Privacy Policy
What personal data TrustHabitat collects, why, who can see it, how long we keep it and how you can exercise your rights. We collect as little as we can and never sell your data.
Last updated: September 25, 2026
1. Who is responsible for your data
TrustHabitat operates the Platform and is responsible for the personal data processed through it. For any question about your data, write to [email protected] or use our contact form.
We process personal data in accordance with the laws of the Democratic Republic of Congo, in particular the provisions on the protection of personal data of the Digital Code (Ordonnance-loi n° 23/010 of 13 March 2023).
2. The data we collect
- Category
- Account
- What it includes
- Name, email address and/or phone number, account type (buyer, agent, landlord, developer), preferred language, and your password stored only as a secure hash.
- Where it comes from
- You, when you sign up or edit your account.
- Category
- Sign-in codes
- What it includes
- When you sign in by phone, a one-time code sent by SMS. We store only a keyed hash of the code, never the code itself, and it expires after a few minutes.
- Where it comes from
- Generated by us.
- Category
- Listings
- What it includes
- Description, price, location, photos and the contact phone number of each property you publish.
- Where it comes from
- You, when you publish or edit a listing.
- Category
- Verification documents
- What it includes
- Proof of ownership, mandates or identity documents you upload so that a listing can be verified.
- Where it comes from
- You.
- Category
- Activity
- What it includes
- Listings you save as favorites; listing views and taps on WhatsApp or Call buttons, linked to your account when you are signed in; reports you file.
- Where it comes from
- Your use of the Platform.
- Category
- Messages
- What it includes
- Your name, contact details and message when you use the contact form.
- Where it comes from
- You.
- Category
- Location (optional)
- What it includes
- Your approximate position when you choose “Near me”. It is rounded to about 1 km, used for that search only, and not stored in your account.
- Where it comes from
- Your browser, only with your permission.
| Category | What it includes | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Account | Name, email address and/or phone number, account type (buyer, agent, landlord, developer), preferred language, and your password stored only as a secure hash. | You, when you sign up or edit your account. |
| Sign-in codes | When you sign in by phone, a one-time code sent by SMS. We store only a keyed hash of the code, never the code itself, and it expires after a few minutes. | Generated by us. |
| Listings | Description, price, location, photos and the contact phone number of each property you publish. | You, when you publish or edit a listing. |
| Verification documents | Proof of ownership, mandates or identity documents you upload so that a listing can be verified. | You. |
| Activity | Listings you save as favorites; listing views and taps on WhatsApp or Call buttons, linked to your account when you are signed in; reports you file. | Your use of the Platform. |
| Messages | Your name, contact details and message when you use the contact form. | You. |
| Location (optional) | Your approximate position when you choose “Near me”. It is rounded to about 1 km, used for that search only, and not stored in your account. | Your browser, only with your permission. |
Search statistics are recorded anonymously (city, number of filters, number of results) and are never linked to you. Your IP address is used briefly to protect the Platform against abuse (for example, to limit repeated sign-in attempts) and is not stored in our database. We do not use advertising or third-party analytics tools.
3. Why we use your data
- To provide the service: create and secure your account, sign you in, publish your listings, save your favorites and put visitors in touch with advertisers (performance of our agreement with you).
- To verify listings and fight fraud: review documents, handle reports, keep a record of moderation decisions and protect users from scams (our legitimate interest and that of our users in a trustworthy platform).
- To show advertisers how their listings perform, using view, contact and favorite counts (legitimate interest).
- To answer your messages and requests (legitimate interest, or performance of our agreement).
- To improve the Platform using anonymous statistics (legitimate interest).
- To comply with our legal obligations and respond to lawful requests from authorities (legal obligation).
- To use your approximate location for “Near me” searches (your consent, which you give through your browser and can withdraw at any time).
4. What is public
When you publish a listing, its description, price, photos, approximate location on the map and the contact phone number you entered are visible to everyone, including people who are not signed in, and can be shared by link. The exact street address you enter is not shown publicly. Your email address, your verification documents and your activity are never public.
6. How long we keep your data
- Account data: for as long as your account is open. When you delete your account, we immediately erase your name, email address, phone number and password, remove your favorites and archive your listings.
- Sign-in codes: they expire after a few minutes and cannot be reused.
- Listings and verification documents: for as long as the listing exists, and then for as long as necessary to handle disputes, prevent fraud or meet legal obligations. You can ask us to delete documents that are no longer needed.
- Reports, moderation decisions and security logs: for as long as necessary to protect users and establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
- Contact messages: for as long as needed to handle your request and any follow-up.
- Anonymous statistics: they do not identify you and may be kept indefinitely.
7. How we protect your data
All traffic is encrypted (HTTPS). Passwords are stored with a strong one-way hashing algorithm, sign-in codes are never stored in readable form, verification documents are kept in private storage that only authorized staff can open, and access to administrative features is restricted by role and recorded. No system is perfectly secure, but we will inform you and the competent authority without undue delay if a breach puts your rights at risk.
8. Your rights
Subject to the conditions set by law, you have the right to:
- access the personal data we hold about you and obtain a copy;
- correct inaccurate data (you can edit most of it yourself from your account page);
- delete your data (you can delete your account yourself from your account page);
- object to or ask us to restrict certain processing;
- withdraw your consent at any time, for example to location access, through your browser settings.
To exercise these rights, write to [email protected]. We may ask you to prove your identity and will answer within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our answer, you can lodge a complaint with the competent data protection authority of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
9. Children
The Platform is intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect data from people under 18. If you believe a minor has created an account, please contact us and we will delete it.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when our practices or the law change. The date at the top of this page shows the latest version. If a change is significant, we will inform you on the Platform before it takes effect.