Privacy Policy

This policy explains what personal data we collect, why we use it, who we share it with, how long we keep it, and what rights you have. It covers use of the Kicozy website and related services.

Depending on how you use Kicozy, we may collect:

Account and identity: name; email address; phone number; password (stored in hashed form; we do not store your plain-text password); account role (tenant/buyer or broker); verification status (for example, whether your phone or email has been verified).

Verification: one-time passcodes (OTPs) sent to your phone or email to confirm that you control that contact method.

Broker materials (when the feature is enabled): broker ID or identity photos/files you choose to upload.

Listing and property data (mainly from brokers): listing titles, descriptions, prices, visit fees, commission details; property attributes (for example bedrooms, bathrooms, furnishing, utilities, size); photos you upload; address details, neighborhood, and map location (coordinates used to place or find homes).

Your activity on Kicozy: saved/favorite listings; reviews and ratings you leave about brokers; basic account and session activity needed to run the product.

Technical and security data: session cookies or similar identifiers needed to keep you signed in; standard server logs (such as IP address, device/browser type, and timestamps) used for security, debugging, and reliability.

Location-related data for search: neighborhood and coordinates tied to listings; search filters you choose (for example price range or bedrooms).

We do not need continuous GPS tracking of your device for the current product. Kicozy does not include in-app chat in the current version; when you contact a broker, you usually do so by phone or WhatsApp outside Kicozy.

We use personal data to:

• create, secure, and manage your account, and keep you signed in;
• verify phone or email where required (including before brokers can publish listings);
• display listings, broker profiles, ratings, reviews, and fee/commission information;
• let tenants save homes and manage their profile;
• let brokers create and manage listings and related settings;
• send OTPs and important account-related messages;
• operate, protect, troubleshoot, and improve the service (including preventing abuse and maintaining backups);
• comply with applicable law and respond to lawful requests.

We do not sell your personal data.

We process personal data because it is needed to provide the service you request (account, listings, verification, saved homes), because you choose to provide content (for example reviews or listing photos), and where appropriate for our legitimate interests in running a secure and reliable marketplace — always subject to Rwanda’s data protection rules, including Law No. 058/2021. Where a specific use requires consent, we will ask for it.

We use service providers to help operate Kicozy, including:

• Google Sign-In — optional sign-in or sign-up for tenants when this feature is configured. Google handles authentication under its own terms and privacy policy.
• Africa’s Talking — SMS delivery for OTPs / phone verification when SMS is enabled in production.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS) — hosting, databases, file/object storage, and related infrastructure for the live service.

These providers process personal data only as needed to provide their services to us, and under their own applicable terms and privacy practices.

We may share personal data when:

• You make information public on Kicozy — for example a broker’s public profile details, listing information, photos, and contact channels shown so seekers can reach brokers.
• You contact a broker outside Kicozy — phone and WhatsApp conversations are governed by those apps’ own practices.
• Service providers process data on our behalf (see section 5).
• The law requires it, or we need to protect rights, safety, or the integrity of the platform (for example investigating fraud or abuse).

We keep account and listing data while your account is active and as needed to provide the service. We may retain some records longer where reasonably necessary for security, dispute handling, backups, or legal obligations, and then delete or anonymize them when they are no longer needed.

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures appropriate to the nature of the data and the service — including encrypted connections (HTTPS), hashed passwords, and access controls on production systems. No online service can guarantee absolute security.

Under Rwanda’s personal data protection framework, including Law No. 058/2021, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or restrict certain processing of your personal data, and to object to certain processing or withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

You can update some profile information directly in your Kicozy account. For privacy inquiries, email support@kicozy.africa with subject line “Privacy”.

We do not currently designate a separate Data Protection Officer (DPO) in this draft. If a DPO or another formal contact is appointed later, we will update this policy.

You may also have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority in Rwanda.

Kicozy is intended for adults seeking or listing housing. It is not directed at children. See also the age requirement in our Terms of Service. Kicozy does not currently verify age at signup.

This Privacy Policy may be made available in English and Kinyarwanda. If there is a conflict between versions after translation, the English version will guide interpretation until a lawyer-approved bilingual set is finalized — unless applicable law requires otherwise.

We may update this Privacy Policy as the product or the law changes. We will post the updated version on this page and revise the “Last updated” date.

For privacy inquiries, email support@kicozy.africa with subject line “Privacy”.

Operated by Kicozy.