Privacy policy.

Who we are

Kigali Stays helps travellers find short-stay and monthly furnished apartments in Kigali, Rwanda. The business is run by its founder, Stephen. We are responsible for (the "data controller" of) the personal data described in this policy.

Address: Kigali Stays, KG 7 Ave, Kacyiru, Kigali, Rwanda
WhatsApp: +254 702 628 706

What we collect

Information you give us

• Booking request form on our homepage: your full name, WhatsApp number, check-in and check-out dates, preferred area, budget and any notes you add.
• Enquiry forms on our other pages: your check-in and check-out dates, number of guests, preferred area, budget and notes. These forms do not send anything to our website. They place your details into a WhatsApp message that you can review before you choose to send it.
• WhatsApp conversations: your name, phone number and profile details as shown by WhatsApp, the messages you send us, and any further details you share, such as the names of other guests, arrival times or special requirements.

Please don’t send us sensitive information (for example health details or identity documents) unless it is genuinely needed for your stay and we ask for it.

Information collected automatically

• Technical data: when you visit the site, our hosting provider’s servers receive standard information such as your IP address, browser type, the pages you request and the time of the request.
• Third-party content: some pages load fonts from Google Fonts and images from Unsplash. To deliver them, your browser connects to those services, which receive your IP address.
• Cookies: see the cookies section below.

How we use your information

• To answer your enquiry and suggest apartments that fit your dates, budget and preferences.
• To share your request with property hosts or owners. When you ask us to check availability or book a property, we share the details needed for that, such as your name, dates, number of guests and contact number, with the host or owner of that property.
• To arrange and manage your stay and to stay in touch with you about it.
• To keep the website running, secure and working properly.
• To understand how visitors use the site and to measure our advertising, as described in the cookies section.
• To meet legal obligations and to handle disputes.

We do not sell your personal data.

Legal bases

We process personal data in line with Rwanda’s Law Nº 058/2021 of 13/10/2021 relating to the protection of personal data and privacy. Depending on the situation, we rely on:

• Taking steps at your request before a booking, and performing that booking: handling your enquiry and sharing it with hosts.
• Consent: for example, when you choose to send us a message or accept optional cookies. You can withdraw your consent at any time.
• Legitimate interests: running, securing and improving our website and service.
• Legal obligations: where the law requires us to keep or disclose information.

Who we share it with

• Property hosts and owners: when you ask us to check availability or book, as explained above.
• WhatsApp (Meta): we use WhatsApp to talk to you. Your messages are handled under WhatsApp’s own terms and privacy policy.
• Formspree: our homepage booking form sends your details through Formspree, a form-processing service, so that they reach us.
• Our website hosting provider and the WordPress software and plugins that run the site.
• Google: for Google Fonts and, where used, Google Analytics and Google Ads (see below).
• Authorities: if the law requires it, or to protect our rights or someone’s safety.

International transfers

Some of your data is handled outside Rwanda. WhatsApp, Formspree and Google run their services on servers in other countries, including the United States. Our WhatsApp contact number is a Kenyan (+254) number. We use these services because they are widely used and maintain their own security and data-protection safeguards. We share only what is needed for each purpose.

How long we keep it

We keep enquiry and booking information for as long as we need it to handle your request and your stay. After that, we keep it only as long as we need it for follow-up questions, accounting or legal purposes, and then delete it. You can ask us to delete your enquiry sooner (see your rights below). WhatsApp conversations stay in our WhatsApp account until we delete them.

Your rights

Subject to the law, you can ask us to:

• tell you what personal data we hold about you and give you a copy;
• correct information that is wrong or incomplete;
• delete your information;
• restrict how we use it, or object to our using it, including for marketing;
• withdraw any consent you have given.

To make a request, message us on WhatsApp or write to the address above. If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you can complain to Rwanda’s supervisory authority, the National Cyber Security Authority (NCSA), through dpo.gov.rw.

Cookies and similar technologies

Cookies are small files stored by your browser.

• Essential cookies: WordPress and our site plugins may set cookies that are needed for the site to work, for example for site administrators who are logged in, or for security and performance.
• Analytics and advertising cookies: we use or may use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the site, and Google Ads to show our ads and measure whether they lead to enquiries, for example a click on a WhatsApp button or a form submission. These tools can set cookies and collect information such as your IP address, device and browser details, the pages you view and how you arrived on the site. Google processes this information under its own privacy policy. Where the law requires it, we will ask for your consent before using these cookies.

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, manage personalised Google ads at adssettings.google.com, and opt out of Google Analytics with Google’s browser add-on.

Visitors from the EU and UK

If you are in the European Union or the United Kingdom, the GDPR or UK GDPR may also apply. The legal bases above (contract, consent, legitimate interests and legal obligation) are the ones we rely on. You have the rights listed above, plus the right to data portability, and you can complain to your local data protection authority.

Children

Our services are meant for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 18. If you believe a child has sent us their information, please contact us and we will delete it.

Security

Our website uses HTTPS encryption, and we limit access to your information to the people who need it to handle your request. No website or messaging service is completely secure, so please share only what is needed.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The effective date at the top shows when it last changed. Significant changes will be shown on this page.

Contact us

For any question about this policy or your personal data, message us on WhatsApp at +254 702 628 706 or write to Kigali Stays, KG 7 Ave, Kacyiru, Kigali, Rwanda.