Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Elacet Homestay is a homestay placement service based in Kampala, Uganda. We connect international guests with vetted Ugandan host families for short and extended stays.

2. What Data We Collect

We collect personal data when you submit a booking form, contact us, or use our website. This may include:

• Full name, date of birth, nationality, passport or national ID number, and passport expiry date.
• Contact information, including phone number, email address and home address.
• Health and dietary information relevant to your stay (e.g. allergies, medical conditions).
• Lifestyle preferences (e.g. smoking, pets, dietary requirements).
• Payment information and booking history.
• Communications between you and Elacet Homestay (emails, WhatsApp messages). Please note that communications sent via WhatsApp are processed and stored on personal devices and are subject to WhatsApp's own privacy terms.
• Feedback and reviews submitted after your stay, collected via Google Forms, including any consent given to feature your feedback publicly on our website or social media.
• Basic technical information, such as IP address, is automatically logged by our web server as a standard part of operating any website. This is separate from cookies and is not used to track individual visitors.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use the personal data we collect for the following purposes:

• To process your booking and match you with a suitable host family.
• To communicate with you before, during and after your stay.
• To share necessary information with your host family to facilitate your placement.
• To process and record payments.
• To improve our services and respond to feedback.
• To publish guest feedback as a testimonial on our website or social media, but only where you have given explicit consent to do so. You may decline this without affecting any other aspect of your stay or our relationship with you.
• To comply with our legal obligations under the Ugandan law.

We will never use your data for unsolicited marketing without your consent.

4. Who We Share Your Data With

We only share your personal data with:

• Your assigned host family – this is limited to the information needed to prepare for your arrival.
• Payment processors – only the information required to complete your transaction.
• Formspree – our website contact and booking form submissions are processed by Formspree (formspree.io), a third-party form handling service. Formspree stores submitted data on its servers. Please refer to Formspree's privacy policy at formspree.io/legal/privacy-policy for details of how it handles your data.
• Google Forms – guest feedback submitted after a stay is collected and processed using Google Forms (Google LLC). Please refer to Google's privacy policy at policies.google.com/privacy for details of how it handles your data.
• Authorities – if required by law or in response to a valid legal request.

We do not sell, rent or trade your personal data to any third party for marketing purposes under any circumstances.

5. How Long We Keep Your Data

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to provide our services and comply with legal obligations. Specifically:

• Booking and payment records are kept for a minimum of 5 years for accounting purposes.
• Communications are kept for 2 years after your last interaction with us.
• Feedback submitted via Google Forms, and any health or dietary information provided for your stay, are retained for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which they were collected, and are deleted or anonymised once no longer needed, unless you have requested deletion sooner under Section 7.
• You may request deletion of your data at any time (see Section 7).

6. Data Security

We take the security of your personal data seriously. Personal data is stored in password-protected accounts and is not shared via unencrypted channels except where necessary to facilitate a placement. Website form submissions are handled by Formspree, which uses industry-standard security measures. We do not store payment card details. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security, but we will notify affected individuals without undue delay if we become aware of a data breach involving their personal information.

7. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to access – you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to correction – you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to deletion – you may ask us to delete your data, subject to legal obligations.
• Right to restrict processing – you may ask us to limit how we use your data.
• Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@elacet.com. We will respond within 30 days.

8. Cookies

Our website (www.elacet.com) uses only essential functional cookies necessary for the website to operate. We do not currently use any third-party tracking, analytics, or advertising cookies. No Google Analytics or similar tools are installed on the website at this time. If this changes, this policy will be updated, and visitors will be notified. You can control cookie settings through your browser at any time.

Links to External Sites: Our website contains links to external platforms, including our social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, and Pinterest. When you click these links, you leave www.elacet.com and enter a site that Elacet Homestay does not operate or control. Those external sites have their own privacy policies and cookie practices. Elacet Homestay is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of any external site. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any external site you visit.

9. Data We Collect from Host Families

Host families who register with Elacet Homestay also provide personal data, including:

• Full name, date of birth, nationality, and national ID or passport number.
• Home address, telephone number, and email address.
• Household composition, including names and relationships of all household members.
• Property details, including photographs submitted for vetting purposes.
• Bank account or mobile money details for the purpose of receiving payment.
• References and vetting documentation.

Host family data is used solely for the purpose of programme administration, placement matching, and payment processing. Host families have the same rights over their personal data as set out in Section 7 of this policy.

10. Digital Nomad Applicants

When the Digital Nomad programme opens, additional personal data will be collected from applicants, including:

• Employer or company name, industry, and employment type.
• Remote work setup details, including devices used, working hours, and time zone.
• Visa type, intended duration, and country of tax residence.

This data is collected for the purpose of verifying suitability for a nomad placement and ensuring compliance with Ugandan immigration requirements. It is handled with the same care and subject to the same rights as all other personal data under this policy.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on our website with an updated effective date. Continued use of our services after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

12. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the Republic of Uganda. Any disputes arising from or relating to this policy or the handling of personal data shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of Uganda.