Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 31 July 2026

Last Updated: 31 July 2026

Legal Entity: Makao Hive

1. Introduction

Makao Hive ("Makao Hive", "we", "our", or "us") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, store, transfer and protect your personal data when you use:

• the Makao Hive website;
• the tenant platform;
• the administration platform;
• mobile applications;
• APIs;
• customer support channels;
• viewing tour services;
• property verification services;
• blogs and educational resources; and
• any related products or services (collectively, the "Platform").

This Privacy Policy should be read together with our:

• Terms of Service;
• Cookie Policy;
• Payment Terms; and
• any other applicable policies published by Makao Hive.

2. Our Commitment to Privacy

Makao Hive processes personal data in accordance with:

• the Constitution of Kenya;
• the Data Protection Act, 2019;
• regulations issued under the Data Protection Act;
• guidance issued by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC); and
• other applicable laws.

We are committed to processing personal data lawfully, fairly, transparently and securely.

3. Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to personal data collected from:

• visitors;
• renters;
• landlords;
• property managers;
• viewing guides;
• publishers;
• verifiers;
• administrators;
• applicants;
• support users;
• business partners;
• marketing enquiries.

It applies whether information is collected online or through offline interactions related to Platform services.

4. Data Controller

Unless otherwise stated, Makao Hive is the Data Controller responsible for determining how personal information is processed.

Legal enquiries:

legal@makaohomes.co.ke

General enquiries:

info@makaohomes.co.ke

Public website:

https://rentals.makaohomes.co.ke

Admin console:

https://management.makaohomes.co.ke

5. Personal Information We Collect

Depending on how you use the Platform, we may collect the following categories of information.

5.1 Identity Information

Examples include:

• full name;
• date of birth where required;
• national identification information where legally required;
• profile photograph;
• account identifier;
• verification status.

5.2 Contact Information

Examples include:

• email address;
• mobile telephone number;
• postal address;
• emergency contact information where applicable.

5.3 Authentication Information

We may collect information required to secure your account including:

• password hashes;
• one-time passwords;
• authentication logs;
• multi-factor authentication information;
• login timestamps;
• session identifiers.

Passwords are never stored in plain text.

5.4 Property Information

Where you manage or own properties we may collect:

• property details;
• unit information;
• pricing;
• amenities;
• availability;
• uploaded documents;
• verification requests;
• floor plans;
• images;
• walkthrough videos.

5.5 Verification Information

Verification information may include:

• inspection reports;
• photographs;
• videos;
• verification checklists;
• verification notes;
• infrastructure observations;
• verification dates;
• verifier information;
• verification outcomes.

Verification records are maintained to support transparency and operational integrity.

5.6 Viewing Tour Information

Where you request or participate in viewing tours we may collect:

• requested viewing dates;
• confirmed appointments;
• assigned guide;
• itinerary information;
• attendance records;
• cancellations;
• communications relating to the viewing.

5.7 Rental Application Information

Applications submitted through the Platform may include:

• employment information;
• references;
• supporting documents;
• communication history;
• application status;
• lease offers;
• tenancy decisions.

Landlords and Property Managers remain responsible for tenancy decisions.

5.8 Lease Information

Where electronic leases are facilitated through the Platform we may process:

• lease metadata;
• electronic signature records;
• timestamps;
• document identifiers;
• document history.

Makao Hive facilitates document workflows but is not automatically a party to tenancy agreements.

5.9 Payment Information

We may process payment-related information including:

• payment reference numbers;
• transaction identifiers;
• payment status;
• payment amount;
• payer phone number;
• payment timestamps.

Makao Hive does not collect or store M-Pesa PINs, payment card PINs or banking credentials.

5.10 Device and Technical Information

We automatically collect certain technical information including:

• IP address;
• browser type;
• operating system;
• device type;
• language settings;
• referring pages;
• approximate location derived from IP;
• diagnostic logs;
• security logs.

This information assists with security, fraud prevention and service improvement.

5.11 Communications

We process communications exchanged with Makao Hive including:

• customer support requests;
• emails;
• contact forms;
• complaints;
• feedback;
• operational communications.

Calls may be recorded where permitted by law and appropriate notice is provided.

5.12 Marketing Enquiries

If you submit an enquiry regarding property verification or listing services we may collect:

• your name;
• email;
• phone number;
• company;
• enquiry details;
• follow-up communications.

5.13 Artificial Intelligence Processing

Some Platform features use artificial intelligence technologies.

Depending on the feature, AI processing may involve:

• listing descriptions;
• neighbourhood summaries;
• educational content;
• property summaries;
• administrative productivity tools.

We minimise personal information included in AI prompts wherever reasonably possible.

AI-generated outputs may be reviewed by Makao Hive before publication depending on the feature.

