Data Practices

The following default retention periods apply to all data processed on the Fidem platform.

An automated weekly purge job hard-deletes uploaded document blobs and anonymizes remaining personal data once the 7-year archive period above has elapsed, unless the record is under legal hold. You do not need to wait for the automated schedule: deletion requests are available at any time through the contact paths below and are handled as described in our Privacy Policy. We will confirm when deletion is complete.

Archival

When a rental application workflow is closed or archived, the application and its associated documents move to an "archived" state. Archived records are no longer visible in the active workspace but are retained in storage for the retention period above. Archived documents are still private and access-controlled.

Soft deletion

Individual documents can be marked as deleted within the platform. Soft-deleted documents are excluded from active workflows but the underlying file is retained until the retention period expires or a hard deletion is performed.

Hard deletion

Hard deletion removes the document file from object storage permanently. This is irreversible. Hard deletion is triggered by:

• Automated cleanup jobs (for abandoned uploads and orphaned storage objects)
• Manual deletion requests processed by Fidem (following data subject requests)
• The automated weekly purge job, once the 7-year retention period has expired (unless a legal hold applies)

When a rental applicant uploads documents via a secure Fidem upload link, they are shown a description of how their documents will be processed and must explicitly check a consent checkbox before any uploads are accepted.

The following is recorded at consent time:

• Timestamp of consent
• Policy version accepted (e.g., "2026-01")
• Client IP address (from request headers)

Consent records are associated with the specific upload link (applicant_request) and are retained as part of the audit trail. Consent cannot be withdrawn retroactively after documents have been submitted — to request deletion of submitted documents, see below.

If you are a landlord or property manager and wish to request deletion of your account or associated data:

1. Email privacy@usefidem.com from the email address associated with your account.
2. Include "Data deletion request" in the subject line and specify whether you want account deletion only, or full organization data deletion including documents and reports.
3. We will acknowledge your request within 5 business days and aim to complete it within 30 days.
4. Note: audit logs and activity records (7-year minimum retention) cannot be deleted on request for legal compliance reasons.

If you are a rental applicant who submitted documents via a Fidem upload link and wish to request deletion of your documents:

1. Email privacy@usefidem.com with:
   • Your full name
   • The name of the property management company that sent you the upload link
   • Approximate date of the upload (if known)
2. We will verify your identity and coordinate with the relevant organization to delete your documents.
3. We will acknowledge your request within 5 business days and aim to complete it within 30 days. We will confirm when deletion is complete.

Note: Fidem does not have direct access to your tenancy application outcome. Deletion of documents from Fidem does not affect any records held independently by the landlord or property manager.

In the event of a legal hold, litigation hold, or regulatory investigation, normal deletion schedules may be suspended for affected records. Legal holds are applied to specific applications and their associated verification records when preservation is required. Records under an active legal hold are excluded from automated purge and redaction until the hold is released. Deletion requests received during an active legal hold will be deferred until the hold is lifted.

For data practices questions or deletion requests: privacy@usefidem.com

See also: Privacy Policy · Terms of Service · Security