Privacy Policy

Last updated: 8/21/2026

Cabana Home Watch is a one-person business. I’m Matt, I own and operate it, and I’m the only person who handles your information. This page explains what I collect, why, and what I do with it.

I’ve written this in plain language on purpose. If anything here is unclear, ask me.

The short version

I collect what I need to watch your home and nothing else. I don’t sell your information, I don’t share it with marketers, and I don’t send you anything you didn’t ask for. Your travel dates and access credentials are the most sensitive things I hold, and I treat them that way.

What I collect

When you contact me through this website

The contact form collects your name, email address, phone number, and whatever you write in the message. That typically includes your home’s general location and when you expect to be away.

When you become a client

To provide the service, I collect and hold:

  • Your home address and property details
  • Your travel and occupancy dates
  • Access information: lockbox codes, smart lock credentials, gate codes, or physical keys
  • Alarm codes and alarm company contact information
  • Emergency contacts
  • Your preferred vendors: pool service, landscaper, HVAC, plumber
  • Utility account information, where you’ve asked me to review usage
  • Photographs of your property taken during scheduled visits
  • Billing information

Automatically, when you visit this site

This site runs on WordPress and uses Google Analytics, which collects standard information such as your approximate location, browser type, device, the pages you view, and how you arrived. This is aggregate traffic data. I use it to understand which pages are useful. It does not identify you personally to me.

Why I collect it

  • To answer your inquiry and tell you whether I have availability
  • To perform the home watch service you’ve hired me for
  • To reach you, or your emergency contact, when something at your property needs attention
  • To coordinate vendors you’ve authorized
  • To send you visit reports
  • To invoice you
  • To meet legal and tax obligations

That’s the complete list. I don’t use your information for anything else.

What I don’t do

  • I don’t sell your personal information. I never have and I won’t.
  • I don’t share your information with data brokers, marketing lists, or lead generators.
  • I don’t post identifiable photographs of your home, or its address, on this website or on social media without your written permission.
  • I don’t add you to a mailing list because you filled out the contact form.
  • I don’t disclose that a home is unoccupied to anyone other than you, your emergency contacts, or a vendor you’ve authorized.

That last one matters most. The fact that your house is empty is the most sensitive thing I know about you, and I treat it as confidential.

Who I share information with, and when

I share the minimum necessary with:

  • Vendors you authorize, and only what they need to do the work. A pool company gets access instructions and the problem description, not your travel calendar.
  • Emergency services, if there’s an active emergency at your property.
  • Service providers I use to run the business, such as [email provider], [invoicing/payment processor], and [form provider]. Each holds only what their function requires. Payment card details are handled by the payment processor and never stored by me.
  • Law enforcement or a court, if I’m legally required to. If that happens and I’m permitted to tell you, I will.

I do not share your information with anyone else, for any reason, without asking you first.

How I protect access credentials

Because access credentials deserve their own section:

  • Lockbox codes, smart lock credentials, alarm codes, and gate codes are stored safety with me in a lockbox in a secured home with alarm system
  • Physical keys are stored safety with me in a lockbox in a secured home with alarm system
  • Keys and codes are never labeled with your address.
  • I never give your access credentials to anyone. When a vendor needs entry, I meet them at the property.
  • When our engagement ends, physical keys are returned to you and digital credentials are deleted. I’ll ask you to change any code I held.

If you want a code rotated at any point, tell me and I’ll walk you through it.

How long I keep things

  • Inquiries that don’t become clients: deleted within [3] months.
  • Client records, visit reports, and photographs: kept for the duration of our engagement and [24] months after, in case a question comes up about a prior visit or an insurance claim.
  • Billing and tax records: kept as long as California and federal law require, currently [seven] years.
  • Access credentials: deleted when the engagement ends, or sooner if you ask.

You can ask me to delete your information earlier. See below.

Your rights

If you’re a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act gives you the right to:

  • Know what personal information I’ve collected about you and why
  • Request a copy of it
  • Request that I delete it, subject to records I’m legally required to keep
  • Request that I correct inaccurate information
  • Not be discriminated against for exercising any of these rights

To make a request, email me at [email address]. I’ll respond within 45 days, and usually a lot faster. I may need to verify your identity first, which for a business this small usually means a quick conversation.

I do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined under the CCPA, so there’s no opt-out to submit. I also don’t knowingly collect information from anyone under 18.

Cookies

This site uses cookies for basic functionality and for Google Analytics. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Blocking them won’t break the site. To opt out of Google Analytics specifically, Google offers a browser add-on for that purpose.

Communications

I email you visit reports and anything that needs your attention, because that’s the service. If I ever start a newsletter or send seasonal reminders, it’ll be opt-in and every message will have an unsubscribe link. Filling out the contact form does not subscribe you to anything.

Text messages

If you give me your mobile number, I may text you about your property, scheduling, or something urgent I’ve found. Standard message rates apply. Reply STOP to opt out of texts at any time. Opting out of texts won’t affect your service, though for something urgent I’ll call instead.

Third-party links

If this site ever links to another company’s website, that company’s privacy practices are their own, not mine.

Changes to this policy

If I change this policy, I’ll update the date at the top. If a change materially affects how I handle client information, I’ll email current clients directly rather than expecting them to notice a website update.

Contact

Questions about this policy, or about information I hold about you:

Cabana Home Watch
matt @ cabana home watch (dot) com
Palm Desert, California