Renter

Terms of Service

Effective Date: May 18, 2025

1. Introduction

Welcome to Renter, a peer-to-peer rental marketplace. These Terms of Service govern your use of the app and related services. By using Renter, you agree to these terms.

2. Registration and Verification

To access certain features, including booking high-value items such as vehicles or real estate, you must complete identity verification. This process may involve uploading a valid government-issued photo ID and a selfie holding the ID. The documents are reviewed by authorized platform administrators solely for verification purposes.

We take user privacy seriously. Verification materials are stored securely and only accessed by authorized personnel. You may also be required to provide additional documentation (e.g., driver’s license for vehicle rentals) depending on the item category. Failure to complete identity verification may limit your access to certain listings or features.

Student Verification (if applicable). If you enroll in a student plan or access student-only pricing/benefits, you must provide acceptable proof of current student status (for example, a .edu email confirmation, current student ID, or official enrollment letter). You agree to re-verify every 6 months. We may require earlier re-verification (as often as every 3 months) if eligibility is unclear, benefits change, or fraud/risk checks require it. If you fail re-verification or your student status lapses, your student benefits may be paused or you may be moved to a non-student tier.

3. Fees and Payments

We may charge fees for listings, bookings, or subscriptions. All payments are processed securely via Stripe. Pricing is clearly displayed during the checkout or listing process.

4. Listing Credits

Each listing requires 1 credit to post or renew. Credits can be purchased, earned through referrals, or granted as part of subscription benefits. Credits are non-transferable and expire if unused.

5. Subscription Tiers

We offer Basic, Gold, and Pro tiers. Subscription benefits vary and may include Smart Listing, analytics, featured listings, and listing credits. You may cancel anytime.

6. Your Commitments

You agree to provide accurate information, comply with laws, and act respectfully toward other users. You’re responsible for your own listings, rentals, and interactions.

7. Content and Intellectual Property

You retain ownership of your uploaded content but grant us a license to use it to promote your listings and the platform. You may not copy other users’ content.

8. Prohibited Activities

Prohibited activities include illegal content, fraud, harassment, payment circumvention, or abuse of the system. Violations may lead to suspension or removal.

9. Off-Platform Activity Policy

All communication and transactions must remain within the app. Sharing personal contact info to complete rentals off-platform is strictly prohibited and may result in account termination.

10. Offline Use Fee Policy

If a rental is discovered to have occurred off-platform, we may charge up to 25% of the estimated value or suspend involved accounts.

11. Listing Vehicles or Properties

Owners must ensure items are safe, legal, accurately described, and properly maintained. Vehicles must be insured and not leased as part of a commercial rental operation.

12. Booking Responsibilities

Guests must return items in original condition and follow any specific rules. They are responsible for damage, misuse, or any violations of the terms or law.

13. Condition Reports

Pickup and return condition reports protect both parties. Submitting clear photos and notes may help resolve any future disputes related to damages or item condition.

14. Protection Plans

Optional protection plans are offered for renters. They are not a replacement for commercial or personal insurance. Eligibility and coverage terms apply.

15. Location & Proximity Sharing

You can choose to share your location during an active booking to enable features like arrival ETA and proximity alerts to the host.

What we collect (when enabled):

• Latitude/longitude, accuracy, timestamp, and associated booking ID.
• Location sources may include GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cell data.

How it’s used:

• To show distance/ETA to pickup/return points.
• To send the host proximity updates at thresholds (≈10, 5, 1, and ~0.25 miles).
• To help prevent fraud and improve safety.

Controls & consent:

• You’ll see the iOS location permission prompt; “Always” enables background updates during an active booking.
• You may pause sharing anytime in the booking screen or at iOS Settings → Privacy → Location Services.
• Turning sharing off stops new updates; it does not affect basic app use.

Retention & privacy:

• We keep the most recent points and proximity triggers for up to 30 days for risk/audit and then delete or aggregate them.
• We do not sell location data or use it for advertising.

Host visibility:

• Hosts receive coarse distance and threshold alerts (e.g., “renter is within 1 mile”)—not your exact real-time path unless you explicitly share it.

16. Security Deposits & Authorization

1. Authorization Hold. For some bookings, a temporary authorization (“hold”) may be placed on your payment method for the security deposit amount shown at checkout. This is not an immediate charge. If no issues are reported, the hold is automatically released by your bank; timing varies by issuer.
2. Capture of Hold. If damage, loss, extra cleaning, late return, tolls, tickets, or other fees occur, you authorize us to capture some or all of the held amount. Capture must occur within your bank’s capture window; if the hold has expired, you authorize us to submit a charge up to the same amount using your saved payment method.
3. Partial Charges & Additional Fees. We may partially capture the hold and separately charge additional approved amounts (for example, verified damages or incidentals) if the hold is insufficient. You agree that such amounts may be charged off-session using your saved payment method.
4. Re-authorization. For longer rentals or changes to the booking, you agree that we may re-authorize a deposit hold as needed (for example, when an original hold expires before return).
5. Evidence & Disputes. Any capture or charge related to damages or fees will be supported by reasonable evidence (e.g., time-stamped photos, condition reports, receipts). You must submit any dispute within 24 hours of notification so we can assist with resolution.
6. No Waiver. Failure to place or maintain a hold does not waive your responsibility for amounts owed under these Terms.

17. Reviews and Ratings

Users can leave reviews after a rental. Reviews should be honest, respectful, and relevant. Abuse of the review system may result in penalties or removal.

18. Payouts and Earnings

You must link a valid payout method to receive earnings. Available methods include bank account, PayPal, Venmo, or Stripe Connect Express. Payouts occur after a rental is completed.

19. Referral Program

Users can refer others to earn credits. The referee must sign up using your code. Abusing the referral program may result in forfeited credits or account suspension.

20. Cancellations and Refunds

Bookings can be canceled more than 24 hours in advance without penalty. Late cancellations or no-shows may incur fees. Refunds are issued according to platform policy.

21. Complaint and Damage Reporting

All complaints or incidents must be reported within 24 hours. Photos and written documentation may be required. The platform may assist with resolution but does not guarantee outcomes.

22. Guest Financial Responsibility

Guests are liable for all damages, loss, or additional charges incurred during a rental. This includes cleaning fees, late returns, or item replacement.

23. Indemnification by Owners

Owners agree to indemnify the platform against claims arising from item defects, misrepresentation, or legal violations related to their listings.

24. Dispute Resolution

U.S. users agree to binding arbitration for disputes. All claims must be filed individually within one year and may not be aggregated or pursued as class actions.

25. Limitation of Liability

Our liability is limited to the amount you’ve paid to the platform in the 12 months preceding a claim. We are not responsible for indirect, incidental, or punitive damages.

26. Liquidated Damages

Violations such as off-platform activity, fraud, or abuse may result in liquidated damages up to $1,000 per occurrence.

27. Platform Role and Disclaimer

Renter is a technology platform, not a rental agency. We do not own, manage, or control the items listed, nor do we guarantee any user’s conduct or performance.

28. Account Suspension or Termination

We may suspend or permanently ban accounts that violate these terms, engage in suspicious activity, or abuse the system. No refund will be issued for terminated accounts.

29. Severability and Non-Waiver

If any provision of these terms is held invalid, the remainder still applies. Our failure to enforce a provision does not waive our right to enforce it later.

30. Updates and Changes

We may modify these terms at any time. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised terms. It is your responsibility to review them periodically.

31. Contact

For questions or feedback, contact support@renterplatform.com.