Privacy Policy

PRIVACY POLICY

Homebuilds.com.au

Effective Date: 10 March 2026

Operated by Rubek Pty Ltd as Trustee of Rubek Trust

1. Introduction

Rubek Pty Ltd as Trustee of Rubek Trust (ABN 88 620 073 413 ) (“we”, “us”, or “our”) operates the website homebuilds.com.au (“Platform”). We are committed to protecting the privacy of all individuals who interact with the Platform, including consumers (“Users”) and registered home builders (“Builders”).

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, hold, use, and disclose personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (“APPs”).

By using the Platform, you consent to the collection and use of your personal information as described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Platform.

2. What Personal Information We Collect

2.1 Information from Users

We collect different types of information depending on how you interact with the Platform:

Account Registration: email address and password.

Enquiry Wizard: When you submit an enquiry, we collect your name, phone number, preferred build location (postcode and suburb), land ownership status, land slope and size, approximate build budget, desired build start timeline, design preference rating, and any other preferences you provide.

Usage Data: We automatically collect information about how you use the Platform, including pages viewed, home designs viewed and compared, search queries, click events, comparison events, time spent on pages, browser type, device type, IP address, and referring URLs.

2.2 Information from Builders

Account Registration: business name, contact name, email address, and password. We may also collect your ABN and builder’s licence number.

Builder Content: home designs, floor plans, pricing, specifications, inclusions, images, and promotional information uploaded by Builders.

Usage Data: login activity, dashboard usage, and interaction with leads.

2.3 Information from Publicly Available Sources

We may collect business information about Builders from publicly available sources, including Builder websites, public business registers (such as the ABN Lookup and state builder licence registers), and other publicly accessible directories. This information may include:

Business name and ABN
Service regions and contact details published on the Builder’s website
Home design names, specifications, pricing, inclusions, and images published on the Builder’s website
Other publicly available business information

This information is collected for the purpose of creating and maintaining Builder directory listings on the Platform (“Unclaimed Profiles”). We do not collect personal information about individual employees or representatives of Builders from public sources, other than business contact information that is made publicly available by the Builder (such as a general enquiries email address or business phone number published on their website).

Unclaimed Profiles are clearly marked on the Platform and include the date on which the information was sourced. Builders may claim their profile or request its removal at any time (see Section 13).

2.4 Information from Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies, analytics tools, and event tracking technologies (including PostHog) to collect usage data. See Section 8 for details.

3. How We Use Your Personal Information

We use personal information for the following purposes:

For Users:

To create and manage your account.
To process and deliver your enquiries to the relevant Builder(s).
To personalise your experience on the Platform (e.g., saving designs, remembering preferences).
To send you transactional communications (e.g., enquiry confirmations, account notifications).
To send you marketing communications where you have opted in (see Section 7).
To generate aggregated, de-identified analytics about Platform usage.
To improve the Platform, develop new features, and conduct internal research.

For Builders:

To create and manage your Builder account.
To display your Builder Content (or publicly sourced content for Unclaimed Profiles) on the Platform.
To deliver User enquiry information to you (for paid subscription tiers with lead access).
To provide aggregated analytics through the Builder dashboard (e.g., profile views, design comparisons, comparison competitor data), which may include data collected prior to the Builder claiming their profile.
To process subscription payments and manage your billing.
To send you service-related communications and, where you have opted in, marketing communications.

For publicly sourced Builder information:

To create and maintain directory listings that enable Users to browse, compare, and enquire about home designs.
To facilitate the “Claim This Profile” process, enabling Builders to take control of their listing.

4. How We Share Your Personal Information

4.1 Disclosure to Builders (User Information)

When a User submits an enquiry, the following information is shared with the relevant Builder(s): name, email address, phone number, and all responses provided in the enquiry wizard (build location, budget, timeline, land details, preferences, etc.).

Important — Timing of Disclosure: If a User submits an enquiry to a Builder that has not yet claimed their profile on the Platform, the User’s enquiry information will be stored securely by us and disclosed to the Builder if and when the Builder claims their profile and subscribes to a paid tier that includes lead access. Users are informed of this at the point of enquiry submission.

Important — Builder Responsibility: Once your information has been shared with a Builder, that Builder becomes independently responsible for how they handle your information under the Privacy Act 1988 and the APPs. We encourage you to review the Builder’s own privacy policy.

4.2 Aggregated Analytics (to Builders)

We share aggregated, de-identified usage data with Builders through the analytics dashboard. This includes metrics such as the number of users who viewed a Builder’s profile, the number of times a design was compared, and which other designs or Builders the listing was compared against. This data does not identify individual Users.

Builders who claim their profile may access aggregated analytics data that was collected while their profile was unclaimed. This data was collected in accordance with this Privacy Policy and is provided in de-identified form only.

4.3 Third-Party Service Providers

We may share personal information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating the Platform, including:

Supabase (database hosting and authentication)
PostHog (product analytics and event tracking)
Payment processors (for Builder subscriptions)
Email and SMS service providers (for transactional and marketing communications)

These providers are contractually required to handle personal information in accordance with this policy and applicable law. They may only use the information for the specific services they provide to us.

4.4 Legal and Regulatory Disclosure

We may disclose personal information where required or permitted by law, including in response to court orders, subpoenas, or government requests, or where we reasonably believe disclosure is necessary to prevent harm, investigate suspected fraud, or enforce our Terms of Use.

4.5 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or part of our business, personal information may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will notify affected individuals of any such transfer.

5. Overseas Disclosure of Personal Information

Some of our third-party service providers store or process data outside Australia. In particular:

Supabase may store data in the United States (AWS infrastructure). [NOTE: Check your Supabase project region — if ap-southeast-2 (Sydney), update this section accordingly.]
PostHog Cloud stores data in the United States (or the European Union, depending on configuration).

In accordance with APP 8, we take reasonable steps to ensure that overseas recipients handle your personal information in a manner consistent with the APPs. By using the Platform, you acknowledge and consent to the transfer of your personal information to these overseas locations for the purposes described in this policy.

6. De-identification and Data Minimisation

We take a data minimisation approach to analytics. Where possible, we de-identify personal information before processing it for analytics purposes. Specifically:

Usage data sent to our analytics platform (PostHog) is associated with anonymous identifiers that are not linked to your account email, name, or contact details.
Precise data such as budget amounts, postcodes, and timelines are converted into generalised ranges or categories (e.g., budget ranges, regional areas) before being sent to analytics systems.
Personal identifiers such as names, email addresses, and phone numbers are never sent to our analytics platform.
Analytics data provided to Builders through the dashboard is aggregated and de-identified. We implement minimum thresholds to prevent potential re-identification where data volumes are low.

All personal information (names, email addresses, phone numbers, exact postcodes, and detailed wizard responses) is stored in our primary database (Supabase) and is subject to the full protections described in this policy.

7. Direct Marketing

We may send you marketing communications by email or SMS about our services, new features, or content we think may interest you. We will only do so where:

You have provided your express opt-in consent (e.g., by ticking a consent checkbox during registration or enquiry); or
We have an existing relationship with you and you have not opted out.

Every marketing message will identify us as the sender and include a functional unsubscribe or opt-out mechanism, in compliance with the Spam Act 2003 (Cth).

You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email, replying STOP to any SMS, or contacting us at support@homebuilds.com.au.

Opting out of marketing will not affect transactional communications (e.g., enquiry confirmations, account alerts).

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use the following technologies to collect usage data:

PostHog: We use PostHog for product analytics and event tracking. PostHog records user interactions with the Platform including page views, clicks, comparisons, and other engagement events. This data is de-identified before being sent to PostHog (see Section 6) and is used to improve the Platform and to generate the aggregated analytics provided to Builders. PostHog may use cookies or similar identifiers.

Cookies: We use cookies to maintain your session, remember your preferences, and analyse traffic. We may in the future use cookies from third-party analytics providers (such as Google Analytics) and advertising platforms.

You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect Platform functionality (e.g., you may not be able to stay logged in or save designs).

We will implement a cookie consent banner that allows you to accept or reject non-essential cookies in accordance with best practice.

9. Data Security

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure, including:

Encrypting data in transit using TLS/SSL.
Storing passwords using industry-standard hashing (via Supabase Auth).
Restricting access to personal information to authorised personnel only.
Using secure hosting infrastructure with regular security updates.
Storing User enquiry data directed to unclaimed Builder profiles in encrypted form, with access restricted until the Builder claims their profile and subscribes to an appropriate tier.

No system is completely secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you become aware of any security vulnerability, please contact us immediately.

10. Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm to affected individuals, we will comply with the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme under Part IIIC of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). This means we will:

Promptly assess any suspected breach.
Notify the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and affected individuals as soon as practicable if the breach meets the threshold for notification.
Include in the notification a description of the breach, the type of information involved, and recommended steps individuals should take in response.

11. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Specifically:

User account data is retained while your account is active and for a reasonable period thereafter (up to 24 months) to allow for account reactivation.
Enquiry data shared with Builders is retained by us for analytics and record-keeping purposes for up to 36 months.
Enquiry data directed to unclaimed Builder profiles is retained for up to 12 months pending the Builder claiming their profile. If the Builder does not claim their profile within 12 months of the enquiry, we will de-identify or delete the User’s personal information from that enquiry record.
Aggregated, de-identified analytics data may be retained indefinitely.
Builder account and subscription data is retained in accordance with Australian tax and business record-keeping requirements (generally 5–7 years).
Publicly sourced information used for Unclaimed Profiles is retained until the Builder claims their profile (at which point the Builder manages their own content) or until the Builder requests removal.

You may request deletion of your personal information at any time (see Section 13).

12. User-Uploaded Files (Future Feature)

We may in the future enable Users to upload documents (such as land titles, survey plans, or floor plans). If and when this feature is introduced:

Uploaded files will be stored securely and encrypted at rest.
Files will only be shared with the Builder(s) to whom the relevant enquiry is directed, unless otherwise required by law.
Users will be able to delete uploaded files at any time.
We will update this policy with further details at the time this feature is launched.

13. Your Rights

Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to:

Access: Request access to the personal information we hold about you. We will respond to access requests within 30 days.

Correction: Request correction of any personal information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant, or misleading.

Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to any legal obligations we have to retain certain records. If you request deletion of your account, we will de-identify or delete your personal information within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.

Complaint: If you believe we have breached the APPs, you may lodge a complaint with us. We will investigate and respond within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may escalate your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au.

For Builders:

Profile Removal: Builders who have not claimed their profile may request removal of their Unclaimed Profile and all associated publicly sourced content at any time by contacting us. We will process removal requests within 5 business days.

Data Portability: Builders with claimed profiles may request an export of their account data and any associated analytics in a machine-readable format.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 16.

14. Children’s Privacy

The Platform is not directed at children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child, we will take steps to delete it promptly.

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify registered users of material changes by email. The updated policy will be posted on the Platform with a revised effective date.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

16. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, wish to request removal of an Unclaimed Profile, or want to make a complaint, please contact us at:

Rubek Pty Ltd as Trustee of Rubek Trust

Email: support@homebuilds.com.au

Website: homebuilds.com.au

For complaints about privacy, you can also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner:

Website: www.oaic.gov.au

Phone: 1300 363 992

Privacy Policy

PRIVACY POLICY

Homebuilds.com.au

Effective Date: 10 March 2026

Operated by Rubek Pty Ltd as Trustee of Rubek Trust

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, hold, use, and disclose personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (“APPs”).

By using the Platform, you consent to the collection and use of your personal information as described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Platform.

2. What Personal Information We Collect

2.1 Information from Users

We collect different types of information depending on how you interact with the Platform:

Account Registration: email address and password.

2.2 Information from Builders

Account Registration: business name, contact name, email address, and password. We may also collect your ABN and builder’s licence number.

Builder Content: home designs, floor plans, pricing, specifications, inclusions, images, and promotional information uploaded by Builders.

Usage Data: login activity, dashboard usage, and interaction with leads.

2.3 Information from Publicly Available Sources

Business name and ABN
Service regions and contact details published on the Builder’s website
Home design names, specifications, pricing, inclusions, and images published on the Builder’s website
Other publicly available business information

Unclaimed Profiles are clearly marked on the Platform and include the date on which the information was sourced. Builders may claim their profile or request its removal at any time (see Section 13).

2.4 Information from Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies, analytics tools, and event tracking technologies (including PostHog) to collect usage data. See Section 8 for details.

3. How We Use Your Personal Information

We use personal information for the following purposes:

For Users:

To create and manage your account.
To process and deliver your enquiries to the relevant Builder(s).
To personalise your experience on the Platform (e.g., saving designs, remembering preferences).
To send you transactional communications (e.g., enquiry confirmations, account notifications).
To send you marketing communications where you have opted in (see Section 7).
To generate aggregated, de-identified analytics about Platform usage.
To improve the Platform, develop new features, and conduct internal research.

For Builders:

To create and manage your Builder account.
To display your Builder Content (or publicly sourced content for Unclaimed Profiles) on the Platform.
To deliver User enquiry information to you (for paid subscription tiers with lead access).
To provide aggregated analytics through the Builder dashboard (e.g., profile views, design comparisons, comparison competitor data), which may include data collected prior to the Builder claiming their profile.
To process subscription payments and manage your billing.
To send you service-related communications and, where you have opted in, marketing communications.

For publicly sourced Builder information:

To create and maintain directory listings that enable Users to browse, compare, and enquire about home designs.
To facilitate the “Claim This Profile” process, enabling Builders to take control of their listing.

