Terms of Use

Terms of Use

These Terms apply to two types of users: Tenants and prospective tenants — sections marked for general users apply to you. Landlords and property management companies — sections marked with the green “FOR LANDLORDS” banner contain additional or different terms that apply specifically to you. You must read both the general sections and all landlord-specific sections. PLEASE READ THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS SITE. By browsing or using our site, you confirm that you accept these Terms and agree to comply with them. If you do not agree, you must not use our site. Please pay particular attention to: Clause 11 (Our Liability), which limits our liability in respect of user-submitted content and site availability; and Clause 6 (Obligations and Content Licence), which sets out your responsibilities when submitting content. The information on this website is for general guidance only. It is NOT LEGAL ADVICE. If you need advice about your rights or legal action, please contact a solicitor or law centre. 1. About Us and How to Contact Us Rate Your Landlord is operated by Harriet Wylie operating as “Rate Your Landlord” (referred to as "we", "us", or "our" in these Terms). Email: [admin@rateyourlandlord.co.uk] Website: [www.rateyourlandlord.co.uk] If you have any questions or complaints, please contact us by email at the address above. Any written notices required under these Terms may be sent to us by email, by hand, or by pre-paid post. When we contact you in writing, we will use the email address you provided at registration. References in these Terms to "in writing" or "written" include email. 2. These Terms and Related Policies These Terms and Conditions ("Terms"), together with our Privacy Policy and Acceptable Use Policy, govern all use of the Rate Your Landlord website and services (the "Service"). These documents should be read together, as they all form part of the agreement between you and us. By registering to use the Service, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by all of these documents. Your use of the Service is also governed by: Our Privacy Policy, which sets out how we collect and process your personal data. Our Acceptable Use Policy, which sets out the permitted and prohibited uses of our site, including the content standards that apply to all reviews and other submissions. These Terms may be amended from time to time. Please check this page periodically to ensure you are aware of the latest version. Continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. 📋 FOR LANDLORDS & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANIES ONLY | Definitions (Landlords and Property Management Companies) The following defined terms are used throughout these Terms in relation to landlords and property management companies: "Application" means the online registration form you complete to register for the Service. "Business Day" means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or public holiday when banks in London are open for business. "Commencement Date" means the date on which we confirm your registration for the Service. "Contract" means the agreement between you and us for the provision of the Service, comprising your Application and these Terms. "Intellectual Property Rights" means all patents, copyright, trade marks, design rights, database rights, and all other intellectual property rights, whether registered or unregistered, anywhere in the world. "Property Information" means any details, comments, photographs, or other content you submit to us relating to a property you own or manage. "Service" means the Rate Your Landlord platform at [www.rateyourlandlord.com]. In these Terms: references to a "person" include any individual, company, or unincorporated body; references to a statute include any amendment or re-enactment; and words such as "including" or "in particular" are illustrative and do not limit what precedes them. 3. Eligibility and Registration Tenants — who can use the Service The Service is available to private individuals who are tenants or prospective tenants in the United Kingdom. By registering, you confirm that: You are legally capable of entering into binding contracts. You are at least 18 years of age. The Service is not intended for use by anyone under 18. You are a resident of the United Kingdom and are accessing the Service from the UK. You are acting as a private individual and not as an estate agent, letting agent, landlord, or representative of any such person or business. 📋 FOR LANDLORDS & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANIES ONLY | Eligibility (Landlords and Property Management Companies) Landlords and property management companies may also register to use the Service. By registering, you confirm that: You are legally capable of entering into binding contracts on your own behalf or on behalf of the business you represent. If registering as an individual (sole trader), you are at least 18 years old. You are the landlord, or the lawfully appointed agent of the landlord, of one or more residential properties situated in the UK. The properties in relation to which you are registering are private dwellings or residences, and not commercial, industrial, retail, or agricultural properties. We do not accept registrations in relation to properties situated outside the UK. For businesses only: These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and us. You acknowledge that you have not relied on any statement, promise, or representation not set out in these Terms. Any descriptive or marketing material on our site does not form part of the Contract. Registration details (all users) When registering, all users agree to: Provide true, accurate, current, and complete information about themselves as prompted during registration. Not knowingly omit or misrepresent any material facts or information. Keep registration details up to date and promptly notify us of any changes. Register using only an email address that belongs to them. You are fully responsible for any consequences of entering an incorrect email address. We accept no liability for errors in the email address you provide. Your account and password (all users) When you register, you will create credentials to access your account. You agree to: Keep your password confidential and not disclose it to any third party. Not allow any other person to use your account under any circumstances. Take full responsibility for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify us immediately of any unauthorised use of your account or any other breach of security. We reserve the right to disable any username or password at any time if, in our reasonable opinion, you have failed to comply with these Terms. We are not liable for any loss caused by the theft of your credentials or your allowing another person to access the Service using your account. Username requirements (all users) Your username must not include: spaces or tabs; obscene or profane words; email or website addresses; another user's username; the symbols @, &, ', (, ), <, or >; consecutive underscores (__); an underscore, dash, or full stop at the start; or the words "Rate Your Landlord". Landlords must also not include their own email address or personal information in their username. 