6. Blog Engagement Analytics

Makao Hive measures limited engagement with educational content to improve the quality of articles published on the Platform.

Current measurements include:

• aggregate article views;
• anonymous reading milestones;
• completion percentages;
• optional "Was this helpful?" responses;
• optional written feedback.

Where feedback is submitted we may also record:

• article identifier;
• response category;
• whether the user was signed in;
• a coarse traffic source category;
• spam-prevention identifiers.

We ask users not to include confidential or sensitive personal information within optional feedback comments.

Blog engagement data is used solely to improve educational content and user experience.

7. How We Collect Personal Information

Makao Hive collects personal information through several methods depending on how you interact with the Platform.

7.1 Information You Provide

You may provide information when you:

• create an account;
• update your profile;
• submit a rental application;
• request property verification;
• create property listings;
• upload photographs or videos;
• request a viewing tour;
• communicate with customer support;
• subscribe to newsletters;
• submit feedback;
• complete forms published by the Platform.

7.2 Information Collected Automatically

Certain information is collected automatically through your use of the Platform.

Examples include:

• login activity;
• browser information;
• IP address;
• device identifiers;
• operating system;
• pages visited;
• session timestamps;
• security events;
• diagnostic information.

This information assists with:

• fraud prevention;
• service security;
• troubleshooting;
• analytics;
• Platform performance.

7.3 Information Received From Third Parties

We may receive information from trusted third parties including:

• payment providers;
• mapping providers;
• communication providers;
• identity verification services;
• cloud hosting providers;
• property managers;
• landlords;
• guides;
• publicly available government records where legally permitted.

We only use such information where there is an appropriate legal basis.

8. Why We Process Your Information

Makao Hive processes personal information only where there is a lawful basis to do so.

Depending on the circumstances, we process information for one or more of the following purposes.

8.1 To Provide Platform Services

Including:

• creating user accounts;
• authenticating users;
• managing listings;
• facilitating viewing tours;
• processing rental applications;
• generating leases;
• communicating with users;
• processing Platform payments;
• maintaining user preferences.

8.2 To Verify Properties

Verification activities require processing information to:

• schedule inspections;
• prepare verification reports;
• capture photographs;
• record verification findings;
• determine verification status;
• publish verification summaries.

8.3 To Improve Platform Quality

We analyse operational information to:

• improve Platform performance;
• improve verification quality;
• improve blog content;
• improve accessibility;
• improve reliability;
• reduce fraud;
• identify operational issues.

8.4 To Provide Customer Support

Including:

• responding to enquiries;
• resolving disputes;
• investigating complaints;
• providing technical assistance.

8.5 To Communicate With You

Communications may include:

• account notifications;
• verification updates;
• application updates;
• lease notifications;
• payment confirmations;
• viewing reminders;
• security alerts.

Where required by law, marketing communications will only be sent with appropriate consent or another lawful basis.

8.6 To Comply With Legal Obligations

Makao Hive may process personal information where necessary to:

• comply with Kenyan law;
• respond to lawful requests;
• maintain accounting records;
• prevent fraud;
• resolve disputes;
• enforce our Terms of Service.

9. Lawful Bases for Processing

Depending on the circumstances, Makao Hive relies on one or more lawful bases recognised under the Kenya Data Protection Act.

These include:

Performance of a Contract

Processing necessary to:

• provide Platform services;
• manage accounts;
• process applications;
• facilitate viewing tours;
• provide customer support.

Compliance with Legal Obligations

Processing necessary to comply with:

• statutory obligations;
• court orders;
• lawful regulatory requests;
• financial reporting obligations.

Legitimate Interests

Where our legitimate interests are not overridden by your rights, we may process information to:

• secure the Platform;
• prevent fraud;
• improve verification processes;
• improve educational content;
• analyse aggregate usage;
• investigate abuse;
• improve customer experience.

Consent

Certain activities rely upon your consent.

Examples may include:

• receiving marketing communications;
• optional cookies where required;
• optional surveys;
• promotional campaigns.

You may withdraw consent at any time where consent is the applicable legal basis.

10. Sharing Personal Information

Makao Hive does not sell personal information.

We share information only where necessary to operate the Platform or where required by law.

Information may be shared with:

• landlords;
• property managers;
• viewing guides;
• verification personnel;
• payment providers;
• cloud hosting providers;
• email providers;
• SMS providers;
• artificial intelligence providers;
• mapping providers;
• analytics providers;
• legal advisers;
• auditors;
• regulators;
• law enforcement authorities where legally required.

All third-party providers are required to process personal information only for authorised purposes and subject to appropriate contractual obligations.

11. International Transfers

Some of our service providers process information outside Kenya.

Examples may include providers offering:

• cloud infrastructure;
• artificial intelligence;
• email delivery;
• mapping services;
• software infrastructure.

