Privacy Statement

Last reviewed: 4 August 2026

This Privacy Statement explains how East Ruston Cottages collects, uses and protects personal information when you use our website, make an enquiry, make a booking, sign up to our mailing list, contact us through social media, or stay at one of the cottages we market.

We aim to handle personal information clearly, carefully and responsibly.

Who we are

This website is operated by East Ruston Cottages Ltd.

East Ruston Cottages acts as a booking agent for the holiday cottages shown on this website.

For privacy questions or data protection complaints, please contact:

Sue Allen / Georgina Simson
Email: hello@eastrustoncottages.co.uk

East Ruston Cottages Ltd is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office under registration reference ZA156704.

For the purposes of data protection law, East Ruston Cottages Ltd is the data controller for the personal information we collect and use directly. Individual property owners may also act as data controllers for guest information they receive in order to manage a confirmed stay at their property.

What personal information we collect

Depending on how you contact us, book with us or use the website, we may collect and use:

Your name
Your email address
Your telephone number
Your postal address, where provided
Booking dates and stay details
Cottage/property booked
Number of guests
Dog/pet information
Dietary or food preference information, where provided
Special requests or notes you choose to provide
Payment status and transaction information
Guest correspondence
Previous booking information
Review or feedback information
Photos or images you provide for possible marketing use
Mailing list preferences
Social media messages or competition/giveaway details, where applicable
Website usage information, where cookies, analytics or marketing tools are used

We do not intentionally collect more personal information than we need.

How we collect personal information

We may collect personal information when you:

Make a booking through SuperControl
Make an enquiry through the website
Contact us by email, phone, text, WhatsApp or social media
Book through Airbnb or Vrbo
Sign up to our mailing list
Enter a competition, prize draw, charity promotion or social media campaign
Leave a review or guest comment
Send us a photo or image
Stay at one of the cottages we market
Use our website

How we use your personal information

We use personal information to:

Respond to enquiries
Check availability
Process and manage bookings
Communicate with guests before, during and after a stay
Share confirmed booking details with the relevant property owner
Share limited information with cleaners, keyholders or caretakers where needed
Manage payments, refunds and security deposit arrangements
Keep booking, accounting and business records
Manage repeat guest information
Send marketing emails where appropriate
Publish reviews, testimonials or guest images where appropriate
Respond to questions, complaints or privacy requests
Run competitions or social media promotions
Maintain website security and performance
Understand how visitors use the website
Run marketing or remarketing activity where permitted

Our lawful bases for using personal information

We only use personal information where we have a lawful basis to do so.

These may include:

Contract
We use personal information where it is needed to respond to booking requests, process bookings, manage stays and communicate with guests.

Legitimate interests
We may use personal information where it is reasonably necessary for running the business, managing enquiries, keeping business records, sharing confirmed booking information with property owners, using guest feedback, improving our services, protecting the website and communicating with guests.

Legal obligation
We may need to keep certain information for accounting, tax, legal, regulatory or insurance purposes.

Consent
Where required, we rely on consent for marketing emails, non-essential cookies, analytics cookies, marketing cookies, and the use of identifiable guest images.

Bookings through SuperControl

Bookings are managed through SuperControl.

Bookings through SuperControl are confirmed online. Bookings from third-party platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo may also be imported into SuperControl.

Confirmed booking records are stored in SuperControl. Previous bookings may be highlighted within SuperControl so that we can identify returning guests.

We do not manually copy booking details into a separate guest spreadsheet, CRM, diary or email list.

Booking information may include your name, contact details, stay dates, cottage booked, number of guests, payment status, dog/pet details, dietary information and any special requests or notes you choose to provide.

Sharing booking information with property owners

East Ruston Cottages acts as the booking agent for the cottages shown on the website.

Once a booking is confirmed, guest information is shared with the relevant property owner so they can manage the stay at their property.

This may include guest name, contact details, stay dates, number of guests, dog details, access requirements, special requests and payment status where relevant.

Property owners may access booking information through SuperControl and/or receive booking confirmation details by email.

Property owners are responsible for handling the guest information they receive appropriately and only using it for the purpose of managing the guest stay.

Cleaners, keyholders and caretakers

Where needed, cleaners, keyholders or caretakers may receive limited guest information.

This is usually restricted to the guest name and any information needed to prepare the cottage or manage access.

We aim to share only the minimum information needed.

Enquiries and correspondence

Guest enquiry emails are not usually kept after a response has been sent. Enquiries from people who do not book are usually retained for around 24 hours.

Access to the guest enquiry inbox is limited to Sue Allen and Georgina Simson.

We may occasionally use WhatsApp or SMS where necessary. These messages are usually kept until the end of the guest stay.

Social media messages may be received through Facebook, Instagram or other platforms. Social media messages are not exported or stored separately.

Payments, deposits and refunds

Payments are usually made through SuperControl or by bank transfer.

East Ruston Cottages does not collect or store full card/payment details directly.

Payment records are held in SuperControl. Where required, payment information may also be processed through our accountant and accounting tools, including Dext.

Refunds may be processed through SuperControl/the relevant payment provider, or by bank transfer where the guest originally paid that way.

Security deposits may be taken by pre-authorisation of a payment card.

Payment and accounting records may be kept for as long as needed for accounting, tax, legal, insurance or business purposes.

Mailing list and marketing

East Ruston Cottages uses Mailchimp to manage its mailing list.

People can sign up to the mailing list through the website. Marketing emails may include special offers, late availability, new property alerts, discount codes, seasonal emails or repeat guest offers.

Every marketing email should include an unsubscribe option.

