Terms of Service

Welcome to TrustYourHost. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of our directory platform. By accessing or using TrustYourHost, you agree to be bound by these Terms.

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing, browsing, or using TrustYourHost ("Platform," "Service," "we," "us," or "our"), you ("you," "your," "User") acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy.

• If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use our Platform
• These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and TrustYourHost
• You must be at least 18 years old to create a host account or list a property
• By using our Service, you represent and warrant that you meet these eligibility requirements

2. Description of Service

2.1 What TrustYourHost Is

TrustYourHost is a directory and discovery platform that:

• Connects travelers with vacation rental hosts
• Displays property listings with links to hosts' direct booking websites
• Charges hosts a monthly subscription fee to be listed in our directory
• Provides search, filtering, and discovery tools for travelers

2.2 What TrustYourHost Is NOT

2.3 Host-Traveler Relationship

When a traveler clicks "Visit Website" on a property listing, they are directed to the host's own independent booking website. Any booking, payment, or rental agreement occurs directly between the traveler and the host. TrustYourHost is not a party to this transaction.

3. Account Registration

3.1 Host Accounts

To list a property on TrustYourHost, you must create a host account and provide:

• Accurate and complete registration information (name, email, phone number)
• Valid property information and images
• A functional direct booking website URL
• Payment information for subscription billing

3.2 Account Security

You are responsible for:

• Maintaining the confidentiality of your account password
• All activities that occur under your account
• Notifying us immediately of any unauthorized access or security breach

3.3 Accurate Information

You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information and to update this information promptly if it changes. Providing false or misleading information may result in account termination.

4. Host Responsibilities

As a host listing a property on TrustYourHost, you are solely responsible for:

4.1 Property Listings

• Providing accurate property descriptions, amenities, and pricing information
• Using authentic, unaltered photos of your property
• Updating your listing promptly when information changes
• Ensuring your listing does not violate any laws or third-party rights

4.2 Legal Compliance

• Permits & Licenses: Obtaining all necessary permits, licenses, and approvals required to operate a short-term rental in your jurisdiction
• Taxes: Collecting and remitting all applicable taxes (occupancy tax, sales tax, etc.)
• Insurance: Maintaining adequate liability and property insurance
• Local Laws: Complying with all local, state, and federal laws regarding short-term rentals
• HOA/Condo Rules: Complying with any homeowner association or condominium rules

4.3 Direct Booking Website

• Maintaining a functional, accessible booking website
• Ensuring your booking system accurately reflects availability
• Processing bookings and payments securely on your own platform
• Keeping your booking URL active and operational

4.4 Guest Communication

• Responding promptly to guest inquiries received through your booking website
• Honoring confirmed bookings made through your direct booking system
• Providing accurate check-in information and house rules
• Maintaining professional and respectful communication with guests

4.5 Property Standards

• Maintaining your property in a safe, clean, and habitable condition
• Ensuring all advertised amenities are functional
• Addressing guest complaints and issues promptly
• Complying with health and safety regulations

5. Subscription Terms

5.1 Subscription Fee

Hosts pay a $49 per month subscription fee to maintain their property listing on TrustYourHost. This fee covers directory listing, search visibility, and platform access.

5.2 Free Trial

• New hosts receive a 60-day free trial upon approval
• Your first payment will be charged on day 61 after approval
• You can cancel anytime during the trial period without being charged
• The free trial is available once per property

5.3 Payment & Billing

• Payment Method: You must provide a valid credit card or other accepted payment method via Stripe
• Automatic Renewal: Your subscription automatically renews each month unless canceled
• Billing Date: You will be charged on the same day each month (e.g., if you start on the 15th, you'll be billed on the 15th monthly)
• Failed Payments: If a payment fails, we will attempt to charge your card again. If payment continues to fail, your listing may be suspended

5.4 Cancellation Policy

5.5 Price Changes

We reserve the right to change our subscription pricing. If we increase the price, we will notify you at least 30 days in advance. The new price will apply starting with your next billing cycle after the notice period. You may cancel your subscription before the price increase takes effect.

6. Prohibited Activities

You agree NOT to:

6.1 Content Violations

• Post fake, fraudulent, or misleading property listings
• Use photos that do not accurately represent your property
• List properties you do not own or have authorization to rent
• Include false information about amenities, location, or availability

6.2 Platform Abuse

• Scrape, crawl, or use automated tools to access the Platform
• Reverse engineer or attempt to access our source code
• Interfere with the proper functioning of the Platform
• Circumvent any access restrictions or security measures

6.3 Legal Violations

• Use the Platform for any illegal purpose
• Violate any local, state, federal, or international laws
• Infringe on intellectual property rights of others
• Engage in discriminatory practices prohibited by law

6.4 Misconduct

• Harass, abuse, or harm other users
• Impersonate another person or entity
• Spam or send unsolicited communications
• Engage in fraudulent activity

7. Content Ownership & License

7.1 Your Content

You retain ownership of all content you submit to TrustYourHost, including property descriptions, photos, and other materials ("Your Content").

7.2 License to TrustYourHost

By submitting Your Content, you grant TrustYourHost a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable license to:

• Display Your Content on our Platform
• Use Your Content in marketing and promotional materials
• Modify, resize, or reformat Your Content for display purposes
• Cache and store Your Content on our servers

This license ends when you delete Your Content or terminate your account, except for content that has been shared or cached.

7.3 Content Representations

By submitting Your Content, you represent and warrant that:

• You own or have the necessary rights to Your Content
• Your Content does not infringe on any third-party rights
• Your Content complies with these Terms and applicable laws

7.4 TrustYourHost Platform

TrustYourHost owns all rights to the Platform, including our code, design, trademarks, logos, and functionality. You may not copy, modify, or create derivative works based on our Platform.

8. Verification & Approval Process

8.1 Manual Review

All property submissions are manually reviewed by our team before being approved for listing. We typically review submissions within 24-48 hours.

8.2 Approval Criteria

We may approve or reject listings based on:

• Quality of property photos and descriptions
• Functionality of direct booking website
• Compliance with our listing standards
• Verification of property legitimacy

8.3 Right to Reject

We reserve the right to reject any property submission at our sole discretion without providing a reason. Common rejection reasons include:

• Low-quality or insufficient photos
• Non-functional or suspicious booking website
• Incomplete or inaccurate information
• Property does not meet our quality standards
• Suspected fraud or misrepresentation

8.4 Right to Remove

Even after approval, we reserve the right to remove or suspend any listing if:

• We receive complaints about the property or host
• We discover inaccurate or misleading information
• The host violates these Terms
• The booking website becomes non-functional
• We suspect fraudulent activity

8.5 No Guarantee of Accuracy

While we manually review listings, we do not verify the accuracy of all information provided by hosts. We are not responsible for:

• Inaccurate property descriptions
• False claims about amenities or features
• Unavailability of advertised properties
• Quality or condition of properties

9. Liability & Disclaimers

9.1 "AS IS" Service

THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

9.2 No Party to Rental Agreements

TrustYourHost is a directory service only. We are not:

• A party to any rental agreement between hosts and travelers
• Responsible for the conduct of hosts or travelers
• A real estate agent, broker, or property manager
• An insurer or guarantor of property quality or availability

9.3 No Responsibility for Host-Traveler Disputes

TrustYourHost is NOT responsible for:

• Property condition, safety, or cleanliness
• Accuracy of property descriptions or photos
• Availability of properties
• Host-traveler communication or disputes
• Cancellations, refunds, or booking modifications
• Personal injury or property damage
• Lost or stolen belongings
• Fraudulent hosts or fake listings

9.4 Third-Party Websites

TrustYourHost links to hosts' independent booking websites. We are not responsible for:

• Content on third-party websites
• Functionality of third-party booking systems
• Security of third-party payment processing
• Terms and conditions of host booking websites

9.5 Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, TRUSTYOURHOST SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR:

• INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES
• LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, OR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
• DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PLATFORM
• DAMAGES ARISING FROM HOST-TRAVELER INTERACTIONS

IN NO EVENT SHALL TRUSTYOURHOST'S TOTAL LIABILITY EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO US IN THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM (I.E., YOUR SUBSCRIPTION FEES, NOT TO EXCEED $588).

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless TrustYourHost and its officers, directors, employees, contractors, and agents from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from or related to:

• Your use of the Platform
• Your property listings and submissions
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any law or regulation
• Your violation of third-party rights
• Injuries, damages, or disputes involving your property or guests
• Your booking website or booking process

11. Dispute Resolution

11.1 Host-Traveler Disputes

Disputes between hosts and travelers (regarding bookings, cancellations, refunds, property issues, etc.) are solely between the host and traveler. TrustYourHost is not involved in resolving these disputes.

11.2 Disputes with TrustYourHost

For disputes with TrustYourHost (regarding subscriptions, account issues, listing rejections, etc.):

Informal Resolution

Before filing a legal claim, you agree to contact us at hello@trustyourhost.com and attempt to resolve the dispute informally for at least 30 days.

Binding Arbitration

If informal resolution fails, any dispute shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association. The arbitration shall take place in Atlanta, Georgia. Each party shall bear its own costs.

Class Action Waiver

You agree that disputes shall be resolved individually and you waive the right to participate in class actions, class arbitrations, or representative actions.

12. Termination

12.1 Termination by You

You may terminate your account and cancel your subscription at any time from your host dashboard. Your listing will remain active until the end of your current billing period.

12.2 Termination by TrustYourHost

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account immediately, without prior notice, if:

• You violate these Terms
• You engage in fraudulent or illegal activity
• Your payment method fails repeatedly
• We receive multiple complaints about your property or conduct
• We suspect your account poses a security risk
• We discontinue the Service (with 30 days' notice)

12.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

• Your property listing will be removed from the directory
• Your access to the Platform will be revoked
• You will not receive a refund for any unused subscription time
• Sections of these Terms that should survive (e.g., liability, indemnification) will continue to apply

13. Changes to These Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. If we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
• Notify you via email at least 30 days before the changes take effect
• Post a notice on the Platform

Your continued use of the Platform after the changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms. If you do not agree to the changes, you must cancel your subscription before they take effect.

14. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United States and the State of Georgia, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Subject to the arbitration clause in Section 11, any legal action or proceeding arising out of or related to these Terms shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Fulton County, Atlanta, Georgia, and you consent to the jurisdiction of such courts.

15. Contact Information

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us:

16. Miscellaneous

16.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and TrustYourHost regarding your use of the Platform.

16.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

16.3 Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.

16.4 Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your account to any third party without our written consent. We may assign these Terms without restriction.

16.5 No Agency

No agency, partnership, joint venture, or employment relationship is created between you and TrustYourHost as a result of these Terms or your use of the Platform.