Privacy Policy

Introduction

Abode Software Pty Ltd (ABN pending) ("Abode", "we", "us", or "our") operates the property management platform available at abodeaustralia.ai and associated mobile applications (the "Platform").

We are committed to protecting the privacy of our users, including landlords, tenants, and contractors. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and store your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

By using the Platform, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Platform.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information you provide directly

When you create an account, apply for a property, list a property, or use our services, we may collect:

• Identity information: full name, email address, phone number, date of birth, and residential address.
• Employment and financial information: employer name, occupation, income details, and employment references (collected during tenant applications).
• Bank account details: BSB and account number (collected from landlords to facilitate rent payouts).
• Property information: property addresses, descriptions, photos, floor plans, and rental terms.
• Photos and images: property listing photos, inspection photos, and maintenance request photos you upload to the Platform.
• Contractor information: trade qualifications, ABN, insurance details, and service area (collected during contractor onboarding).
• Communications: messages sent through the Platform between landlords, tenants, and contractors.

1.2 Information collected automatically

When you use the Platform, we automatically collect certain technical information, including:

• IP address, browser type and version, operating system, and device type.
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, and referral source.
• Authentication tokens stored in your browser's local storage to maintain your session.

1.3 Information from third parties

We may receive information from third-party services we integrate with, including payment processors (Monoova) and, in the future, identity verification or credit check providers, where you have consented to such checks.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information we collect to:

• Create and manage your account, verify your identity, and authenticate your access to the Platform.
• Process tenant applications, including assessing suitability based on employment and financial information provided.
• Generate and manage lease agreements between landlords and tenants.
• Facilitate rent collection and disbursement, including processing payments through our payment provider Monoova (PayTo agreements and NPP transfers).
• Manage bond lodgement, tracking, and claims (whether Abode-managed or self-managed).
• Enable communication between landlords, tenants, and contractors via the Platform's messaging system.
• Manage maintenance requests and facilitate the contractor bidding process.
• Conduct property inspections, including AI-powered analysis of inspection photos (see Section 7).
• Send transactional emails, including password resets, application status updates, new message notifications, inspection requests, tenant invitations, and payment notifications.
• Operate compliance checking tools to help landlords meet regulatory obligations.
• Improve and maintain the Platform, including troubleshooting, data analysis, and performance monitoring.
• Comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our terms.

3. Disclosure to Third Parties

We may share your personal information with the following categories of third parties:

3.1 Other Platform users

Certain information is shared between parties as part of the property management process. For example, a landlord will see a tenant's application details, and a tenant will see a landlord's name and contact information once a lease is established. Contractors see relevant maintenance request details for properties they bid on.

3.2 Payment processors

We share financial information with Monoova to process rent payments via PayTo agreements and NPP (New Payments Platform) instant transfers. In the future, we may use Stripe for add-on service payments. These providers have their own privacy policies and handle your payment data in accordance with PCI DSS and applicable regulations.

3.3 AI and technology providers

We use OpenAI services to power AI features on the Platform (see Section 7). When you use AI features, relevant data (such as inspection photos, chat messages, or property details) is sent to OpenAI for processing. OpenAI's data usage is governed by their API data usage policies, and data submitted via our API is not used to train their models.

3.4 Cloud infrastructure providers

We use Amazon Web Services (AWS) to host and operate the Platform. Your data is stored and processed within AWS infrastructure located in the ap-southeast-2 (Sydney, Australia) region. This means your data is stored on Australian soil, subject to Australian law.

3.5 Email service providers

We use Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) to send transactional emails. Your email address and name are shared with this service solely for the purpose of delivering notifications.

3.6 Legal and regulatory disclosure

We may disclose your information where required by law, regulation, or legal process, including to law enforcement agencies, regulatory bodies such as state residential tenancy authorities, or bond authorities. We may also disclose information to protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of our users or the public.

3.7 Business transfers

If Abode Software Pty Ltd is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change and any choices you may have regarding your information.

4. Data Storage and Security

4.1 Where we store your data

Your personal information is stored on servers located in Australia, specifically in the AWS ap-southeast-2 (Sydney) region. Our primary database is PostgreSQL hosted on Amazon RDS, and files (including photos) are stored in Amazon S3 with AWS KMS encryption at rest.