4. How We Share Your Personal Information

4.1 Disclosure to Builders (User Information)

4.2 Aggregated Analytics (to Builders)

4.3 Third-Party Service Providers

We may share personal information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating the Platform, including:

Supabase (database hosting and authentication)
PostHog (product analytics and event tracking)
Payment processors (for Builder subscriptions)
Email and SMS service providers (for transactional and marketing communications)

4.4 Legal and Regulatory Disclosure

4.5 Business Transfers

5. Overseas Disclosure of Personal Information

Some of our third-party service providers store or process data outside Australia. In particular:

Supabase may store data in the United States (AWS infrastructure). [NOTE: Check your Supabase project region — if ap-southeast-2 (Sydney), update this section accordingly.]
PostHog Cloud stores data in the United States (or the European Union, depending on configuration).

6. De-identification and Data Minimisation

We take a data minimisation approach to analytics. Where possible, we de-identify personal information before processing it for analytics purposes. Specifically:

Usage data sent to our analytics platform (PostHog) is associated with anonymous identifiers that are not linked to your account email, name, or contact details.
Precise data such as budget amounts, postcodes, and timelines are converted into generalised ranges or categories (e.g., budget ranges, regional areas) before being sent to analytics systems.
Personal identifiers such as names, email addresses, and phone numbers are never sent to our analytics platform.
Analytics data provided to Builders through the dashboard is aggregated and de-identified. We implement minimum thresholds to prevent potential re-identification where data volumes are low.

7. Direct Marketing

We may send you marketing communications by email or SMS about our services, new features, or content we think may interest you. We will only do so where:

You have provided your express opt-in consent (e.g., by ticking a consent checkbox during registration or enquiry); or
We have an existing relationship with you and you have not opted out.

Every marketing message will identify us as the sender and include a functional unsubscribe or opt-out mechanism, in compliance with the Spam Act 2003 (Cth).

You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email, replying STOP to any SMS, or contacting us at support@homebuilds.com.au.

Opting out of marketing will not affect transactional communications (e.g., enquiry confirmations, account alerts).

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use the following technologies to collect usage data:

You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect Platform functionality (e.g., you may not be able to stay logged in or save designs).

We will implement a cookie consent banner that allows you to accept or reject non-essential cookies in accordance with best practice.

9. Data Security

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure, including:

Encrypting data in transit using TLS/SSL.
Storing passwords using industry-standard hashing (via Supabase Auth).
Restricting access to personal information to authorised personnel only.
Using secure hosting infrastructure with regular security updates.
Storing User enquiry data directed to unclaimed Builder profiles in encrypted form, with access restricted until the Builder claims their profile and subscribes to an appropriate tier.

No system is completely secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you become aware of any security vulnerability, please contact us immediately.

10. Data Breach Notification

Promptly assess any suspected breach.
Notify the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and affected individuals as soon as practicable if the breach meets the threshold for notification.
Include in the notification a description of the breach, the type of information involved, and recommended steps individuals should take in response.

11. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Specifically:

User account data is retained while your account is active and for a reasonable period thereafter (up to 24 months) to allow for account reactivation.
Enquiry data shared with Builders is retained by us for analytics and record-keeping purposes for up to 36 months.
Enquiry data directed to unclaimed Builder profiles is retained for up to 12 months pending the Builder claiming their profile. If the Builder does not claim their profile within 12 months of the enquiry, we will de-identify or delete the User’s personal information from that enquiry record.
Aggregated, de-identified analytics data may be retained indefinitely.
Builder account and subscription data is retained in accordance with Australian tax and business record-keeping requirements (generally 5–7 years).
Publicly sourced information used for Unclaimed Profiles is retained until the Builder claims their profile (at which point the Builder manages their own content) or until the Builder requests removal.

You may request deletion of your personal information at any time (see Section 13).

12. User-Uploaded Files (Future Feature)

We may in the future enable Users to upload documents (such as land titles, survey plans, or floor plans). If and when this feature is introduced:

Uploaded files will be stored securely and encrypted at rest.
Files will only be shared with the Builder(s) to whom the relevant enquiry is directed, unless otherwise required by law.
Users will be able to delete uploaded files at any time.
We will update this policy with further details at the time this feature is launched.

13. Your Rights

Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to:

Access: Request access to the personal information we hold about you. We will respond to access requests within 30 days.

Correction: Request correction of any personal information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant, or misleading.

For Builders:

Data Portability: Builders with claimed profiles may request an export of their account data and any associated analytics in a machine-readable format.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 16.

14. Children’s Privacy

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

16. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, wish to request removal of an Unclaimed Profile, or want to make a complaint, please contact us at:

Rubek Pty Ltd as Trustee of Rubek Trust

Email: support@homebuilds.com.au

Website: homebuilds.com.au

For complaints about privacy, you can also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner:

Website: www.oaic.gov.au

Phone: 1300 363 992