Who we are
Studcasa is operated by Studcasa Limited, a company incorporated in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. We run a community web app that helps exchange students prepare for their time abroad — connecting them with peers, city guides, and housing leads. Studcasa Limited is the data controller for the personal data described in this policy. We handle personal data in line with Hong Kong’s Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (PDPO), and we honour the rights of users in the EEA and UK under the EU/UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You can reach us at hello@studcasa.com.
Data we collect
We keep data collection to the minimum needed to run the service:
- Account data — your email address and first name, provided when you sign up.
- Profile context — your destination city and exchange period, so we can show you relevant groups and guides.
- Usage analytics — anonymized or aggregated information about how the site is used (pages viewed, general performance), collected via our hosting and analytics provider.
- Communications — any messages you send us by email or through the app.
We do not knowingly collect special categories of data, and we do not sell your personal data to anyone.
Why we use your data
- To create and maintain your account and authenticate you.
- To match you with the right city communities, guides, and housing leads.
- To send you essential service emails (sign-in links, important updates).
- To understand and improve how the service performs.
- To respond to your questions and provide support.
- To keep the service secure and prevent abuse.
Legal basis (GDPR)
We rely on the following legal bases under Article 6 of the GDPR:
- Performance of a contract — to provide the account and features you sign up for.
- Legitimate interests — to keep the service secure, measure performance, and improve the product, balanced against your rights.
- Consent — where required, for example for certain non-essential cookies (see our Cookie Policy).
- Legal obligation — where we must retain or disclose data to comply with the law.
Service providers and third parties
We work with a small set of trusted processors who handle data on our behalf under appropriate data processing agreements:
- Supabase — authentication and database hosting (account and profile data).
- Resend — transactional and authentication email delivery.
- Vercel — application hosting and usage analytics.
- WhatsApp / Meta — when you choose to join a community group via a WhatsApp link, your use of WhatsApp is governed by Meta’s own terms and privacy policy. We do not control or receive the contents of those group chats.
International transfers
Some of our providers process data outside the European Economic Area. Where that happens, we rely on appropriate safeguards — such as the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses — to ensure your data receives an equivalent level of protection.
How long we keep your data
We keep your account and profile data for as long as your account is active. If you ask us to delete your account, we remove your personal data within a reasonable period, except where we are required to retain certain information to meet legal obligations. Aggregated, anonymized analytics may be retained without time limit, as it can no longer identify you.
Your rights
Under the GDPR, you have the right to:
- Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Rectification — ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Erasure — ask us to delete your personal data.
- Portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
- Objection and restriction — object to or restrict certain processing.
- Withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, at any time.
To exercise any of these rights, email us at hello@studcasa.com. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority — in Hong Kong, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD); if you’re in the EEA or UK, your local data protection authority.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we’ll update the “Last updated” date above and, where appropriate, notify you.
Contact
Questions about your privacy? Write to us at hello@studcasa.com and we’ll be happy to help.