Where international transfers occur, Makao Hive implements appropriate contractual, organisational and technical safeguards consistent with the Kenya Data Protection Act and applicable regulations.

12. Data Security

Makao Hive maintains appropriate administrative, technical and organisational safeguards designed to protect personal information against:

• unauthorised access;
• accidental disclosure;
• destruction;
• alteration;
• misuse;
• unlawful processing.

Security measures may include:

• encrypted communications;
• role-based access controls;
• audit logging;
• authentication controls;
• multi-factor authentication;
• infrastructure monitoring;
• regular software updates;
• backup procedures;
• incident response processes.

Although we implement reasonable safeguards, no system connected to the internet can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their account credentials.

13. Data Retention

Makao Hive retains personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes and enforce our agreements.

Retention periods vary depending on the category of information.

Generally, we retain:

• account information while an account remains active;
• transaction records as required by applicable financial and legal obligations;
• verification records while operationally relevant;
• audit logs for security and compliance purposes;
• support records for operational and dispute resolution purposes;
• blog engagement metrics in aggregated form for service improvement;
• optional blog feedback only for as long as reasonably necessary to improve content and maintain audit records.

Where information is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised or otherwise rendered incapable of identifying an individual, unless retention is required by law.

Further information regarding retention categories is available in our Subprocessors and Data Retention document.

14. Your Rights

Subject to applicable law, including the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019, you have rights regarding your personal information.

Depending on the circumstances, these rights include the right to:

• be informed about the collection and use of your personal information;
• access personal information held about you;
• request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
• request deletion of personal information where applicable;
• object to certain forms of processing;
• request restriction of processing where permitted by law;
• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
• request portability of personal information where applicable;
• lodge a complaint with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC).

Exercise of these rights may be subject to legal or contractual limitations.

15. Accessing or Updating Your Information

You are encouraged to keep your account information accurate and up to date.

Where functionality is available, you may update your information directly through your account settings.

If self-service functionality is unavailable, you may submit a request by contacting:

Email: legal@makaohomes.co.ke

We may request reasonable proof of identity before processing requests involving personal information.

16. Deletion Requests

You may request deletion of your personal information where permitted by law.

Deletion requests will be assessed taking into account:

• legal obligations;
• ongoing contractual relationships;
• fraud prevention;
• financial record-keeping requirements;
• dispute resolution;
• legitimate business purposes.

Where complete deletion is not legally possible, we may retain only the information required to satisfy applicable legal obligations.

17. Withdrawal of Consent

Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

Withdrawal may affect the availability of certain optional Platform features.

18. Automated Processing

Makao Hive uses automated systems to assist with certain Platform functions, including:

• authentication;
• fraud detection;
• spam prevention;
• content generation;
• property description generation;
• educational content creation;
• operational workflows.

These systems are designed to support Platform operations and do not replace human decision-making for significant tenancy decisions.

Final decisions relating to tenancy applications remain the responsibility of Property Managers and Landlords.

19. Children's Privacy

The Platform is intended for individuals aged eighteen (18) years and above.

Makao Hive does not knowingly collect personal information directly from children without lawful authority or another lawful basis under applicable law.

If we become aware that personal information relating to a child has been collected unlawfully, we will take reasonable steps to delete or otherwise handle such information in accordance with applicable law.

Parents or guardians who believe personal information relating to a child has been collected in error should contact:

legal@makaohomes.co.ke

20. Third-Party Websites

The Platform may include links to websites or services operated by third parties.

This Privacy Policy applies only to information processed by Makao Hive.

We are not responsible for:

• third-party privacy practices;
• third-party security measures;
• content hosted by third parties;
• policies published by third parties.

Users should review the privacy policies of third-party services before providing personal information.

21. Changes to this Privacy Policy

Makao Hive may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect:

• changes in the law;
• improvements to the Platform;
• introduction of new services;
• operational changes;
• security improvements.

Where material changes are made, we will take reasonable steps to notify users, which may include:

• publishing an updated version on the Platform;
• email notifications;
• in-app notifications; or
• other appropriate communication channels.

The "Last Updated" date at the beginning of this Privacy Policy indicates when it was most recently revised.

22. Contact Us

If you have questions regarding this Privacy Policy or how Makao Hive processes personal information, you may contact us using the details below.

Makao Hive

Public website:

https://rentals.makaohomes.co.ke

Admin console:

https://management.makaohomes.co.ke

General Support

info@makaohomes.co.ke

Legal & Privacy

legal@makaohomes.co.ke

If you are dissatisfied with our response to your privacy request, you may have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) in accordance with the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019.

23. Related Policies

This Privacy Policy should be read together with the following documents published by Makao Hive:

• Terms of Service
• Cookie Policy
• Payment Terms
• Subprocessors and Data Retention
• Acceptable Use Policy
• Marketing Communications Policy (where applicable)

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