Privacy policy

This policy covers the Needam website (needam.in) and the Needam Android app. It explains what we collect, why, who we share it with, how long we keep it, and your rights under India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act).

Who we are. Needam is run by [Founder's legal name], a sole proprietor (the “data fiduciary”), at [Postal address, Hyderabad]. Contact: support@needam.in.

What we collect

• Phone number: to sign you in with a one-time code sent by SMS. It is never shown to anyone unless you choose to share it in a chat.
• Name: other people see your first name only.
• Listings you post: locality, building or society name, BHK, area, floor, furnishing, price or rent, deposit, maintenance, tenant preferences (family, bachelors, pets), description and photos. We never publish your flat number.
• Photos you upload for a listing. We don't read your photo library; you pick each photo.
• Messages between owners and seekers, whether each side shared their number, and blocks.
• Saved flats, saved searches and reports you make.
• Purchases made through Google Play (product, order ID, status, date). Google handles payment; we never receive card, UPI or bank details.
• Technical logs: our hosting and database providers keep standard server logs (IP address, device and browser type, time of request) to run and secure the service.

We do not collect your precise location, contacts, call logs or other files, and we do not use advertising or third-party analytics trackers.

Why we use it

• To provide the service: sign-in, listings, chats, saved items, alerts and purchases.
• To keep people safe: detect brokers posing as owners, scams and spam; enforce limits; review reports; act on abuse.
• To meet legal duties, such as tax records for purchases and responding to lawful requests.

We process your data on the basis of your consent, which you give when you sign in, and for the legitimate uses the DPDP Act allows.

Who can see your phone number

Nobody, unless you choose. In each chat your number is revealed only after both people tap “Share my number”. Needam never sells, rents or trades your personal data.

Who we share it with

Only service providers who process data for us, under contract:

• Supabase: database, file storage and sign-in (servers in Mumbai, India).
• Our SMS provider (MSG91), to deliver one-time codes.
• Vercel: website hosting.
• Google Play: in-app purchases.

We may also disclose data where the law requires it, for example to the police or a court with a valid order.

How long we keep it

• Account data: until you delete your account.
• Listings: removed from Needam when you delete them or your account.
• Chats, reports and safety records: closed when you delete your account, and kept for up to 180 days in case of a safety dispute, then deleted.
• Purchase records: as long as tax law requires.
• Server logs: kept by our providers for a short period (typically up to 30 days).

Your rights and choices

• See and correct your details in the app (Me).
• Withdraw consent and delete your account at any time, in the app (Me → Delete account) or at needam.in/delete-account. If you can't sign in, email support@needam.in with your phone number and we will delete it within 7 days.
• Ask us what data we hold about you, or nominate someone to act for you, by emailing support@needam.in.
• Complain to our grievance officer (below), or to the Data Protection Board of India.

Children

Needam is for adults. You must be 18 or older to use it. We don't knowingly collect data from children; if you think a child has an account, email support@needam.in and we will remove it.

Security

Data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS) and access is restricted by database rules. Only the Needam admin can see account details, and admin actions are logged.

Changes

If we change this policy, we will update the date above and, for important changes, tell you in the app before they apply.

Grievance officer

[Grievance officer name], [Founder's legal name], [Postal address, Hyderabad]. Email: support@needam.in. We acknowledge complaints within 24 hours and resolve them within 15 days. See also needam.in/contact.