This Privacy Policy ("Policy") describes the policies and procedures regarding the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of your information when you use our mobile application Rent A Home (வாடகை வீடு), available on the Google Play Store under package name com.bharathi.vadagaiveedu, and related services (collectively referred to as "Platform" or "Services") provided by Exceptionz ("we", "us", and "our").

The terms "you" and "your" refer to the user of the Platform, including property owners, landlords, and tenants/renters. The term "Services" refers to any property listing, search, direct chat, and subscription services provided by us.

Please read this Policy before using the Platform or submitting any personal information to us. This Policy is a part of and incorporated within, and is to be read along with, our Terms of Service.

YOUR CONSENT

By installing, accessing, or using the Platform, you agree and consent to the collection, transfer, use, storage, disclosure, and sharing of your information as described in this Policy. If you do not agree with this Policy, please do not use or access the Platform.

POLICY CHANGES

We may occasionally update this Policy, and the updated version will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. If we make any significant changes to this Policy, we will endeavor to provide notice on the Platform or to your email address on record. Your continued use of our Services following the posting of changes constitutes your consent and acceptance of those changes.

INFORMATION WE COLLECT

We collect information that you provide directly to us, information collected automatically when you use our app, and information from third-party services:

• Account Information: When you register an account, we collect your full name, email address, phone number, role (Owner/Landlord or Renter), and profile photo. If you register using Google Sign-In, we receive your name, email address, and Google profile picture from Google Authentication.
• Property Listing Data: When owners publish a listing, we collect property addresses, rental pricing, security deposit terms, property photographs, video tours, amenities, bedroom/bathroom configurations, and description text.
• Verification Documents (KYC): Owners may voluntarily submit property ownership documents (e.g., electricity bills, tax receipts, or ID documents) to obtain a verified property badge. These documents are stored securely in Google Cloud Storage and used solely for fraud prevention and listing authenticity.
• Location Information: When you grant permission, we collect approximate and precise geographic coordinates (GPS location) to display nearby available rentals, show properties on Google Maps, and calculate distances.
• Communication and Messages: Messages and media exchanged between owners and renters through our in-app chat are stored securely to allow conversation history delivery.
• Device and App Information: We collect device models, operating system versions, unique device identifiers, Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) push tokens, and crash logs to deliver notifications and ensure app stability.
• Subscription & Purchase Information: For paid subscriptions (Nest Lite, Nest Pro, Haven, Manor, Renter Pass), transactions are processed exclusively through Google Play In-App Billing and verified via RevenueCat. We do not receive, process, or store credit card or debit card numbers. We only receive purchase confirmations, subscription IDs, and expiration dates.

HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

We use the information collected from you for the following legitimate purposes:

• To create and manage your user profile and authenticate your access.
• To display property listings to interested renters on our search engine and interactive Google Map.
• To facilitate communication between verified owners and potential tenants.
• To provide instant push notifications for new listing inquiries, chat messages, and subscription renewals.
• To detect, investigate, and prevent fraudulent listings, scams, spam, or abusive behavior.
• To fulfill legal and regulatory obligations under applicable Indian laws, including the Model Tenancy Act guidelines.

PERMISSIONS REQUESTED BY THE APP

Our Android application requests only the permissions necessary to deliver key features. You have full control to grant or deny these permissions in your Android system settings:

• Camera (android.permission.CAMERA): Used solely when you choose to take live photos or videos of your property, or capture a verification document. We never access your camera without your explicit action.
• Location (ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION & ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION): Used to center the Google Map around your current location and discover properties in your immediate neighborhood.
• Photo / Media Library (READ_MEDIA_IMAGES & READ_MEDIA_VIDEO): Used to allow you to select existing property photos or walk-through videos from your device's gallery for listing uploads.
• Push Notifications (POST_NOTIFICATIONS): Used on Android 13+ to alert you of new incoming tenant messages, listing inquiries, and subscription status.

DATA SHARING AND THIRD-PARTY DISCLOSURES

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We share information only with trusted service providers strictly necessary to operate our app:

• Google Cloud Platform & Firebase: We utilize Google Firebase (Authentication, Cloud Firestore, Firebase Storage, Firebase Cloud Messaging) hosted on Google Cloud infrastructure for secure data storage and real-time synchronization.
• Google Maps Platform: Property addresses and coordinates are mapped using Google Maps SDK and Geocoding APIs.
• RevenueCat: Used to manage in-app subscription entitlements and auto-renewals on Google Play.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required to do so by applicable law, regulation, or legal process issued by Indian judicial or governmental authorities.

DATA SECURITY

We employ industry-standard administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect your personal data. All network communication between the app and our servers is encrypted using Transport Layer Security (TLS/HTTPS). User passwords are encrypted by Firebase Authentication, and sensitive property documents are protected by strict Cloud Storage access rules.

DATA RETENTION AND ACCOUNT DELETION

We retain your personal data for as long as your account remains active or as needed to provide you with Services.

You have the right to request permanent deletion of your account and all associated data at any time:

• In-App Deletion: Open the app, navigate to Profile > Request Data Deletion, select your reason, and submit the request.
• Online Deletion Portal: You can submit a deletion request from any web browser without needing the app installed by visiting our dedicated Data Deletion Portal.
• Direct Email: You can email us at exceptionz13@gmail.com with the subject "Data Deletion Request".

Upon receiving a request, your personal profile, listings, chat history, and uploaded media will be permanently purged from our active databases within thirty (30) days.

CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

Our Services are directed to adults who are legally capable of entering into rental and lease agreements (18 years of age or older). We do not knowingly collect personal data from individuals under 18 years of age. If we learn that we have collected information from a child under 18, we will immediately delete that information.

GRIEVANCE OFFICER & CONTACT INFORMATION

If you have any questions, grievances, or feedback regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact our Grievance Officer: