How long is inspection data retained?

Retention is configured per workspace — commonly anywhere from ninety days to seven years depending on the regulatory regime you operate under.

Different record types can carry different windows, so a support recording need not live as long as a claim inspection.

When a record is deleted, the media is removed from primary storage and purged from backups on the backup rotation schedule.

The audit log retains the fact of the deletion — who deleted what and when — because removing that would defeat the purpose of an audit log.

GDPR and CCPA access and deletion requests are supported and handled within the statutory window. Because you are the controller, requests are actioned through your workspace with our support where needed.

Records under dispute can be placed on hold so that automated retention expiry does not delete evidence that is still needed.

In Virtual Inspection Pro, you set the retention period per workspace. Media and records are kept for as long as your policy specifies. The practical starting point is your approved records schedule, not an arbitrary storage duration. Identify the business purpose, record owner, applicable requirements, and event that starts the retention clock, such as inspection completion or claim closure. Confirm how that event maps to the workspace configuration before relying on it.

Create a retention register that lists each workspace, its responsible team, approved period, review date, and exception process. If inspectors, insurers, or property teams have different obligations, resolve those differences before placing their records under one workspace policy. Ask your records officer or legal adviser to approve the schedule. GDPR Article 5 requires identifiable personal data to be kept no longer than necessary for its purpose, subject to applicable exceptions.

A useful media deletion policy identifies what must be removed, who authorizes removal, and how completion is checked. Inventory inspection videos, photographs, associated records, and any copies your organization creates outside the workspace. For example, an insurer may attach an exported photograph to a claim file while a property manager saves a report in a separate document repository. Those copies need their own accountable owners and retention controls.

Do not assume that deleting workspace material also removes emailed attachments, downloaded files, or records held by another organization. Confirm the treatment of backups, recovery copies, and downstream systems rather than promising immediate removal everywhere. Virtual Inspection Pro records every deletion in audit logs, but that statement does not establish the logs' contents or retention period. Document those details separately, and avoid unnecessarily repeating sensitive inspection information in your own deletion tracking records.

For a GDPR deletion request, record the receipt date, identify the relevant workspace and records, verify the requester proportionately, and assign a decision owner. Assess the request against applicable rights, exceptions, and preservation obligations before approving deletion. Product deletion requests are honoured within statutory windows, but the applicable window and permissible response depend on the governing law and circumstances.

Under GDPR Articles 12 and 17, organizations generally must respond within one month, while qualifying erasure must occur without undue delay. A response extension of up to two further months may apply because of complexity or request volume, with notice and reasons provided within the first month. Do not treat that extension as an automatic deletion delay. California's CCPA has different procedures for covered businesses and includes deletion exceptions. Escalate disputed identity, mixed-person records, or conflicting obligations to a privacy professional rather than applying a blanket rule.

Consider a municipal inspector reviewing a disputed repair after the original inspection media has reached its approved retention endpoint. First, check the records register and deletion audit information to establish what happened. Then determine whether another authorized record exists and whether it is sufficient for the decision. Do not describe deleted footage as recoverable unless recovery has actually been confirmed.

Human review is appropriate when retention requirements conflict, a complaint affects preservation decisions, or remaining evidence is incomplete. Arrange an in-person visit when current conditions cannot be established adequately from available remote evidence, particularly where safety or concealed work is involved. A new inspection documents present conditions; it cannot recreate the deleted record or prove the earlier condition. Use the incident to review inspection data retention with the records owner, without extending every workspace indefinitely.