East Ruston Cottages may keep separate marketing lists for guests, past guests, potential guests, owners or potential owners.

East Ruston Cottages does not upload guest or subscriber lists to Facebook/Meta, Google Ads or other advertising platforms.

We may use remarketing or retargeting advertising. Where this involves non-essential cookies or tracking technologies, this should only take place where the visitor has given the appropriate cookie consent.

Reviews and testimonials

We may display guest reviews, comments or testimonials on the website, social media or other marketing.

Reviews may come from UpFront Reviews, Facebook, guest books, SuperControl, Google, Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, Tripadvisor or other platforms.

Where reviews are published, we usually use first names only.

Reviews are not edited or shortened before being published.

If a guest asked us to remove or anonymise a review, we would do so.

Guest photos and videos

We may use identifiable guest photos or videos on the website, social media, printed marketing or adverts, but only where written permission has been obtained.

We do not knowingly use identifiable guest images that include children.

Guests may sometimes send photos for possible use in marketing. Where identifiable people are shown, we will ask for permission before using the image.

Social media, Facebook group and competitions

Guests and potential guests may contact East Ruston Cottages through social media, including Facebook and Instagram.

Access to social media accounts and messages is limited to the people responsible for managing those accounts.

We may use the Facebook group to answer questions about cottages, bookings or stays, but we do not share guest names, stay details or booking information within the group.

If we run competitions, prize draws or charity campaigns through social media, personal information provided for that promotion will be kept until the end of the competition unless a longer period is needed for a specific reason.

Dietary, dog/pet and special information

Guests may provide dietary, allergy or food preference information where relevant.

Guests may also provide dog/pet information, such as the number of dogs staying or other dog-related details.

This information is stored in SuperControl where relevant and is used to manage the booking and guest stay.

East Ruston Cottages does not routinely collect medical or health-related information, information about children in a booking party, or accessibility/mobility information, unless this is voluntarily provided by a guest and is needed to assist with their enquiry or stay.

Property-level information, CCTV, Wi-Fi and EV charging

Some East Ruston Cottages properties may have CCTV. Where CCTV applies, this is managed by the individual property owner and details are displayed on the website where relevant.

Guests should also look out for signage at the property.

East Ruston Cottages has confirmed that guest Wi-Fi at properties does not require guests to enter names, email addresses or other personal details.

East Ruston Cottages has confirmed that properties do not collect vehicle registrations.

East Ruston Cottages has confirmed that EV charging, where applicable, does not collect guest details, payment details, vehicle information or usage records.

Property owners are responsible for telling East Ruston Cottages if they add CCTV, EV charging, guest Wi-Fi registration, smart locks, Ring doorbells or other technology that may collect guest information.

Owner and property enquiries

East Ruston Cottages may receive enquiries from property owners or potential property owners interested in joining East Ruston Cottages.

This may include name, address and property details.

If a property does not join East Ruston Cottages, owner enquiry information is usually kept until the property has been viewed or a decision has been made about whether to continue.

Who we share personal information with

We may share personal information with trusted third parties where necessary to operate the business, manage bookings, provide guest services and meet legal obligations.

This may include:

Property owners
Cleaners, keyholders or caretakers
SuperControl
Airbnb and Vrbo, where you book through those platforms
Payment providers and banks
Accountants and accounting tools, including Dext
Mailchimp, where you sign up to marketing emails
UpFront Reviews or other review platforms
Website hosting, website support and IT service providers
Cookie, analytics and marketing tools, where used
Professional advisers, insurers or legal advisers
HMRC, regulators, law enforcement or other authorities where required

We do not sell guest information.

International transfers

Some of the systems and platforms we use may process personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Where this happens, we expect appropriate safeguards to be in place, such as adequacy arrangements, standard contractual clauses or other approved protections required by data protection law.

How long we keep personal information

We only keep personal information for as long as reasonably needed.

As a general guide:

Guest enquiry emails from people who do not book are usually kept for around 24 hours.
WhatsApp and SMS messages are usually kept until the end of the guest stay.
Confirmed booking records are currently retained in SuperControl for ongoing business, repeat guest, accounting, tax, legal, insurance and record-keeping purposes.
Cancelled bookings, complaints or guest issue records are kept within SuperControl on the relevant booking record.
Payment and accounting records may be kept for as long as needed for accounting, tax, legal, insurance or business purposes.
Competition or prize draw information is usually kept until the end of the competition.
Mailing list subscribers remain on the mailing list until they unsubscribe or are removed as part of list housekeeping.
Reviews may remain on the website unless a guest asks for them to be removed or anonymised.
Guest images may be used for as long as permission applies, unless the guest withdraws permission or asks for the image to be removed where possible.
Owner enquiry information is usually kept until the property has been viewed or a decision has been made about whether to continue.

When personal information is no longer needed, we will delete it, securely dispose of it or anonymise it where appropriate.

How we protect personal information

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from loss, misuse, unauthorised access or disclosure.

This includes limiting access to guest information, using secure systems where available, avoiding unnecessary data collection, and keeping booking information within SuperControl where possible.

Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have rights over your personal information, including the right to:

Be informed about how your personal information is used
Ask for a copy of personal information held about you
Ask for inaccurate information to be corrected
Ask for information to be deleted in certain circumstances
Ask us to restrict how we use your information
Object to certain uses of your information
Withdraw consent where we rely on consent
Ask for your information to be transferred in certain circumstances
Complain about how your information has been handled

To make a request, please contact:

hello@eastrustoncottages.co.uk

We may need to confirm your identity before responding to a request.

Privacy questions and complaints

If you have any questions or concerns about how your personal information is handled, please contact: