Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Apartment Rater ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use our Service.

These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Apartment Rater. Please read them carefully before using our Service.

2. Description of Service

Apartment Rater is a platform that allows users to read and write reviews about residential rental properties. The Service is provided "as is" and we reserve the right to modify or discontinue it at any time without prior notice.

3. User Accounts

To use certain features, you must create an account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate and complete information
• Maintain the security of your account credentials
• Accept responsibility for all activities under your account
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized access
• Not create multiple accounts for deceptive purposes

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms.

4. User Content Guidelines

When posting reviews or other content, you agree to:

• Be truthful: Only post reviews based on your genuine experiences
• Be relevant: Reviews should relate to the property being reviewed
• Be respectful: Do not use hate speech, threats, or harassment
• Be original: Do not post content that infringes on others' rights

Prohibited Content

You may not post content that:

• Is false, misleading, or defamatory
• Contains personal information of others without consent
• Includes discriminatory statements based on protected characteristics
• Promotes illegal activities
• Contains spam, advertisements, or solicitations
• Includes malware or harmful code
• Violates any applicable law or regulation

For detailed content standards, please review our Community Guidelines.

5. Content Ownership and License

You retain ownership of content you post. However, by posting content, you grant Apartment Rater a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable, and transferable license to use, reproduce, display, distribute, and create derivative works from your content in connection with operating and promoting our platform.

We reserve the right to remove any content that violates these terms or that we determine is harmful to our community, without prior notice.

You represent and warrant that you have all necessary rights to post your content and that it does not infringe on any third party's intellectual property rights.

6. Intellectual Property

The Apartment Rater name, logo, and all related names, logos, product and service names, designs, and slogans are trademarks of Apartment Rater. You may not use these marks without our prior written permission.

All content on the Service (excluding user-generated content), including text, graphics, logos, icons, images, and software, is the property of Apartment Rater and is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws.

7. Copyright Infringement (DMCA)

We respect the intellectual property rights of others. If you believe that your copyrighted work has been copied in a way that constitutes copyright infringement, please notify our DMCA agent as described in our DMCA Policy.

8. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. WE DO NOT GUARANTEE:

• The accuracy, completeness, or reliability of reviews
• That the Service will be uninterrupted or error-free
• That defects will be corrected
• That the Service is free of viruses or harmful components
• The reliability of any information obtained through the Service

Reviews are opinions of individual users and do not represent our views. You should independently verify information before making rental decisions.

9. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, APARTMENT RATER AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• Loss of profits, data, or business opportunities
• Your use or inability to use the Service
• Any content posted by users
• Unauthorized access to your data
• Decisions made based on information from the Service

IN NO EVENT SHALL OUR TOTAL LIABILITY EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US, IF ANY, IN THE PAST TWELVE MONTHS.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Apartment Rater and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and affiliates from any claims, damages, losses, costs, or expenses (including reasonable attorney's fees) arising from:

• Your use of the Service
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any rights of a third party
• Any content you post or submit

11. Dispute Resolution

Informal Resolution: Before filing any legal claim, you agree to try to resolve any dispute informally by contacting us at legal@apartmentrater.com. We will try to resolve the dispute within 30 days.

Binding Arbitration: If informal resolution fails, any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Service shall be resolved through binding arbitration, except where prohibited by law. The arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association.

Class Action Waiver: You agree to resolve disputes with us on an individual basis and waive any right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration.

Exceptions: You may bring claims in small claims court if eligible. Either party may seek injunctive relief in court for intellectual property infringement.

12. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Florida, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any legal action arising from these Terms shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Duval County, Florida.

13. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

14. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and Community Guidelines, constitute the entire agreement between you and Apartment Rater regarding your use of the Service. These Terms supersede any prior agreements or understandings.

15. Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. Any waiver must be in writing and signed by us.

16. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms at any time. We will notify users of material changes by posting the new Terms on this page, updating the "Last updated" date, and where appropriate, notifying you by email.

Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the new Terms. If you do not agree to the modified Terms, you should discontinue use of the Service.

17. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us: