Privacy policy

WALE Housing (“WALE”, “we”, “us”) operates https://walehousing.ng, a student housing search and inspection platform. This privacy policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, what we do with it, and your rights under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 (“the Act”).

It covers everyone who uses the platform — students browsing listings or requesting inspections, landlords and agents who list properties, and visitors to the public pages.

We collect only what we need to make the platform work. Here is what that is and how:

• Account informationWhen you create an account we ask for your name, email address, and university affiliation. You choose a password; we never see it in the clear — a hash is stored.
• Inspection requestsWhen you request a property inspection we collect your preferred dates and times, plus a phone number so the landlord can reach you. That data is forwarded to the landlord or agent for that specific listing, and to nobody else.
• Contact form messagesMessages sent through our contact form are stored in our support system so we can reply and keep a thread. We delete inactive threads after 24 months.
• Log dataLike most websites, our servers automatically record page requests — your IP address, the page you asked for, your browser type, and a timestamp. This data is kept for 30 days and used for diagnosing issues and keeping the platform secure.
• CookiesWe set a session cookie to keep you logged in. It is httpOnly and does not track you. We also set a cookie for CSRF protection. We do not use third-party advertising cookies, analytics scripts that fingerprint you, or social-media pixels.

We do not collect sensitive personal data (biometrics, health data, religion, or ethnicity) and we never store payment-card details — because no payments flow through WALE.

We use your data for these purposes, and nothing else:

• To create and maintain your account.
• To forward inspection requests to the correct landlord or agent.
• To reply to questions and reports you submit through our contact form.
• To understand which pages and listings get the most use.
• To detect and stop abuse of the platform — for example, fake listings, scraping attempts, or spam submissions.
• To send you transactional emails: verification of your email address, password resets, and confirmation that your inspection request has been forwarded. We do not send marketing emails.

We share data only where strictly necessary, and never sell it:

• Landlords and agents. When you request an inspection, we share your name, phone number, and preferred inspection dates with the landlord or agent for the listing you selected. They get your details only for that listing.
• Service providers. Our email delivery and hosting providers process data on our behalf. They are bound by contract to use that data only for the purpose we specify.
• Law enforcement. We will comply with a valid court order or statutory demand under Nigerian law. We will also disclose information if we believe disclosure is necessary to prevent harm, fraud, or criminal activity on the platform.

Data is stored on servers located in Nigeria and, in some cases, within the European Economic Area through our hosting provider. In both locations, it is protected by appropriate technical and organisational measures.

We keep your data only as long as it has a purpose:

• Account data — for as long as your account is active, plus 90 days after you delete it (so we can resolve any outstanding issues).
• Inspection request records — 12 months from the request date.
• Contact form threads — 24 months from the last message.
• Server logs — 30 days, rotated automatically.

The Act gives you the following rights over your personal data. To exercise any of them, email us at hello@walehousing.ng with the subject “Data request”. We will respond within 30 days as required by the Act.

• Right of access. You can ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification. If your data is wrong or incomplete, you can ask us to fix it.
• Right to erasure. You can ask us to delete your data when we no longer need it, subject to any legal obligations that require us to keep it.
• Right to restrict processing. You can ask us to stop processing your data while a dispute about its accuracy or lawfulness is resolved.
• Right to data portability. You can ask us to give you your data, or send it to another controller, in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Right to object. You can object to processing based on our legitimate interests.
• Right to complain. If you believe we have not handled your data properly, you may lodge a complaint with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (“NDPC”).

We use industry-standard measures to protect your data: encryption at rest and in transit (TLS), hashed passwords, access controls that limit who on our team can see your personal data, and regular security reviews of our infrastructure.

If we become aware of a data breach that is likely to result in a high risk to your rights, we will notify you and the NDPC within 72 hours, as the Act requires.

WALE is intended for university students and housing seekers who are at least 18. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18. If we discover that a minor has created an account without verifiable parental consent, we will close it and delete their data.

We will update this policy when our practices change or the law requires it. Significant changes come with a notice on the platform or an email to account holders. The “Last updated” date at the top of the page tells you which version you are reading.

The data controller is WALE Housing. Reach the person responsible for data protection at: