Privacy Policy

Rentvault is committed to protecting the privacy of our customers’ personal information. We take steps to ensure that this information is safe and secure, including putting in place rigorous policies and procedures to fully comply with all Canadian privacy laws and regulations.

Why does Rentvault collect personal information?

The personal information collected by Rentvault about you helps Rentvault manage our business operations for the following reasons:

  1. To deliver you the services you have purchased from us, to bill you and collect payment for those services.
  2. To understand your needs and make customized information available regarding other services offered by Rentvault or trusted third parties that may be of interest to you.
  3. To provide tailored services to you. We may use your account information to improve your interactions with us and provide a positive personalized customer experience.
  4. To perform analytics, administer surveys, or request feedback to improve and manage our relationship with you.
  5. To confirm or authenticate your identity and ensure your information is correct and up-to-date.
  6. To comply with legal obligations and regulatory requirements.
  7. We may also collect personal information about you for other purposes from time-to-time, or as permitted or required by law. We will always identify any additional purpose prior to or at the time of collection.
  8. We will collect information from third-party credit agencies, Tenants and Landlords, to help other Tenants and Landlords registered with Rentvault, manage credit and business risks. To allow Rentvault to collect an outstanding debt, detect, prevent, manage, and investigate fraud or other unauthorized or illegal activity.

How does Rentvault obtain consent?

Your consent to the collection, use, or disclosure of your account and personal information may be implied or express, through written, oral, electronic, creating an account with Rentvault (through the use of the Rentvault Website) or any other method. The choice to provide Rentvault with your consent is always yours, however, your decision to withhold such consent may limit our ability to provide you with services, or offers.

When will Rentvault disclose information about me?

Unless we have your express consent, or pursuant to a legal power, we will only disclose your personal information to organizations outside of Rentvault and trusted parties without consent in the following limited circumstances:

  1. To a person who, in our reasonable judgment, is seeking the information as your agent.
  2. If required by law or court order.
  3. To a service provider or other agent retained by us, such as a credit-reporting agency, for account management, the collection of past due bills on your account, or to evaluate your creditworthiness.
  4. To a service provider or third party that is performing administrative functions for us to manage our customer accounts.
  5. To another organization for fraud prevention, detection or investigation if seeking consent from you would compromise the investigation.
  6. To a law enforcement agency whenever we have reasonable grounds to believe that you have knowingly supplied us with false or misleading information or are otherwise involved in unlawful activities.
  7. To a public authority or agent of a public authority if it appears that there is an imminent danger to life or property, which could be avoided or minimized by disclosure of the information.
  8. To Landlords (rental communities and agents) who are part of the Rentvault community, for the purpose of evaluating tenant by reviewing tenant ratings, tenant history and communicating with tenants about their current or prospective landlords, current or prospective rental properties.
  9. To a third party who may be interested in buying Rentvault assets and personal customer must be shared in order to assess the business transaction.
  10. We will disclose information about your credit behaviour to credit reporting agencies or parties collecting outstanding debt.
  11. We may also de-identify, aggregate or anonymize information about our customers to identify trends, manage our business, develop statistical information, understand how we are performing, or develop relevant products, services or offers. Such information may also be shared with third parties for other analytical purposes, but will not personally identify any individual and therefore is not subject to our privacy policy.

How long will Rentvault retain my personal information?

Rentvault will only retain your personal or account information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected or for sufficient time to allow you access to the information if it was used to make a decision about you or your account. Information that is no longer required by us will be destroyed or de-identified.

What if I disagree with the accuracy of my personal information Rentvault has about me?

You may ask to review the information we have about you at any time. You can challenge its accuracy and completeness and request amendments, as appropriate, by contacting Rentvault.

Where will my personal information be stored?

Rentvault has security safeguards processes and procedures to ensure customer information remains safe from theft, loss or unauthorized access.

How can I get more information?

Contact Rentvault if you have any questions, concerns or complaints about how we collect, use, or disclose your personal information.

How can I access my personal information that is retained by Rentvault?

You can access your personal information retained by contacting Rentvault by email at support@rentvault.ca .

