The Privacy Statement (the “Statement”) that follows describes the collection, use and disclosure of information practices by Apartminty.com and its affiliates (“us” or “we”) in connection with the operation of our websites www.apartminty.com, blog.apartminty.com, and our related mobile applications, (collectively, the “Site”). This Statement applies to the national version of Apartminty.com as well as to any other versions or pages of Apartminty.com that we operate, including a version of the Site that you may have arrived at from a distribution partner’s website.
This Statement does not describe the collection, use and disclosure of information through means other than the Site (e.g., offline) or the collection, use and disclosure practices of any third party, including Apartminty.com’s distribution partners. For information on a third party’s information collection, use and disclosure practices, please review the privacy policy on the applicable third party’s website. Also, please note that this Site may contain links to other websites. We are not responsible for the websites, content or privacy practices of any third party. By using this Site, you acknowledge that you have read this Statement and agree that you are bound by Terms of Service, which form a legally binding contract between you and us.
The policy that follows is applicable to our information collection, use and disclosure practices.
Collection of Personally Identifiable Information
You are not required to provide any personally identifiable information to visit the Site. We automatically collect Usage Data (as described below) and may collect ZIP codes and other information in connection with your use of the Site (e.g., the type of apartment you are looking for). We collect personally identifiable information only when you provide it. You may be required to provide personally identifiable information to use certain services. In addition, you may submit personally identifiable information in other ways, including: (a) participating in online surveys, promotions, contests and sweepstakes; (b) subscribing to newsletters, editorial content, or promotional content sent via email (which have opt-out instructions if you wish to unsubscribe); (c) submitting content to the Site; and (d) in connection with other products, services, features, or requests made available through the Site. The types of personally identifiable information collected will depend on the nature of the submission or the features of the Site used, but could include your name, phone number, and/or email address.
Passive Information Collection
The Site automatically collects information and may also customize your visit through technical means, including the following:
- Cookies: Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer’s hard drive by computers (or servers) to identify your computer.
- Web Beacons: Web beacons (also known as pixel tags, Internet tags, clear GIFs, or single-pixel GIFs) are electronic images embedded into a Web page.
- IP Address Logs: Apartminty.com, also logs Internet Protocol (IP) addresses – the location of your computer on the Internet.
Cookies allow us to recognize you when you visit the Site, to personalize your experience and generally to serve you better. For example, if you enter your name, address or ZIP code on one of the Site’s forms, it may be stored in a cookie so you do not have to enter it again on other forms on the Site. Cookies and Web beacons (which may be placed by us or a third party tracking utility partner) can tell us what advertising you have seen on the Site, which allows us to offer you a more diverse selection of advertising information and may also be used together to measure the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns. Cookies, Web beacons and IP addresses are also used to compile data regarding Site usage (what Web site you came from, what pages of the Site you visit, how long you were on the Site, what type of browser you are using, what Web site did you go to, etc.). This type of tracking does not identify you personally. Web beacons may also be included in emails sent by the Site to determine when and if such emails are opened or forwarded. You can disable cookies or otherwise manage them through tools provided with your browser software and with third-party software packages. If you turn off cookies, many of the Site’s features will not work as well or at all. Anonymous information regarding usage of our Site and services that is collected and/or aggregated by or on behalf of Apartminty.com through the use of such technical means or otherwise is referred to in this Statement as “Usage Data.” The use of third party cookies is not covered by our privacy policy. We do not have access or control over these cookies.
Collection of Information by Third Parties
As noted above, Apartminty.com distribution partners and other third party vendors may collect information about you when using the Site through the use of cookies and Web beacons. For example, third-party advertising companies, such as Google, use cookies to serve advertisements about goods and services that may be of interest to you across the Internet based on your past visits to the Site and other websites. The Site also uses third-party vendors to collect statistical information regarding Site usage. These third-party vendors may note some of the pages you visit on the Site through the use of Web beacons. In the course of serving advertisements to you, these third-party advertising companies may also place or recognize a unique “cookie” on your computer to allow them to recognize Web beacons and otherwise improve advertising effectiveness. The Google Analytics feature implemented and used on this Site includes remarketing display advertising where Google uses a cookie to remember information about your visit and deliver more relevant ads. In addition, the Site may share statistical and behavioral data about visitors to our Sites with these third-party advertising companies for the purpose of managing and targeting advertisements on the Site and/or on other websites. Visitors can opt-out of Google’s use of cookies by visiting Google’s Ad Settings.
Information Use
Personally Identifiable Information. Personally identifiable information collected by us through your use of the Site may be stored on servers or in a cookie on your computer and may be used by us for any of the following purposes:
To confirm or fulfill a request that you make (e.g., in order to send you apartment information you have requested, we will share your contact information with a participating Site property owner and/or management company).
To communicate with you regarding the Site service (e.g., the Site may send you emails to confirm an apartment availability inquiry or to notify you that you have received a lead regarding an apartment you have advertised or to request that you participate in a survey).
To send promotional materials, newsletters, or other content via email, targeted advertising, or otherwise, unless you have indicated that you do not wish to receive such materials.
To manage its relationships with its distribution partners, customers, and other third parties to which the Site may disclose personally identifiable information pursuant to this Statement (e.g., to provide reporting to customers, to provide customer support, and to resolve disputes).
For Site administration, analysis, research, development, optimization and other internal purposes, including, without limitation, to compile Usage Data.
Usage Data: Usage Data is used by the Site for administrative, analytical, research, optimization and other purposes. For example, the Site may use statistical analyses of Usage Data in order to measure interest in the various areas of the Site, for development purposes and to inform advertisers and partners in aggregate and anonymous terms about consumers who click on their advertising or other messages. IP Addresses are also used for systems administration and troubleshooting purposes.
