Platform rules

Platform Rules

PREAMBLE - GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF PLATFORM USE

Use of this platform is based on mutual respect, fairness and personal responsibility. Each user is responsible for their own conduct and commits to treating other users with dignity and respect.

Discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated. All users have the right to fair treatment regardless of origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or other personal characteristics.

Honesty and transparency are the foundation of trust on this platform. False information, deception or fraudulent conduct will lead to exclusion.

These guiding principles apply in addition to the specific rules below and must be considered when interpreting the platform rules.

§ 1 USER ACCOUNT

(1) Hosts must create a user account to use the platform. Guests may book either with or without a user account.

(2) Registration requires truthful and complete information. Changes to data must be updated without delay.

(3) Access credentials must be kept confidential and protected from third‑party access. Each user is responsible for all activities carried out under their account.

(4) Only one user account per person or company is permitted. Creating multiple accounts to circumvent suspensions or reviews is prohibited.

(5) Users may request deletion of their user account at any time. Data required to process existing bookings and for statutory retention obligations will be stored until the contract is fully performed.

§ 2 COMMUNICATION

(1) All users commit to respectful and factual communication. Insults, threats, harassment or discriminatory statements are prohibited.

(2) Hosts should respond to inquiries within 24 hours. Guests should share important check‑in and arrival information with the host in good time.

(3) Communication via the platform serves traceability and protection of both parties. Payment arrangements outside the platform are prohibited.

(4) Users may not exchange contact details in order to handle bookings outside the platform. This applies until the booking has been completed through the platform.

§ 3 ON‑SITE CONDUCT

(1) Guests commit to treating the accommodation with care and to respecting the host’s house rules, provided they are lawful and reasonable.

(2) Check‑in and check‑out times must be observed. Deviations require prior agreement with the host.

(3) Hosts commit to providing the accommodation in the condition described in the listing and to assisting the guest in case of problems.

(4) Guests may use the booked accommodation only for the agreed purpose and with the stated number of persons.

(5) Both parties treat personal information confidentially and respect each other’s privacy.

§ 4 DAMAGE REPORTS AND MEDIATION

(1) Damage, defects or problems must be reported without delay to the other party and to the platform operator via the platform.

(2) The parties commit to resolving issues through direct discussion first. The platform operator offers support in finding a solution.

(3) If no amicable solution can be found, the platform operator may be called in as a mediator. Mediation is non‑binding and free of charge.

(4) During mediation, both parties can present their perspective. The platform operator provides an assessment and proposes a fair solution.

(5) For claims for damages, the claiming party bears the burden of proof. Damage must be documented by photos, purchase receipts or other suitable evidence.

(6) The right to pursue legal action remains unaffected. Using mediation is not a prerequisite for asserting claims in court.

§ 5 REVIEW SYSTEM

(1) After completion of a stay, guests and hosts may review each other. Reviews support quality assurance and trust on the platform.

(2) Reviews must be truthful, factual and comprehensible. They should be based on actual experiences during the stay.

(3) Insults, discrimination, demonstrably false statements or reviews not based on one’s own experiences are prohibited and will be removed.

(4) Offering, requesting or exchanging positive reviews for consideration is prohibited.

(5) Users may respond to reviews. Reviews may be removed only in justified exceptional cases (demonstrably false factual statements, insults).

§ 6 SANCTIONS AND SUSPENSION

(1) In case of violations of these platform rules or the Terms and Conditions, the platform operator may take the following measures: a) Warning with request to cease the conduct b) Temporary suspension of the user account c) Permanent suspension and deletion of the user account

(2) Immediate permanent suspension without prior warning applies in cases of: - Fraud or attempted fraud - Severe discrimination - Violence or threats of violence - Repeated or serious violations of these rules - Misuse of the platform for illegal purposes

(3) Before imposing a suspension, the affected user will be given an opportunity to respond, provided this is reasonable and no imminent risk exists.

(4) Suspensions may be appealed to the platform operator within 14 days. The platform operator will review the decision and communicate the result in writing.

(5) The platform operator endeavours to use suspensions only as a last resort. Where a suspension nevertheless becomes necessary, the platform operator is entitled to cancel existing bookings of the suspended user where warranted by the severity of the violation or for safety reasons.

(6) Guest suspension: If a booking is cancelled due to a guest suspension, the guest forfeits any claim to a refund of the booking amount. The host shall receive their contractually agreed share.

(7) Host suspension: If a booking is cancelled due to a host suspension, the guest shall receive a full refund of the paid booking amount. Outstanding commission claims of the platform operator against the suspended host remain unaffected.

(8) The platform operator reserves the right of recourse against the suspended user for costs directly incurred by the platform as a result of the suspension — in particular refunds to the uninvolved contractual party and associated administrative costs.

(9) The platform will make best efforts to assist affected contractual partners in finding alternatives. There is no legal entitlement to compensation from the platform.

§ 7 CHANGES TO THE PLATFORM RULES

(1) The platform operator reserves the right to amend these platform rules where necessary and where the changes are reasonable for users.

(2) Changes will be notified at least 30 days before they take effect by email and by notice on the platform.

(3) If the user does not object within 30 days of receiving the notice of change, the amended platform rules are deemed accepted. This consequence will be expressly stated in the notice of change.

(4) If the user objects in due time, the platform operator may terminate the user relationship with extraordinary effect.

§ 8 RANKING AND SORTING

(1) Listings are displayed automatically. For location‑based searches, we sort by distance to the search point by default (OpenStreetMap geocoding), unless another sorting option is selected.

(2) Without a location, we sort by recency by default (newest first).

§ 9 PARTNER ACCOMMODATIONS

(1) A portion of mediated accommodations is provided through cooperating mediation partners (e.g. channel managers) and is marked as "partner accommodation" in the listing. The deviations set out below apply to such accommodations.

(2) Hosts of partner accommodations are not necessarily users of the platform and therefore do not require a user account within the meaning of § 1. The obligations under § 1 (User account) and § 2 (Communication) do not apply to such hosts. The platform does not provide a direct communication channel between guest and host for partner accommodations; inquiries can be submitted via the platform operator's support, who forwards them to the mediation partner where appropriate.

(3) The review system under § 5 applies to partner accommodations only one-sidedly: guests can submit a review via the platform after their stay; hosts of partner accommodations cannot submit or respond to reviews. Reviews from external systems of the mediation partner may additionally be displayed on the detail page but are marked as such.

(4) Damage reports and dispute resolution procedures under § 4 concerning partner accommodations are received by the platform operator and forwarded to the mediation partner. The platform operator cannot conduct its own dispute resolution against the host due to the lack of a direct contractual relationship.

(5) Sanctions and suspensions under § 6 affect the user account of the guest on the platform and do not apply to hosts of partner accommodations.