Privacy Policy

GharMate (“GharMate”, “we”, “us”) helps students find verified PGs, flats, hostels, and roommates around their university in India. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. By using GharMate, you agree to the practices described here.

Information we collect

• Account information — your name, email address, phone number, password, role (student, owner, or parent), and home state.
• Verification documents — if you choose to get Student Verified, the student ID or rent receipt you upload. These are used only to review your verification and are visible to our moderation team.
• Listings and profile content — for owners, the property details, photos, and address you publish; for students, your roommate profile and lifestyle preferences.
• Communications — messages you send to owners or other users through GharMate, reviews you post, and reports you submit.
• Location data — approximate coordinates derived from a property address (via geocoding) so listings can appear on campus maps. We do not track your live location.
• Usage and device data — basic technical information such as pages viewed and device/browser type, used to keep the service secure and working.

How we use your information

• To create and manage your account and show you relevant listings and roommate matches.
• To let students and owners contact each other, and to power reviews, saved lists, and bookings.
• To verify students, detect fraudulent or duplicate listings, and keep the platform safe.
• To send you one-time verification codes and important service messages.
• To improve GharMate and understand how the service is used.

How we share information

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only as needed to run GharMate:

• With other users — when you message an owner or another student, your name and message are shared with them. Public parts of listings and reviews are visible to other users.
• With service providers — trusted vendors who help us send email and SMS one-time codes, host the platform, and render maps. They may process data only on our instructions.
• For legal and safety reasons — where required by law, or to protect the rights, property, and safety of our users and GharMate.

Cookies

We use essential cookies to keep you signed in and to remember basic preferences such as light/dark theme. We do not use cookies to sell your data to advertisers.

Data retention

We keep your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the service. Verification documents are retained only as long as necessary for review and safety, after which they may be deleted. You can ask us to close your account and delete your data.

Security

Passwords are stored hashed, verification codes are stored hashed and expire quickly, and access to documents is limited to our moderation team. No online service can be perfectly secure, but we work to protect your information.

Your rights and choices

• Access, correct, or update your account information at any time from your profile.
• Request a copy of your data, or ask us to delete your account and associated data.
• Opt out of non-essential emails.

Children

GharMate is intended for users aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If you believe a minor has provided us information, please contact us so we can remove it.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date above. Significant changes will be highlighted on the platform.

Contact us

Questions about your privacy? Reach us through our Contact page, by email at jatingharmate@gmail.com, or on WhatsApp/call at +91 70655 90032.