Privacy Policy

Last updated: 11 June 2026 · Effective: 11 June 2026 · Version 1.0

This Privacy Policy explains how Flat Pill ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, and protects your personal data when you use our platform. We are committed to full compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applicable German data protection law.

Contents

Who We Are
What Data We Collect & Why
Legal Bases (GDPR Art. 6)
How Long We Keep Your Data
Who We Share Data With
International Transfers
Your Rights
Local Browser Storage (TTDSG §25)
Cookies & Tracking
Children's Privacy
Changes to This Policy
Contact & Supervisory Authority

1. Who We Are

Flat Pill is the data controller responsible for your personal data. We operate an AI-powered accommodation search and application platform that helps people find apartments and homes for rent or purchase across Germany and Europe.

Data Controller Flat Pill (Einzelunternehmer)
Warnemünder Straße 16, 14199 Berlin, Germany
Email: privacy@flatpill.com

2. What Data We Collect & Why

We collect only the data necessary to provide our service. The following table gives a complete overview of each category, its purpose, and its legal basis.

Account & Identity

Data	Purpose	Legal Basis
Full name, email address	Account creation, login, communications with landlords on your behalf	Contract
Profile photo (optional)	Included in rental applications where landlords commonly expect one	Consent
Language preference	Generating cover letters and communications in your preferred language	Contract

Application Documents

Data	Purpose	Legal Basis
Income proof, employment contract, job title, employer name	Assembling rental application packets on your behalf	Contract
SCHUFA credit report	Standard German landlord requirement; included only in packets you explicitly approve	Contract
References from previous landlords	Included in application packets on your request	Consent

Local-first architecture — your documents never leave your device. The application packet builder works entirely within your browser. Your documents (SCHUFA, income proof, ID, references) are selected from your device, assembled into a PDF locally, and are never transmitted to or stored on Flat Pill's servers. You can verify this at any time by inspecting your browser's network activity. You control exactly which documents are included in each application, and you share the finished packet directly with landlords.

Technical & Server Data

Data	Purpose	Legal Basis
IP address	Security, fraud prevention, server logs. IP addresses are legally personal data in Germany (ECJ C‑582/14) and are treated as such.	Legitimate Interest
Device type, browser, OS	Service compatibility and debugging	Legitimate Interest
Session tokens, auth cookies	Keeping you logged in securely	Contract

Listing Analysis Data

No personal data is processed when you use the listing decoder. The listing decoder analyses publicly available property listing text that you paste or type into the tool. This text does not identify you and does not constitute personal data under GDPR Art. 4. It may be sent to our AI provider for analysis; no account data, profile data, or identifying information accompanies it.

Behavioural & Usage Data

Data	Purpose	Legal Basis
Listings viewed, saved, or applied to; timestamps; session frequency	Personalising recommendations; improving AI matching quality	Legitimate Interest / Consent
Search queries and filters used	AI model improvement; better future recommendations	Legitimate Interest

You can opt out of behavioural data collection for AI model improvement at any time in Account Settings → Privacy.

Notification Preferences

Data	Purpose	Legal Basis
Alert types, channels (email / push / SMS), quiet hours, frequency	Delivering the right notifications at the right time; avoiding unwanted alerts	Contract

Payment Data

Data	Purpose	Legal Basis
Billing name, billing address, last 4 digits of card, subscription status	Processing subscription payments; invoicing; fraud prevention	Contract / Legal Obligation

We do not store full card numbers. Payment processing is handled by our PCI-DSS-certified processor (Stripe). We receive only a tokenised reference.

Application Tracker Data

Data	Purpose	Legal Basis
Application status entries you log manually (property address, status, date, notes)	Tracking your active applications; triggering local browser reminders for follow-ups	Contract

Tracker data is stored in your browser only. Application status entries are kept in your browser's local storage and are never transmitted to our servers. Reminders are generated locally by your browser. You can clear this data at any time via your browser settings or the in-app reset option.

3. Legal Bases (GDPR Art. 6)

We rely on the following legal bases when processing your data:

Contract (Art. 6(1)(b)): Processing necessary to provide the service you signed up for.
Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)): Where we ask for your explicit opt-in — e.g. profile photo, optional analytics. You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting prior processing.
Legitimate Interest (Art. 6(1)(f)): Security, fraud prevention, and service improvement, where our interest does not override your rights. You can object to this processing at any time.
Legal Obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)): Where German or EU law requires retention — e.g. invoices under §147 AO (10 years).

