1. Introduction

HOABuddy ("we," "us," or "our") operates the HOABuddy platform available at hoabuddy.org (the "Service"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our Service. Please read this policy carefully. If you disagree with its terms, please discontinue use of the Service.

2. Information We Collect

Information You Provide

Account registration information (name, email address, password)
HOA profile information (community name, address, number of units)
Resident information entered by HOA administrators (names, addresses, contact details)
Payment information processed through Stripe (we do not store card numbers directly)
Communications sent through the platform (announcements, maintenance requests, violation notices)
Documents uploaded to the platform

Information Collected Automatically

Log data (IP address, browser type, pages visited, time and date of visits)
Device information (device type, operating system)
Usage data (features used, actions taken within the platform)
Cookies and similar tracking technologies

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Provide, operate, and maintain the HOABuddy platform
Process payments and manage subscriptions
Send transactional emails (invoices, payment confirmations, due reminders)
Send service updates, security alerts, and administrative messages
Respond to your comments, questions, and support requests
Monitor and analyze usage to improve the Service
Detect and prevent fraudulent or unauthorized activity
Comply with legal obligations

4. Third-Party Services

We share information with the following third-party service providers as necessary to operate the Service:

Stripe — payment processing and HOA Stripe Connect onboarding. Stripe's privacy policy is available at stripe.com/privacy.
Amazon Web Services (AWS S3) — secure document storage.
Resend — transactional email delivery.
MongoDB — database hosting for platform data.
Google Analytics — aggregated, anonymized usage analytics on our marketing site.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not share resident data with anyone outside the Service except as described in this policy.

5. Data Retention

We retain your account and community data for as long as your subscription is active. If you cancel your subscription, we will retain your data for 90 days to allow for account recovery, after which we will initiate deletion of your data from active systems. Encrypted backup copies are purged on a rolling schedule thereafter. You may request early deletion of your active account data by contacting us at support@hoabuddy.org.

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS), JWT-based authentication with access and refresh tokens, and secure AWS S3 storage for documents. No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security of your information.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

Access the personal information we hold about you
Request correction of inaccurate data
Request deletion of your personal information
Object to or restrict processing of your data
Data portability (receive your data in a structured format)

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@hoabuddy.org.

8. Cookies

We use essential cookies to maintain your login session. Our marketing site uses Google Analytics cookies for aggregated traffic analysis. You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect your ability to log in to the platform.

9. Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by email or by posting a prominent notice in the platform. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at support@hoabuddy.org.