.uk.