With respect to promotional materials and newsletters that the Site may send via email from time to time, the Site will not continue to send you such communications if you ask us not to by following the unsubscribe instructions in each promotional email from the Site or by a request sent to info@apartminty.com. However, you agree that the Site may send to you, and you cannot opt out of, communications of a transactional or relationship nature, including, but not limited to, communications regarding fraudulent or illegal activity, account status, changes to this Statement or the Site’s Terms of Service, as well as communications to confirm, fulfill and follow up on your registration, service or a request submitted through the Site.
Information Sharing
The Site may share personally identifiable information that you provide with third parties in the following cases: Distribution partners. The Site may share your personally identifiable information with its distribution partners on the condition that such partner’s disclosure and use of the information is consistent with this Statement.
Requests. The Site maintains relationships with third party providers for some of the products and services offered through the Site. If you request information or services through the Site, you agree that the Site may share personally identifiable information as may be necessary to provide such information to or perform such services for you. In some cases, the information that you provide through the Site may be collected directly by a third party or its designee (e.g., through forms hosted by such third party or on a page framed with the Site’s branding). Personally identifiable information also may be shared with the specific third parties that can respond to your requests in the form of reporting and other follow-up communications. The subsequent use or disclosure of any information collected by or provided to third parties is subject to their privacy policies and practices.
Direct Marketing. Except as provided herein, it is the Site’s policy not to disclose personally identifiable information of our customers to third parties specifically for the third parties’ direct marketing purposes. If you are 18 years of age or older and have affirmatively agreed to receive third party direct marketing materials, the Site may share your personally identifiable information with third parties for direct marketing purposes. Although the Site will endeavor to notify all third-party direct marketers that the information provided to them is confidential, the subsequent use or disclosure of information is subject to those third parties’ privacy policies and practices. Service Providers. The Site works with third parties that provide services on its behalf. Examples include providers of analytical, development, promotional, research, review moderation, and other services. For example, the Site may ask that a third party conduct an online survey or sweepstakes or send newsletters or advertising on its behalf. In such cases, the Site requires that the third party maintain your personally identifiable information as confidential and use the information only to perform the services specified by the Site and not for their own promotional purposes.
Other. The Site expressly reserves the right to release any personally identifiable information or other information you provide to third parties under the following circumstances: (a) when required by law or legal process, (b) to investigate and/or take action against illegal activity, suspected abuse, or unauthorized use of the Site’s services, (c) to protect the property or safety of our users or others, (d) to enforce our Terms of Service and (e) in connection with any sale or other transfer of ownership of all or a part of Apartminty.com or any of its businesses. If you make any personally identifiable information publicly available on the Site (e.g., by posting a comment on the blog which contains personally identifiable information), anyone may see and use such information and we are not responsible for such use. The Site reserves the right to share any personally identifiable information you post on the Site with third parties with your prior consent. To the extent the Site does so, the subsequent use and disclosure of such information is subject to the privacy policies and practices of those third parties.
Please note that the messages that the Site sends to you to confirm, fulfill, or follow up on a request may incidentally include promotional material or other content from the Site or its partners. In the case of these messages, the Site is not sharing your personally identifiable information with those third parties. The Site reserves the right to share Usage Data with any third party for any reason.
Mobile Applications
Location Information. Your location is obtained from the mobile device or the network, or directly from you, and is used to search for information you may need – including local searches for rental properties. When we execute such searches on your behalf we do not transfer your identity or personally identifiable information to third parties, other than the rental property owners. This information is not used to create a profile about you or your activities. Your location is only stored in the app if you save your location (rental property) searches and may be deleted by you by clearing your search history. Location coordinates are shared with our geocoding service provider (such as Google Maps) only to perform the task of providing maps and directions per your request. Other information about your device. We collect non-personally identifiable information from your mobile device in order to provide our services to you. Information may include device type and mobile service carrier. No information, including location information, is shared with any third parties for marketing purposes. Our apps do not interact or share information with any other applications installed on your mobile device.
User Generated Content
The Site may offer opportunities for users who are 18 years of age or older to create user generated content (“UGC”), for example in a consumer blogging context. Any UGC you submit may become public. You should not include any information in your UGC that you do not want other parties to see or use. Moreover, if you submit any UGC that includes personally identifiable information, such as your email address or phone number, you may receive unsolicited email or calls from third parties.
Changes to this Statement
Notification of Changes: Any changes to this Statement will be posted on the Site in this location and this Statement will be identified as “Updated”. If we change how we use your personally identifiable information, we will notify you here, by email, or by means of a notice on our home page. Your continued use of the Site after such notice constitutes acceptance of such changes.
Security
Your personally identifiable information is one of our most valuable assets. We follow generally accepted industry standards to keep it physically secure in our data centers and it is accessible only to authorized personnel as needed to perform operations governed by this policy. Please keep in mind that despite these measures, the Site cannot guarantee or warrant 100% security of its servers and databases. Moreover, the Site cannot guarantee that personally identifiable information that you submit through the Site will not be intercepted or otherwise disclosed.
Children
The Site believes that it is especially important to protect children’s privacy online. The Site does not knowingly collect or use any personally identifiable information from children under the age of 13 and Site does not knowingly provide any personally identifiable information, regardless of its source, to any third party for any purpose whatsoever from visitors younger than 13 years old. No information should be submitted to or posted at the Site by visitors younger than 13 years old.
Links
This Site contains links to other sites. While the Site encourages our business partners to adopt privacy policies and practices that build users’ trust and confidence in the Internet, the Site is not responsible for the privacy policies or practices of third parties or any of the content of Web sites linked to the Site or any third-party products or services offered through the Site.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Statement, please email us at info@apartminty.com.
Apartminty, LLC, 1760 Euclid Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009.
Updated August 1, 2016