4.2 Security measures

We take reasonable steps to protect your information through:

• Encryption of data in transit using TLS/SSL (HTTPS on all connections).
• Encryption of stored files using AWS KMS (Key Management Service).
• JWT-based authentication with secure token handling.
• Role-based access controls that restrict data access based on user type (landlord, tenant, contractor, admin).
• Email verification required for all new accounts.
• Segregated ledger accounts for financial data.
• Regular security reviews of our infrastructure and codebase.

4.3 Data retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with services. If you request account deletion, we will remove or de-identify your personal information within a reasonable timeframe, except where we are required to retain it by law (for example, financial records must be retained for a minimum of seven years under Australian tax law).

Lease records, bond records, and payment history may be retained for the duration required by applicable residential tenancy legislation in your state or territory.

5. Your Rights

Under the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to:

• Access: Request access to the personal information we hold about you. You can view and update most of your information through your account profile on the Platform.
• Correction: Request correction of any personal information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant, or misleading.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated personal information. You can submit a deletion request through the Platform or by contacting us. Our admin team will process your request, subject to any legal retention obligations.
• Complaint: Lodge a complaint about how we handle your personal information. We will investigate and respond within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@abodeaustralia.ai. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

6. Cookies and Local Storage

6.1 Authentication tokens

We store a JSON Web Token (JWT) in your browser's local storage when you log in. This token is used to authenticate your requests to the Platform and maintain your session. The token is sent with each request to our servers via the Authorization header. Clearing your browser's local storage will log you out.

6.2 Cookies

The Platform may use cookies for session management and to remember your preferences. We do not currently use advertising or tracking cookies.

6.3 Analytics

We may in the future implement analytics tools (such as Google Analytics 4) to understand how users interact with the Platform. If we do, we will update this policy and provide you with the ability to opt out. Any analytics data collected will be anonymised or aggregated where possible.

7. AI-Powered Features

The Platform uses artificial intelligence powered by OpenAI GPT-4o to provide the following features:

• Property inspection analysis: When you upload inspection photos, they are sent to OpenAI for condition assessment, damage detection, and report generation.
• AI chat assistant: Conversations with our AI assistant are processed by OpenAI. Chat history may be retained to improve your experience.
• Rental estimate: Property details you provide (suburb, property type, bedrooms, bathrooms) are sent to OpenAI to generate rental price estimates.
• Property description enhancement: Property listing details may be sent to OpenAI to generate improved descriptions.
• Maintenance analysis: Maintenance request descriptions and photos may be sent to OpenAI for assessment and categorisation.

Important: Data sent to OpenAI via our API integration is not used by OpenAI to train or improve their models, in accordance with OpenAI's API data usage policy. However, the data is processed on OpenAI's servers, which may be located outside Australia (primarily in the United States). By using AI features, you consent to this overseas transfer for the purpose of providing the service.

AI-generated outputs (inspection reports, chat responses, rental estimates) are provided as guidance only and should not be relied upon as professional advice. You should always seek independent professional advice where appropriate.

8. Cross-Border Disclosure of Personal Information

In accordance with APP 8, we inform you that your personal information may be disclosed to overseas recipients in the following circumstances:

• OpenAI (United States): When you use AI-powered features as described in Section 7.
• Stripe (United States): If and when Stripe is used for add-on service payments in the future.

Your core data (database, files, emails) is stored and processed within Australia using AWS ap-southeast-2 (Sydney) infrastructure. We take reasonable steps to ensure that overseas recipients handle your information in accordance with the APPs.

9. Sensitive Information

We do not generally collect sensitive information (as defined under the Privacy Act 1988), such as information about your racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, or health. If we ever need to collect sensitive information, we will obtain your explicit consent beforehand and only collect it where reasonably necessary for our functions.

10. Children's Privacy

The Platform is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected information from a person under 18, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

11. Analytics and Usage Data

We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how our platform is used and to improve our services. This includes:

• Pages you visit and features you use
• How you navigate through the platform
• Browser type, device type, and screen size
• An anonymised identifier that links your activity across sessions (no personal details like your name or email are shared with Google)

Google Analytics sets first-party cookies (_ga, _ga_*) to distinguish users. These cookies expire after 2 years.

We do not share your personal information, payment details, property addresses, or application data with Google. Only anonymised usage patterns are collected.

You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on or by disabling cookies in your browser settings.

Our data retention in Google Analytics is set to 14 months.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will notify you by posting the updated policy on the Platform with a revised "Last updated" date. Where changes are significant, we may also notify you by email.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us:

If you are not satisfied with our response to a privacy complaint, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):