4. The Service Rate Your Landlord provides an online platform for tenants and prospective tenants to submit, read, and share reviews of landlords and property management companies. We are not an estate agent or letting agent, and we are not a party to any tenancy negotiation or rental agreement. We do not accept any responsibility or liability in relation to any such negotiations or contracts. Access to the Service is provided free of charge. We do not guarantee that the Service, or any content or features within it, will always be available or uninterrupted. We may suspend, withdraw, discontinue, or change all or any part of the Service at any time. We will not be liable if the Service is unavailable at any time or for any period. We will attempt to restore the Service as soon as reasonably practicable following any interruption. Access is available in the English language only. The Service does not include the provision of devices or internet connectivity — you are responsible for these and any associated costs. We may also provide online storage features that allow tenants to store tenancy-related documents ("Vault Content"). The terms relating to stored content are set out in Clause 7 below. 📋 FOR LANDLORDS & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANIES ONLY | Service Access (Landlords and Property Management Companies) Following our acceptance of your Application and to our reasonable satisfaction with your registration details, we will provide you with access to the Service. We reserve the right to accept or decline any Application at our sole discretion. Although we aim to offer the best service possible, we make no promise that the Service will meet your specific requirements, and we cannot guarantee it will be fault free. If a fault occurs, please report it to us promptly by email and we will endeavour to correct it as soon as reasonably practicable. We reserve the right to make changes to the Service at any time where necessary to comply with applicable law or regulation, or where the changes do not materially affect the nature or quality of the Service. 5. Use of the Site Your use of the Service is governed by our Acceptable Use Policy, which sets out in detail the rules for submitting reviews, interacting with others, and using the site generally. By using the Service, you agree to comply with that Policy at all times. You are responsible for ensuring that anyone who accesses the Service through your internet connection is also aware of and complies with these Terms. 📋 FOR LANDLORDS & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANIES ONLY | Additional Restrictions (Landlords and Property Management Companies) In addition to the Acceptable Use Policy, landlords and property management companies specifically agree that they will not: Register on our site as a tenant. Post ratings or reviews — or arrange for any third party to post ratings or reviews on their behalf — in relation to a property of which they are the landlord or appointed agent, or in relation to their own business. Post any material on our site in any format that breaches our Acceptable Use Policy, Terms of Use, or any other applicable policies. 6. Obligations and Content Licence Tenants — your responsibilities when submitting a review By submitting a review, rating, photograph, or any other information about a property or landlord ("Information"), you acknowledge and agree that: You are or have been a tenant at the property you are reviewing. You are a private individual acting in that capacity, and not an estate agent, landlord, or third party acting on behalf of either. The property you are reviewing is a private residential dwelling, not a commercial, industrial, or agricultural property. All Information you submit is accurate, complete, and based on your genuine personal experience. Your Information complies fully with our Acceptable Use Policy (including its content standards) and our Privacy Policy. You have all rights and authority necessary to submit the Information, including any consents required under data protection law. You are solely responsible for preparing your Information in good faith and ensuring it is not misleading in any respect. Tenants — content licence By submitting any Information or other content to the Service, you grant Rate Your Landlord a worldwide, non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free licence to use, reproduce, display, distribute, modify, and create derivative works of that content in connection with the Service and in any media. You retain ownership of your content, but this licence allows us to publish and use it to operate the platform. All submissions are considered non-confidential and non-proprietary. We will never voluntarily disclose your contact details in connection with a complaint about your submission without your prior consent, and will only disclose them if compelled to do so by a court order. We retain the right, at our sole discretion, to remove or edit any submitted content at any time, including if it appears to breach our Acceptable Use Policy or if we receive a complaint about it. Tenants — indemnity You agree to indemnify and keep Rate Your Landlord indemnified against all actions, claims, costs, demands, damages, expenses (including legal fees), liabilities, losses, and proceedings arising from your breach of these Terms, or any claim by a third party — including a landlord — in connection with Information you have submitted. 📋 FOR LANDLORDS & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANIES ONLY | Obligations and Content Licence (Landlords and Property Management Companies) By submitting any details, comments, photographs, or other information relating to a property you own or manage ("Property Information") for publication on our site, you acknowledge and agree that: You are the landlord of the property, or the lawfully appointed agent of the landlord. The property is a private residential dwelling and not a commercial, industrial, retail, or agricultural property. You have all rights and authority necessary to grant us the rights described below, including any consents required under data protection law. All Property Information you provide will comply fully with our Acceptable Use Policy, our Privacy Policy, and all applicable law, including data protection legislation. You are solely responsible for preparing Property Information in good faith and ensuring it is complete, accurate, and not misleading — including in relation to the property's rental value, condition, or amenities. We retain the right, at our sole discretion, to remove or edit Property Information at any time. We are not an estate agency. We merely provide an online platform for tenants and prospective tenants to view information and reviews about rental