1. Introduction
Welcome to the Community App ("App", "we", "us", or "our"). The App is a community management platform designed for residential communities, estates, and managed properties. It enables property managers, administrators, and residents to manage residencies, access control, requests, vendors, documents, and community communications.
This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and the choices you have. By using the App you agree to the practices described here.
2. Who This Policy Applies To
This policy applies to all users of the Community App, including:
- Administrators & Property Managers – who manage communities, approve requests, and oversee residents.
- Residents & Tenants – who access their residency information, submit requests, and use community features.
- Vendors & Service Providers – who are onboarded and managed through the platform.
- Points of Contact (POCs) – designated liaisons between residents and management.
3. Information We Collect
3.1 Information You Provide Directly
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Identity | Full name, national ID / passport details, profile photo |
| Contact | Email address, phone number (including country code), emergency contact details |
| Residency | Unit / property details, tenancy dates, lease documents, occupancy status |
| Vehicles | Vehicle make, model, registration number, assigned parking slot |
| Documents | Uploaded PDFs, images, and files related to residency or requests |
| Requests | Maintenance requests, approval submissions, access requests, and their status history |
| Vendor Info | Business name, service category, contact person, pricing details |
| Finance | Payment records, invoices, and financial transactions related to your residency |
3.2 Information Collected Automatically
- Device information – device type, operating system version, device identifiers (via device_info_plus).
- App usage data – features accessed, screens visited, session duration, crash reports (via Firebase Analytics & Crashlytics).
- Performance data – network latency, rendering times (via Firebase Performance).
- Push notification tokens – FCM tokens used to deliver notifications to your device.
3.3 Location Information
The App may request access to your device's location (via GPS / network-based positioning) to provide location-relevant community features such as gate access and property check-in. Location is only collected when the feature requires it and with your explicit permission.
3.4 Camera & QR Code Data
The App uses your device camera solely to scan QR codes for access control and check-in purposes. Camera frames are processed on-device and are not transmitted or stored.
3.5 Chat & Communications
In-app messaging is powered by Stream Chat. Messages and attachments sent within the App are stored on Stream's infrastructure in accordance with Stream's Privacy Policy.
3.6 Health & Step Data
If you use fitness or wellness features within the App (powered by the pedometer sensor), step count data is read from your device and used only to display your activity within the App. This data is not shared with third parties.
4. How We Use Your Information
| Purpose | Lawful Basis |
|---|---|
| Providing and operating the App's core features (residency management, requests, access control) | Contractual necessity |
| Managing resident profiles, tenancies, vehicles, and parking assignments | Contractual necessity |
| Processing and tracking maintenance or service requests | Contractual necessity |
| Sending push notifications about requests, approvals, and community updates | Consent / Legitimate interest |
| Monitoring app performance and diagnosing crashes | Legitimate interest |
| Analysing aggregated usage data to improve features | Legitimate interest |
| Verifying identity for access control (QR codes, gate passes) | Contractual necessity / Legitimate interest |
| Compliance with applicable laws and regulations | Legal obligation |
5. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share it with:
5.1 Within the Community
Property managers and authorised administrators within your community may view information relevant to their role (e.g., residency details, vehicle registrations, request history). Access is role-based and limited to what is necessary.
5.2 Service Providers (Sub-processors)
- Firebase (Google) – push notifications, analytics, crash reporting, performance monitoring.
- Stream – in-app messaging infrastructure.
- Google Maps – map rendering and location display features.
- Weather API – local weather data display (non-personal).
All sub-processors are bound by data processing agreements and may only process data on our behalf.
5.3 Legal Requirements
We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or government authority, or where necessary to protect the safety of any person or to enforce our terms.
6. Data Retention
We retain personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. Specific retention periods:
- Active residency data – retained for the duration of your residency plus any legally required period thereafter.
- Request and approval records – retained for audit purposes for a minimum of 3 years.
- Analytics data – aggregated and anonymised; retained according to Firebase's default policies.
- Crash logs – retained for 90 days.
When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted or anonymised.
7. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including:
- Encryption of data in transit (TLS/HTTPS) and at rest (AES-256 where applicable).
- Application-level encryption for sensitive fields (using the encrypt library).
- Role-based access controls so users only access information relevant to their role.
- Firebase App Check and Crashlytics for runtime protection and incident response.
- Regular security reviews of our codebase and dependencies.
No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:
- Access – request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Rectification – ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Erasure – request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal obligations).
- Restriction – ask us to restrict processing of your data in certain circumstances.
- Portability – receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
- Objection – object to processing based on legitimate interests.
- Withdraw Consent – withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent (e.g., push notifications).
9. Device Permissions
The App requests the following device permissions:
| Permission | Purpose | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Camera | QR code scanning for access control | Optional |
| Location (fine/coarse) | Property check-in, map features | Optional |
| Notifications | Push notifications for requests and approvals | Optional |
| Storage / Files | Uploading documents, images, and picking files | Optional |
| Activity Recognition | Step counting for wellness features | Optional |
You can manage permissions at any time through your device's settings. Denying optional permissions may limit certain features but will not affect core functionality.
10. Children's Privacy
The App is not directed to children under the age of 13 (or the applicable age in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
11. Contact Us
For any privacy-related questions, requests, or complaints, please reach out to:
- Email: privacy@communityapp.com
- In-App: Settings → Help & Support → Contact Us
We take all privacy concerns seriously and will respond as promptly as possible.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you via an in-app notification or email. Continued use of the App after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.