4. How Long We Keep Your Data

Data Category	Retention Period	Reason
Account & profile data	Duration of account + 30 days after deletion	Grace period for reactivation
Application documents (SCHUFA, income proof, etc.)	Not stored on our servers — processed and held in your browser only	Local-first architecture; no server retention
Cover letter profile (free-tier)	Stored in your browser's local storage until you clear it	Under your direct control via browser settings
Application tracker entries	Stored in your browser's local storage until you clear it	Under your direct control via browser settings or in-app reset
Server logs (incl. IP addresses)	7 days rolling	Security / debugging only
Behavioural / usage data	24 months from collection	Model improvement; anonymised after
Payment & invoice records	10 years	German tax law (§147 AO)

5. Who We Share Data With

We do not sell your personal data. We share it only in these circumstances:

Landlords and letting agents: Only the application data you explicitly approve and submit — nothing else.
Payment processor (Stripe): Billing name, email, and payment details for subscription processing only.
Cloud infrastructure (EU-region servers): Account data, usage data, and payment records are stored on EU-based servers, encrypted at rest and in transit. Application documents are not stored on our servers (see Section 2 — Application Documents).
AI processing providers: Cover letter text (your profile details and the listing content you provide) and listing text for the decoder are sent to our LLM provider in pseudonymised or anonymised form. We do not send identity documents, SCHUFA reports, or financial data to these providers.
Legal authorities: Only if required by law or valid court order.

All third-party processors are bound by data processing agreements (DPAs) under GDPR Art. 28.

6. International Transfers

We store and process your data within the EU/EEA wherever possible. Where data is transferred outside — for example, to AI model providers based in the US — we ensure adequate safeguards via Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission under GDPR Art. 46(2)(c).

7. Your Rights

Under the GDPR, you have the following rights. To exercise any of them, email privacy@flatpill.com. We will respond within 30 days.

Access (Art. 15)

Request a copy of all personal data we hold about you.

Rectification (Art. 16)

Correct inaccurate or incomplete data at any time.

Erasure (Art. 17)

Request deletion of your data, subject to legal retention obligations.

Restriction (Art. 18)

Ask us to pause processing while a dispute is resolved.

Portability (Art. 20)

Receive your data in a machine-readable format (JSON / CSV).

Object (Art. 21)

Object to processing based on legitimate interest, including profiling.

Withdraw Consent

Withdraw consent-based processing (e.g. analytics, profile photo) at any time in Account Settings → Privacy.

Complaint

Lodge a complaint with the data protection supervisory authority in your country of residence.

8. Local Browser Storage (TTDSG §25)

In addition to cookies, Flat Pill uses your browser's local storage (localStorage / IndexedDB) to provide certain features without requiring a server account. This storage never leaves your device.

What is stored	Purpose	Legal basis (TTDSG §25)	How to clear
Cover letter profile (name, occupation, income band, language, preferences)	Pre-filling the cover letter generator so you don't retype your details each time	Strictly necessary to provide the service you explicitly requested (§25(2) No. 2)	Browser Settings → Clear site data, or the in-app "Clear profile" button
Application tracker entries (property address, status, date, notes)	Persisting your tracker between sessions without a server account	Strictly necessary to provide the service you explicitly requested (§25(2) No. 2)	Browser Settings → Clear site data, or the in-app "Reset tracker" option

No consent banner is required for this storage because both uses fall under the TTDSG §25(2) necessity exemption — you explicitly requested the service and the storage is required for it to function. If we add storage for any purpose beyond what is strictly necessary (e.g. analytics or personalisation), we will ask for your consent via the cookie banner before doing so.

8a. Cookies & Tracking

We use the following cookies on our platform:

Cookie	Type	Purpose	Duration
`session_id`	Essential	Keeps you logged in	Session / 14 days
`csrf_token`	Essential	Prevents cross-site request forgery	Session
`ui_prefs`	Functional	Remembers your language and UI preferences	1 year
Analytics cookies	Analytics (opt-in)	Understanding usage patterns to improve the product	Up to 12 months

You can manage non-essential cookies via the cookie banner shown on first visit, or at any time in Account Settings → Privacy.

9. Children's Privacy

Our service is intended for adults (18+). We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18. If you believe a minor has registered, please contact us immediately and we will delete the account without delay.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy when our service changes or when legal requirements change. If we make material changes, we will notify you by email at least 14 days before they take effect. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page always reflects the current version. Continued use of the service after the effective date constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact & Supervisory Authority

For any questions about this policy or to exercise your rights, contact us at:

Privacy Contact Flat Pill · Warnemünder Straße 16, 14199 Berlin, Germany
Email: privacy@flatpill.com
Response time: within 30 days

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent data protection supervisory authority in your country of residence at any time.