Privacy Policy
Last updated: July 2026
This policy explains what personal information Present Tense collects, why we collect it, and what we do with it.
Present Tense is operated by Rebecca Merry, based in the United Kingdom. For the purposes of UK data protection law, we are the "data controller" of the information described below.
If you have any questions about this policy, or want to exercise any of your rights, you can contact us at hello@stayinpresenttense.co.uk.
What we collect
When you take the quiz
If you complete our rest quiz and enter your email address, we collect:
your email address
the result of your quiz (your "rest type”).
We do not collect your name, address, or payment details, and we do not store your individual answers to the quiz questions.
When you contact us
If you email us or send us a message, we'll have whatever information you choose to include — usually your name, email address, and the contents of your message.
When you use the site
Like most websites, we collect limited technical information automatically, such as your approximate location (country or region), the type of device and browser you're using, which pages you visit, and how you arrived at the site. This is collected through cookies and similar technologies — see the Cookies section below.
Why we collect it, and our legal basis
To send you emails (consent). If you give us your email address through the quiz, we'll add you to our mailing list and send you occasional emails about Present Tense — new places added to the collection, and things we think you'll find useful. We do this on the basis of your consent, which you give by entering your email address. You can withdraw that consent at any time by clicking "unsubscribe" in any email, or by emailing us.
To personalise what we send you (consent). We record your rest type so the emails we send are relevant to the kind of rest you're looking for, rather than generic.
To respond to you (legitimate interests). If you get in touch, we use your information to reply.
To understand how the site is used (legitimate interests, or consent where cookies require it). We look at aggregate data about how people find and use the site so we can improve it.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it with property owners or any other third party for their own marketing.
Who else handles your information
We use a small number of third-party services to run Present Tense. These providers process personal information on our behalf:
Squarespace - Hosts our website - based in the United States
Kit (formerly ConvertKit) - Stores our mailing list and sends our emails - based in theUnited States
Dub - Provides the short links used to track clicks through to property listings - based in the United States
Meta (Facebook/Instagram) - Advertising and, where enabled, measurement of ad performance - based in the United States
Because some of these providers are based outside the UK, your information may be transferred internationally. Where that happens, we rely on the safeguards these providers have in place for international transfers, such as the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses or an approved certification framework.
We may also disclose information if we are required to do so by law.
Cookies and tracking
Our site uses cookies — small files stored on your device — for a few purposes:
Necessary cookies, which are required for the site to work properly.
Analytics cookies, which help us understand how the site is being used.
Advertising cookies, where we run advertising on platforms such as Meta. These may be used to measure whether an advert led someone to visit the site.
When you first visit, you'll be given the choice to accept or reject non-essential cookies. You can change your mind at any time through your browser settings, which also let you delete cookies already stored.
We also use short links (via Dub) on the links that take you from our quiz results to a property's listing page. These record that a click happened and where it came from, so we can understand which places people are interested in. They do not identify you personally.
How long we keep it
We keep your email address and rest type for as long as you're subscribed to our mailing list. If you unsubscribe, we remove your details from our active list; we may keep a minimal record of your unsubscribe request so that we don't email you again by mistake.
Correspondence sent to us is kept for as long as it's needed to deal with the matter, and then deleted.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:
be told what personal information we hold about you and how we use it
access a copy of that information
have it corrected if it's inaccurate or incomplete
have it erased in certain circumstances
restrict or object to how we use it
receive it in a portable format, or ask us to transfer it to someone else
withdraw your consent at any time, where we rely on consent
To exercise any of these, email hello@stayinpresenttense.co.uk. We'll respond within one month.
If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113. We'd appreciate the chance to put things right first, but you're entitled to go to them directly.
Links to other websites
Present Tense links out to the websites of the property owners featured in our collection, and occasionally to other sites. When you follow one of those links, you leave our site, and this policy no longer applies. We're not responsible for the content or privacy practices of other websites, and we'd encourage you to read their own privacy policies.
Bookings are made directly with property owners, not with Present Tense. Any information you give them when booking is handled by them, under their own terms.
Children
Present Tense isn't directed at children, and we don't knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has given us their information, please contact us and we'll delete it.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we'll change the "last updated" date at the top. If the changes are significant, we'll let subscribers know by email.