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Privacy policy

Version 2026-06-18 — effective from launch.

Home IQ is a product of Building IQ Limited. This privacy policy explains how Building IQ Limited ("Home IQ", "we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, stores and protects your personal information. We handle personal information in accordance with the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 and its information privacy principles. By using the Service you agree to this policy, which forms part of our Terms of service.

Information we collect

We collect the following kinds of information:

  • Account information — your name and email address. Home IQ is passwordless, so we never collect or store a password; you sign in with a magic link or a passkey.
  • Property and building information — the property details, maintenance items, reminders, notes and records you add to your account.
  • Documents and files — anything you upload, such as warranties, manuals and photos.
  • Usage information — basic information about how you use the Service, and technical details such as your IP address and device, which we use to keep the Service secure and working.
  • Communications — messages you send us, for example support enquiries.

How we use your information

We use your information to:

  • Provide, maintain, secure and improve the Service
  • Send you the reminders and notifications you have set up
  • Verify your identity when you sign in (magic links and passkeys)
  • Process your subscription and payments
  • Respond to your enquiries and provide support
  • Send you service updates, and marketing messages only where you have agreed to receive them (you can opt out at any time)

Where your information is stored

Your information is hosted with reputable overseas cloud providers we use for application hosting and file storage, selected for their security and suitability for New Zealand customers. We protect your information with industry-standard measures, including encryption in transit and at rest, and strict access controls. When information is held or processed outside New Zealand, we take reasonable steps to ensure it is protected by safeguards comparable to those of the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020.

Third parties we share information with

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with the service providers that help us run the Service, and only as needed for them to perform their role. These include:

  • Stripe — payment processing for subscriptions. Stripe handles your card details directly; we do not store them.
  • Our email provider — sending magic-link sign-in emails, reminders and notifications.
  • Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) — address lookup so you can find your property quickly when setting it up.
  • Our cloud hosting and file storage providers — running the application and storing the documents you upload.

These providers are bound by confidentiality and data-protection obligations. We may also disclose information where the law requires it.

How long we keep your information

We keep your information for as long as your account is active. If your account is cancelled or lapses, we retain your account data for 90 days so you can reactivate it, after which your personal data is anonymised or deleted. If you request deletion directly, your data is anonymised or deleted after the 7-day cooling-off period described below.

Some records must be kept beyond account deletion. Where that is the case we anonymise rather than erase them:

  • Billing and tax records — Inland Revenue requires us to keep these for 7 years. Identifying details such as your name and email address are removed or replaced with non-identifying placeholders, while the billing records themselves are retained.
  • Security audit logs — records of security-relevant events are retained in full to protect the security and integrity of the Service, including technical details such as the IP address recorded at the time of each event. When your account is anonymised, these records remain but refer to an anonymised account record that no longer contains your name, email address or other identifying details.

Your rights and choices

Under the Privacy Act 2020 you have the right to access the personal information we hold about you and to ask us to correct it. You can also delete your account yourself, and export your data, from within the Service:

  • Access and export — you can export your personal data and content metadata as a JSON file, and download your uploaded documents, from your account settings.
  • Correction — you can update your account and property information at any time, or contact us to correct anything you cannot change yourself.
  • Deletion — you can delete your account from your account settings. Deletion is scheduled with a 7-day cooling-off period: we email you to confirm, and you can cancel within those 7 days by signing back in. After 7 days your personal data is anonymised or deleted, except for the billing and tax records and security audit logs described above.

You can exercise any of these rights, or ask a question, by contacting our Privacy Officer at support@homeiq.nz.

Cookies

We use essential cookies to keep you signed in and to remember your preferences. We do not use tracking cookies for advertising.

Data breach notification

If a privacy breach occurs that is likely to cause you serious harm, we will notify you and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner as required by the Privacy Act 2020, and take steps to contain the breach and reduce the risk of harm.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Each version has an effective date shown at the top of this page. We will notify you of significant changes by email or through the Service.

Contact us and Privacy Officer

If you have questions about this policy or how we handle your personal information, contact our Privacy Officer at support@homeiq.nz. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner at privacy.org.nz.

© 2026 Building IQ Limited