INFORMATION WE COLLECT AND HOW WE USE IT

We may collect and store information about you in connection with your use of the Service, including any information you transmit to or through the Service. We use that information to provide the Service’s functionality, fulfill your requests, improve the Service’s quality, engage in research and analysis relating to the Service, personalize your experience, track usage of the Service, provide feedback to third party businesses that are listed on the Service, display relevant advertising, market the Service, provide customer support, message you, back up our systems, allow for disaster recovery, enhance the security of the Service, and comply with legal obligations. Even when we do not retain such information, it still must be transmitted to our servers initially and stored long enough to process.

Please also note:

  1. ) Account Information: If you create a Rentvault account, we may store and use the information you provide during that process, such as your full name, email address, zip code, physical address, and other information you may provide with your accounts, such as your gender, phone number, and birth date. We may publicly display your first name and last initial, as well as any photos or other content you submit through the registration process, as part of your account profile. You can modify some of the information associated with your account through your account settings. If you believe that someone has created an unauthorized account depicting you or your likeness, you can request its removal by flagging it.
  2. ) Public Content: Your contributions to the Service are intended for public consumption and are therefore viewable by the public, including your photos, ratings, reviews, tips, lists, collections, compliments. Your account profile (e.g., first name, last initial, city, neighbourhood, month joined, profile photos and friends) is also intended for public consumption.
  3. ) Contacts: You can invite Landlords to rate you on Rentvault by providing us with their contact information, or by allowing us to access your contacts from your computer, mobile device, or third-party Websites to select which individuals you want to invite. If you allow us to access your contacts, we may transmit that information to our servers long enough to process your invitations.
  4. ) Communications: When you sign up for an account or use certain features, you are opting to receive messages from other users, businesses, and Rentvault. You can manage some of your messaging preferences through your account settings, but note that you cannot opt out of receiving certain administrative, transactional, or legal messages from Rentvault. We may also track your actions in response to the messages you receive from us or through the Service, such as whether you deleted, opened, or forwarded such messages. If you exchange messages with others through the Service, we may store them in order to process and deliver them, allow you to manage them, and we may review and disclose them in connection with investigations related to use of the Service, as well as our efforts to improve the Service. We may not deliver messages that we believe are objectionable, such as spam messages, fraudulent solicitations, or requests to exchange reviews for compensation. If you send or receive messages through the Service via SMS text message, we may log phone numbers, phone carriers, and the date and time that the messages were processed. Carriers may charge recipients for texts that they receive. We may also store information that you provide through communications to us, including from phone calls, letters, emails and other electronic messages, or in person. If you are a representative of a landlord or rental community listed on Rentvault, we may contact you, including by phone or email, using the contact information you provide us, make publicly available, or that we have on record for your business. Our calls with you may be monitored and recorded for quality purposes.
  5. ) Transactions: If you initiate a transaction through the Service, we may collect and store information about you, such as your name, phone number, address, email, and payment information (such as a credit card number and expiration date), as well as any other information you provide to us, in order to process your transaction, send communications about them to you, and populate forms for future transactions. This information may be shared with third parties, and third parties may share such information with us, for the same purposes. When you submit credit card numbers, we encrypt that information using industry standard technology. If you write reviews about landlords with whom you transact through the Service, we may publicly display the fact that you rented from those landlords.
  6. ) Activity: We may store information about your use of the Service, such as your search activity, the pages you view, the date and time of your visit, landlords you call using our mobile applications, landlords you rent with through the Service. We also may store information that your computer or mobile device may provide to us in connection with your use of the Service, such as your browser type, type of computer or mobile device, browser language, IP address, WiFi information such as SSID, mobile carrier, phone number, unique device identifier, advertising identifier, location (including geolocation, beacon-based location, and GPS location), and requested and referring URLs. We may also receive and store your location whenever our mobile applications are running, including when running in the background, if you enable our mobile apps to access such information in the course of using the Service. You may be able to limit or disallow our use of certain location data through your device or browser settings, for example by adjusting the "Location Services" settings for our applications in iOS privacy settings.
  7. ) Different Devices: You may access the Service through different devices (e.g.,your mobile phone or desktop computer). The information that we collect and store through those different uses may be cross-referenced and combined, and your contributions through one Rentvault platform will typically be similarly visible and accessible through all Rentvault platforms.

COOKIES

We, and third parties with whom we partner, may use cookies, web beacons, tags, scripts, local shared objects such as HTML5 and Flash (sometimes called "flash cookies"), advertising identifiers (including mobile identifiers such as Apple’s IDFA or Google’s Advertising ID) and similar technology ("Cookies") in connection with your use of the Service, third party Websites, and mobile applications. Cookies may have unique identifiers and reside, among other places, on your computer or mobile device, in emails we send to you, and on our web pages. Cookies may transmit information about you and your use of the Service, such as your browser type, search preferences, IP address, data relating to advertisements that have been displayed to you or that you have clicked on, and the date and time of your use. Cookies may be persistent or stored only during an individual session.

The purposes for which we use Cookies in the Service include:

PURPOSE EXPLANATION
Processes Intended to make the service work in the way you expect. For example, we use a cookie that tells us whether you have already signed up for an account
Authentication,Security, and Compliance Intended to prevent fraud, protect your data from unauthorized parties, and comply with legal requirements. For example, we use cookies to determine if you are logged in
Preferences Intended to remember information about how you prefer the Service to behave and look. For example, we use a Cookie that tells us whether you have declined to allow us to send push notifications to your phone.
Notifications Intended to allow or prevent notices of information or options that we think could improve your use of the Service. For example, we use a cookie that stops us from showing you the signup notification if you have already seen it.
Advertising Intended to make advertising more relevant to users and more valuable to advertisers. For example, we may use cookies to serve you interest-based ads, such as ads that are displayed to you based on your visits to other websites, or to tell us if you have recently clicked on an ad.
Analytics Intended to help us understand how visitors use the service. For example, we use a cookie that tells us how our search suggestions correlate to your interactions with the search page.

You can set some cookie preferences through your device or browser settings, but doing so may affect the functionality of the Service. The method for disabling Cookies may vary by device and browser, but can usually be found in your device or browser preferences or security settings. For example, iOS and Android devices each have settings, which are designed to limit forms of ad tracking. For flash cookies, you can manage your privacy settings by clicking here. Please note that changing any of these settings does not prevent the display of certain advertisements to you.

THIRD PARTIES

Third parties may receive information about you as follows:

  1. ) In connection with the extension of credit to a consumer to whom the information pertains.
  2. )In connection with the purchase or collection of a debt of a consumer to whom the information pertains.
  3. ) For the purpose of entering into or renewal of a tenancy agreement.
  4. )For employment purposes.
  5. ) In connection with the underwriting of insurance involving the consumer.
  6. ) To determine the consumer's eligibility for any matter under a statute or a regulation where the information is relevant to a requirement prescribed by law.
  7. ) Where a direct business need for the information exists in connection with a business or credit transaction involving the consumer

Note that it is an offence for anyone to obtain credit information from a consumer-reporting agency except for the stated purposes.

PRIVACY

Many Rentvault services require the disclosure of personal information. As such, we are limited in our disclosure of personal information to those purposes, which have been disclosed to consumers by our customers or for purposes that are otherwise permitted by law

Accordingly, we are working with our clients to make them aware of the importance of informing consumers of the purpose(s) for which they are providing personal information to Rentvault, or access personal information from Rentvault, at the time the information is collected from the consumer and/or prior to its use by Rentvault. Also, we require our clients to limit the use of personal information obtained from Rentvault to those purposes that have been disclosed to the consumer, and for which appropriate consents have been obtained, or which law otherwise permits.

LANDLORD TENANT REPORTS AND SCORING

Accessible landlord and tenant information enables tenants, landlords and landlord agents to make informed decisions when entering into a tenancy agreement, making promotional offers and facilitating a wide range of other activities that are essential to a healthy economy. This landlord and tenant history information is based on the millions of updates we receive each month from tenants, landlords, property managers, rental communities, finance companies, banks, credit unions and more—for credit-active adults in Canada.

You can count on objectivity, fairness and integrity. As an impartial third party, we do not create any of the data contained in a tenant report. We simply collect, compile, display the information that landlords provide and we constantly work to maintain that trust. The Rentvault Report provides a wealth of data

Landlord and Tenant History provides an ongoing historical and current record of a consumer's payment activities, including accounts such as:

All access to a consumer's credit information is subject to a customer having a permissible purpose and/or appropriate consent as required by applicable laws. In addition, any consumer remarks and Fraud Victim statements will be displayed.

Landlord & Tenant Rating

Landlord and Tenant Rating makes landlord and tenant rental worthiness predictable. The contents of a landlord and tenant history are translated into a landlord and tenant rating, a numerical value that represents overall tenant rental worthiness. Because a landlord and tenant rating is simply a snapshot of a landlord and tenant history at the time the score was calculated, landlord and tenant ratings may change to reflect changes in the report. While Rentvault may furnish scores to customers based on the information contained in landlord ratings, Rentvault does not maintain or update that information in the individual landlord and tenant's history.

There are a wide variety of landlord and tenant ratings available and each tenant and landlord may use a different score or give more or less weight to the one they use in relation to other factors. In general, the higher a landlord/tenant rating is, the more trust a tenant/landlord will have in that landlord/tenant's future rental worthiness.

Landlord/Tenant rating models help landlords make faster, more consistent and more precise predictions of how a prospective tenant will behave in a variety of different situations. For example, certain ratings predict future rental behaviour, such as the likelihood of paying as agreed, the likelihood of collecting on a delinquent rent and more.

SHARING INFORMATION WITHIN RENTVAULT

We may share information about you with other Rentvault landlords:

CUSTOMER CHOICES ON HOW YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION IS USED

Certain consents are mandatory and cannot be withdrawn. For example, once you have a Rentvault account, you may not withdraw your consent relating to the collection and rental history (ratings). This is necessary to maintain the integrity of the lease granting process. Similarly, you cannot withdraw your consent on matters that are essential to the management of our business, including the disclosure of information when we assign our rights to others such as for the sale or collection of debts. If you refuse or withdraw your consent for any purpose required to provide our service to you, we will no longer be able to provide that service to you. You understand that if you withdraw your consent at any time to the monitoring of your rental status, we will no longer be able to maintain your Account

PERSONAL INFORMATION COLLECTION AND GENERAL ACCOUNT OF USE

We obtain most of our Personal Information about you directly from you. For every service, we need your name, address, telephone number, date of birth, occupation and identification information (either through electronic means or government-issued identification).

At the time you begin your relationship with us and during the course of our relationship, we may collect Personal Information about you from various sources, including from you, directly through applications, correspondence or other communications, interactions with you (including, but not limited to, over the phone, through email, Internet, chat, social media, etc.), persons authorized to act on your behalf under a power of attorney or other legal authority, through the products and services you use, from others with your consent (such as credit reporting agencies and other lenders) or other permitted sources and use it for the purposes described above. Our objective when collecting, using, sharing, disclosing and retaining Personal Information is to improve the relationship we have with you; provide you with products and services that you will value; reduce the cost associated with maintaining your (and others’) Accounts so that we may continue to provide you with a fairly priced product; reduce unwanted or inappropriate marketing; and protect you from unauthorized access to and use of your Account and Personal Information.

