PRIVACY POLICY

1. Introduction

Harlen (“Harlen,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information when you use our website, mobile application, and services.

By using the Harlen platform, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

2. Information We Collect

Information You Provide

• Account information: Name, email address, password
• Phone number: For SMS verification, tour coordination, and leasing concierge services
• Search preferences: Location, price range, bedrooms, pet preferences, move-in dates
• Tour requests: Preferred times, notes about your requirements
• Contact form submissions: Messages sent through our landlord and listing inquiry forms

Information Collected Automatically

• Usage data: Pages visited, listings viewed, search queries, time on site
• Device information: Browser type, operating system, IP address, device identifiers
• Cookies and similar technologies: Session cookies, preference cookies, analytics cookies
• Location data: General location inferred from IP address (we do not collect precise GPS location without explicit permission)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve the Harlen platform
• Process and coordinate tour requests
• Send SMS notifications about rental listings matching your search criteria
• Verify your phone number for account security
• Operate our SMS leasing concierge service
• Send transactional communications (tour confirmations, account updates)
• Analyze usage patterns to improve our services
• Comply with legal obligations
• Detect and prevent fraud or abuse

4. SMS Communications

When you provide your phone number to Harlen, you may receive SMS messages as described in our Terms of Service. Specifically:

• We use Twilio, Inc. as our SMS service provider to send and receive text messages
• Your phone number and message content are transmitted to Twilio for delivery
• Twilio stores message data in accordance with their privacy policy
• We store SMS session data (including conversation state and search criteria) in our secure database
• We record opt-in and opt-out timestamps for compliance purposes

Opt-out: You can stop receiving SMS messages at any time by replying STOP to any message. We will confirm your opt-out and immediately cease sending messages.

We do not sell your phone number to third parties. We do not use your phone number for marketing purposes beyond the rental listing notifications you consented to receive.

5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience:

• Essential cookies: Required for the platform to function (authentication sessions, security)
• Preference cookies: Remember your settings and search filters
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our site (we use privacy-respecting analytics)

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect platform functionality.

6. How We Share Your Information

We may share your information with:

• Listing agents and landlords: When you request a tour, your name, email, and phone number are shared with the relevant listing contact to coordinate the showing
• Service providers: Trusted third parties who assist us in operating our platform, including Twilio (SMS), Supabase (database and auth), and Vercel (hosting)
• Legal requirements: When required by law, court order, or to protect the rights and safety of Harlen and its users

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not share your information for third-party advertising purposes.

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information, including:

• Encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS)
• Encrypted data storage
• Row-level security policies on our database
• Phone number verification to prevent unauthorized account access
• Regular security reviews

No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Data Retention

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

• Account data: Retained while your account is active and for 2 years after deletion
• SMS session data: Retained for 1 year for compliance and service improvement
• Tour request data: Retained for 3 years for business records
• Opt-out records: Retained indefinitely to honor your preferences

9. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete information
• Request deletion of your personal information
• Opt out of SMS communications (reply STOP to any message)
• Request a copy of your data in a portable format

California residents may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@harlen.co.

10. Third-Party Services

Our platform integrates with the following third-party services:

• Twilio: SMS delivery and phone verification (Twilio Privacy Policy)
• Supabase: Database and authentication (Supabase Privacy Policy)
• Mapbox: Mapping and location services (Mapbox Privacy Policy)

11. Children's Privacy

The Harlen platform is not directed to individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, please contact us immediately.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by updating the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at: