Privacy Policy

1. Privacy by Default

HomeScout is designed with privacy by default. Your account starts with the most restrictive privacy settings. We collect only the minimum data necessary to provide our service. No data is shared unless you explicitly take an action that requires it (such as sending an inquiry to a property agent).

2. Information We Collect

We collect only what we need to operate the service:

• Account information — name, email address, and encrypted password
• Search preferences — your saved searches and property preferences
• Viewing data — appointments you schedule and feedback you provide
• Payment information — processed securely by Mollie (we never store card details)
• Usage data — anonymized analytics to improve the service

3. How We Use Your Information

Your data is used exclusively to provide and improve HomeScout:

• Deliver property search results and personalized recommendations
• Generate AI-powered inquiry drafts that you review and approve before sending
• Process your subscription and payments
• Send service notifications you have opted into
• Improve the platform based on anonymized usage patterns

4. We Do Not Share Your Data

We do not sell, rent, lease, or trade your personal information to any third party. Your data is disclosed only in these limited circumstances:

• When you choose to contact an agent — your name and message are shared only when you explicitly confirm and send an inquiry
• Infrastructure providers — our hosting and service providers process data on our behalf under strict data processing agreements and have no right to use your data for their own purposes
• Legal obligations — only when compelled by valid legal process (court order, subpoena) under applicable law

5. International Data Transfers

HomeScout is operated from Ireland for users in the European Union. However, some of the infrastructure providers we use to operate the service are based in the United States. This means your personal data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA), including the United States.

Where data is transferred outside the EEA, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including:

• EU Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) with our service providers
• Data processing agreements that contractually bind providers to protect your data
• Encryption of data in transit and at rest

Our payment processor (Mollie) is based in the Netherlands and processes payment data within the EU.

6. Data Security

We take the security of your data seriously. Measures include encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest, secure authentication with session-based cookies, and strict access controls. Passwords are hashed and never stored in plain text. No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, but we continuously work to protect your information.

7. Cookies

We use cookies to operate the service and, with your consent, to measure advertising performance. Below is a complete list of the cookies we set:

Essential / Functional Cookies (always active)

• Authentication cookies — to keep you signed in (session-based)
• Preference cookies — to remember your settings (e.g., language, locale)
• hs_attribution — first-party cookie, 90-day expiry. Stores campaign attribution parameters (utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, gclid, etc.) so we can measure which channels bring users to HomeScout. This cookie is always set on first visit and does not require consent as it is strictly functional.
• hs_consent — first-party cookie, 365-day expiry. Stores your cookie consent preferences so we do not ask again on every visit.

Analytics Cookies (consent required)

These cookies are denied by default and only activated after you explicitly grant consent via our cookie banner.

• _ga — Google Analytics, used to distinguish unique users. Expires after 2 years.
• _gid — Google Analytics, used to distinguish unique users. Expires after 24 hours.

Marketing Cookies (consent required)

These cookies are denied by default and only activated after you explicitly grant consent via our cookie banner.

• _fbp — Meta (Facebook) Pixel, used to measure ad performance and deliver relevant advertisements. Expires after 90 days.

You can change your cookie preferences at any time by clearing your browser cookies and revisiting the site, which will re-display the consent banner.

8. Your Rights (GDPR)

Under the General Data Protection Regulation, you have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of all personal data we hold about you
• Rectification — correct any inaccurate or incomplete data
• Erasure — request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
• Portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Restriction — limit how we process your data
• Objection — object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Withdraw consent — at any time, without affecting prior processing

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@homescout.io. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide the service. If you delete your account, we will permanently delete your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law (e.g., tax records for payment transactions).

10. Children's Privacy

HomeScout is not intended for users under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected data from a minor, we will delete it immediately.

11. Changes to This Policy

We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time. Changes take effect immediately upon posting to this page. We will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy. For material changes that significantly affect how we handle your data, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you via email or through the service. Your continued use of HomeScout after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

For privacy-related questions, data requests, or to exercise your rights:

Email: privacy@homescout.io

If you believe your data protection rights have been violated, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) at www.dataprotection.ie.