  1. ) Social Insurance Number ("SIN"): If you provide your SIN, we will use it to match credit reporting agency information and for security verification and Account maintenance purposes. Disclosure of SIN to match credit bureau information is optional for credit/charge or other loan products. Your SIN allows us to distinguish you from other individuals, particularly those with similar names and helps ensure the accuracy of the information collected and reported.
  2. ) Date of Birth: Date of birth is required in certain circumstances to comply with “Know Your Customer” standards and for security reasons. It also allows us to determine your eligibility for certain products or services, such as insurance coverage
  3. ) Email, Text Message, and Other Electronic Communications (including, but not limited to, social media messaging): : When you send us an email or ask us to respond to you by email, we learn your exact email address and the information you have included in the email. We may send customer service and marketing messages to you electronically. Examples of customer service include statement notifications and other notices. We may also provide payment due, Account balance, transaction confirmations, the payment received and other Account alerts. We will never send you unsolicited emails, text messages or other electronic personalized communications that request your personal or login information (i.e. usernames, passwords, PINs, security questions/answers, or account numbers).
  4. ) If you receive an email claiming to be from Rentvault that you believe to be fraudulent or otherwise suspicious, do not respond and do not open or click on any links or open attachments contained within the email. Please notify us immediately.
  5. ) Telephone and Online Chat: For our mutual protection, we may monitor and/or record your telephone and/or online chat discussions with our representatives and those acting on our behalf (including affiliates, service providers and other third parties) to enhance customer service and to confirm our discussions with you. Customers who prefer not to have their calls taped and/or online chat recorded can transact through online banking or through our telephone interactive voice response unit (IVR or VRU).
  6. ) Internet and Online Banking:When you are using one of our Websites, we may monitor and/or record your browsing habits. We may also provide your information to other persons in situations where:
    • Our suppliers, agents or third parties that perform services for you or for us on our behalf need the information.
    • Our payment card networks need the information in order to operate or administer the payment card system that supports the Account you have with us, or for any other reasonable purpose, including for any contests or other promotions that they may make available to you.
    • We are required or permitted to do so by law or applicable regulators or self-regulatory organizations.
    • You have provided your consent

OUR INFORMATION SECURITY PROCEDURES PROTECT YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

p class="tw-mb-2 tw-font-semibold tw-ml-5 tw-text-xl">We work hard to keep Personal Information secure. For example, our information security policies:

For your protection, please remember that your telephone and online chat conversations with our representatives and any of our agents and service providers may be monitored and/or recorded for quality control, education and recordkeeping purposes

Further, we share only the Personal Information we believe is needed to offer services efficiently. Finally, we restrict the use of such Personal Information and require that it be kept secure.

ACCESS TO, AND CORRECTION OF, PERSONAL INFORMATION

Customers have access to their Personal Information that is reasonably available and retrievable in the ordinary course of business. Upon written request, we will disclose to customers Personal Information about them in our records, and customers may correct such Personal Information that is inaccurate or incomplete. Access to Personal Information requests can only be accepted from the Primary Cardholder. It should be noted that we do not record in customers’ individual files when Personal Information was disclosed to third parties for routine purposes. If we are informed and it is determined that a customer’s Personal Information file is inaccurate, we will take reasonable steps to correct it.

To request access to your Personal Information in our possession, complete and submit a Personal Information request form and send to Rentvault, at support@rentvault.ca. To inquire about your Personal Information in our possession or make corrections to it, write to us at the same address outlined above. Normally, we will respond to access or rectification requests within 30 days. If for any reason, we do not grant you access to file information about you, we will provide you with written reasons.

Please note that in certain circumstances, we may not be able to provide you with access to specific portions of file information about you. For example, we will not provide you with access to the following information:

CUSTOMER PRIVACY CONCERNS AND INQUIRIES

Our Privacy Officer is responsible for ensuring that our day-to-day procedures comply with the Rentvault Privacy Notice. If you have any questions about our policies or practices related to managing Personal Information that has not been answered in the Rentvault Privacy Notice, please let us know so that we may provide further information.

Tell us about your concern: Resolving your concerns is important to us. In most cases, it can be resolved simply by telling us about it. You should begin by talking to a customer service representative at Rentvault

UPDATES AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Amendments will be made to the Rentvault Privacy Notice in a timely manner, to address changes to our information handling processes. We may add, modify or remove portions of the Rentvault Privacy Notice when we feel that it is appropriate to do so. You may determine when the Rentvault Privacy Notice was last updated by referring to the “Date Last Revised” displayed at the end of this Rentvault Privacy Notice.

This Rentvault Privacy Notice replaces any previous notices from us about Personal Information collection, protection, use, sharing, disclosure, retention and Internet privacy practices. We may amend the Rentvault Privacy Notice at any time and without notice to you.