Legal

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 28 September 2026

This policy explains what personal data PropMS collects, why we collect it, who we share it with and the rights you have under Kenya's Data Protection Act, 2019. It works alongside our Terms and Conditions.

1. Who we are and our role

PropMS is run by PropMS Technologies Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya. It helps landlords and hosts manage rentals and short stays through our web app, USSD (*789*1800#), SMS and WhatsApp.

For Admins' own account details, we are the data controller. For information an Admin (a landlord, host or property manager) adds about tenants, guests, caretakers and waitlist prospects, the Admin is the data controller and we process it on their behalf, following their instructions.

2. What we collect and why

Who
Admins
Data we hold
Name, email, phone, hashed password, company and payout account details, security settings
Why we use it
Run the account, sign-in, send payouts and alerts
Lawful basis
Contract
Who
Caretakers
Data we hold
Name, phone, optional email, hashed password or one-time PIN
Why we use it
Sign-in, notify them of new issues
Lawful basis
Contract with the Admin; legitimate interest
Who
Tenants
Data we hold
Name, phone, property and unit, rent, lease dates, deposit and credit balances, bills and payments, issues reported, hashed USSD PIN
Why we use it
Bills, reminders, receipts, issue handling, USSD and WhatsApp access
Lawful basis
Contract (the tenancy)
Who
Guests
Data we hold
Name, phone, optional email, booking dates and amounts, ID or passport type and number, ID photos (front and back), issues reported
Why we use it
Bookings, check-in verification, reminders, receipts, payments
Lawful basis
Contract (the booking); legal obligation where guest registers apply
Who
Prospects
Data we hold
Name, phone, property of interest
Why we use it
Tell them when a unit is vacant
Lawful basis
Consent (joining the waitlist)
Who
Payers
Data we hold
Phone number that received the payment prompt, amount, mobile-money reference, status
Why we use it
Process and reconcile payments, prevent fraud, keep accounting records
Lawful basis
Contract; legal obligation
Who
Everyone
Data we hold
USSD and WhatsApp session data (phone, menu choices), message delivery logs, technical error logs
Why we use it
Run the menus, prevent duplicate messages, fix faults, keep the service secure
Lawful basis
Legitimate interest

We do not collect mobile-money PINs, and we do not sell personal data. PINs and passwords are stored only as one-way hashes. We do not use personal data for automated decisions that have legal effects on you.

We also use your data to bill Admins for their plan, give support, and send service messages such as bill reminders, receipts, PINs, check-in details, and a reminder to finish setting up an account. These are part of the service, not marketing, and we don't send marketing without separate consent.

3. Who we share data with

We share only what each party needs:

Recipient
Your landlord or host (the Admin) and their caretakers
What they receive
Your details, balances, payments and issues for their property
Purpose
Managing your tenancy or stay
Recipient
SasaPay (payment partner) and M-Pesa or Airtel Money
What they receive
Payer phone number, amount, reference
Purpose
Sending payment prompts, collecting and paying out funds
Recipient
Africa's Talking (SMS and USSD provider)
What they receive
Phone number and message text or menu input
Purpose
Delivering SMS and running USSD menus
Recipient
Our WhatsApp messaging gateway and WhatsApp (Meta)
What they receive
Phone number and chat messages
Purpose
Running the WhatsApp assistant
Recipient
Our cloud hosting providers
What they receive
Stored data, encrypted
Purpose
Hosting the service
Recipient
Authorities
What they receive
Only what the law requires
Purpose
Court orders, tax, law enforcement or regulator requests

Caretakers and property managers only see the properties the Admin assigns to them. Some providers may process data outside Kenya. Where they do, we rely on the safeguards the Data Protection Act requires, such as contracts that protect the data.

4. How long we keep data

Data
Payment, transaction and accounting records
Kept for
7 years, for tax and audit
Data
Tenant records
Kept for
Length of the tenancy plus 2 years, then deleted or anonymised
Data
Guest ID numbers and ID photos
Kept for
Until 90 days after check-out, unless a longer period is required by law
Data
Other guest booking records
Kept for
2 years after check-out
Data
Waitlist entries
Kept for
Until you ask to be removed, or 12 months
Data
USSD and WhatsApp session data
Kept for
Until the session ends or expires
Data
Error and security logs
Kept for
90 days
Data
Admin and caretaker accounts
Kept for
Until closed, then 90 days

After a guest checks out, they keep payment-only access for up to 90 days so they can settle any balance.

5. How we protect data

We use encrypted connections (HTTPS), hashed passwords and PINs, limits on PIN attempts, access controls that separate each Admin's data, and restricted staff access. No system is completely secure, so please keep your password and PIN private.

If a breach is likely to harm you, we will tell the Data Protection Commissioner within 72 hours and tell the affected people without delay, as the law requires.

6. Your rights

Under the Data Protection Act, 2019 you have the right to:

  • be told how your data is used (this policy);
  • get a copy of your personal data;
  • correct data that is wrong or incomplete;
  • ask us to delete data we no longer need, except records the law requires us to keep, such as payment records;
  • object to processing, or withdraw consent where we rely on it, for example leaving a waitlist;
  • complain to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC).

Tenants and guests should usually contact their landlord or host first, because they control your data. You can also contact us directly at info@propertyms.org and we will pass the request on and help. We respond within 30 days and may need to confirm your identity first.

7. Cookies and browser storage

The PropMS website doesn't use advertising or third-party analytics trackers. The web app stores a few things in your browser so it works properly: your sign-in, your workspace choice (Rental or BnB), your setup progress and similar preferences. Clearing your browser's site data signs you out and resets these.

8. Stopping setup reminders

If we send an Admin an SMS reminder to finish setting up their account, they can reply STOP to stop those reminders. This doesn't affect service messages to tenants and guests, which are part of their tenancy or booking.

9. Children

PropMS is not for children under 18. Admins must not register a minor as a tenant or lead guest.

10. Changes to this policy

We will post any update here with a new date and notify Admins of material changes.

11. Contact us

PropMS Technologies Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya. For anything about your data, including the rights above, contact our data protection team at info@propertyms.org.