properties. Landlord content licence By submitting Property Information, you grant Rate Your Landlord a worldwide, non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free licence to publish, display, reproduce, distribute, modify, and create derivative works of that content in connection with the Service and in any media (whether currently known or developed in the future). You also grant us the right to use Property Information in our own editorial content or promotional materials. Where Property Information includes content in which third parties hold Intellectual Property Rights (such as photographs), you confirm that you have obtained all necessary written licences permitting us to use such content, and you shall provide copies of such licences to us on request. Landlord indemnity You agree to indemnify and keep Rate Your Landlord indemnified against all actions, costs, claims, demands, damages, expenses (including legal fees), liabilities, losses, and proceedings arising from: your breach of these Terms; any claim by a third party in connection with a property or any information you have submitted; or any claim that Property Information infringes a third party's Intellectual Property Rights. In the event of any Intellectual Property Rights claim arising from Property Information you have submitted: we will promptly notify you in writing; we will make no admission or settlement without your prior written consent; we will give you all reasonable information and assistance (subject to reimbursement of our costs); and you will have full control over any related negotiations or litigation. 7. Storing Your Content (Tenants) Where we offer online storage features — for example, for tenancy documents or inventory records — the following terms apply to any content you store ("Vault Content"): We do not claim ownership of Vault Content you store with us, and we do not control, verify, or endorse it. You grant us and our hosting contractor the right to transmit, use, and disclose your Vault Content only to the extent necessary to provide the Service, or as required by law or court order. By storing content, you confirm that you have all necessary rights to do so, and that the content does not violate any law or these Terms. You are solely responsible for maintaining appropriate back-up copies of your Vault Content. We have no liability for the deletion, loss, corruption, or failure to store any Vault Content. You must notify us immediately at [admin@rateyourlandlord.co.uk] if you become aware of any unauthorised use of your stored content. 8. Intellectual Property Rights We own or are licensed to use all intellectual property rights in the Rate Your Landlord website and in all content published by us on it (excluding user submissions). Our site and its content are protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. You must not use any part of the content on our site for commercial purposes without obtaining a licence from us. 📋 FOR LANDLORDS & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANIES ONLY | Rate Your Landlord Badge Licence (Landlords and Property Management Companies) Landlords and property management companies may request a licence to use the Rate Your Landlord badge (the "Badge") — a logo provided in digital format — for use on their own website or in their own promotional and marketing materials only. To request the Badge, please contact us. Permitted use If we grant you a Badge licence, you may use the Badge only: On your own website (not on any third-party websites or platforms such as social media pages run by others); and/or In your own printed promotional and marketing materials. Any other use requires our prior written consent. Restrictions on Badge use You must not use the Badge: As your own logo, or combined with or as part of your own name or logo. With equal or greater visual prominence than your own logo. In the header or footer sections of your website. On signage, other than as part of an informational display. Without sufficient context to indicate the purpose of its use. On any third-party website. For any commercial purpose other than as permitted above. In any way that suggests we are solely or jointly responsible for your organisation, products, or services. In any way that adversely affects our rights in the Badge or our reputation. Badge licence conditions You must include an acknowledgement wherever the Badge is displayed — on any printed matter and on the first webpage within your domain displaying the Badge — indicating that its use is licensed. Suitable wording is: "Reproduced with permission of Rate Your Landlord". You must always use the Badge in its entirety, without alteration or addition. You must follow any reasonable instructions we give regarding its use. You must not assign or sub-license the Badge to any other person. We give no warranties as to the suitability of the Badge for any purpose. You shall indemnify us against any loss or claims arising from your use of the Badge. Termination of Badge licence We reserve the sole right to determine whether the licence terms have been complied with, and to terminate the licence immediately in the event of breach. We may also terminate the licence on 30 days' written notice without giving a specific reason. The licence will automatically terminate on the same date that the Contract between us terminates for any reason. 9. Changes to These Terms and the Service We may amend these Terms from time to time, including in response to changes in the law or our business. If we make material changes, we will give you at least 30 calendar days' written notice before they take effect. You may cancel your account in accordance with Clause 12 if you do not wish to accept the revised Terms. We may also update our site and its content at any time. We make no guarantee that any particular content or feature will always be available. 10. Our Status — Important We are not estate agents or letting agents. We merely provide an online platform whereby tenants and prospective tenants may view information and reviews about rental properties and the areas in which those properties are situated. We are not a party to any negotiations relating to, or the rental of, any property shown on our site, and we do not accept any responsibility or liability — to you or any third party — in relation to any such negotiations or contracts. We may provide links on our site to third-party websites or resources. We cannot give any undertaking that products or services obtained from third parties following a link from our site will be of satisfactory quality, and we assume no responsibility for the content of such linked websites. 11. Our Liability to You Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited by English law. Liability to tenants Subject to the above, and to the fullest extent permitted by law: We make no representations as to the validity, accuracy, or reliability of any review, opinion, or other information submitted by users of our site. Any views expressed by users do not represent our views. You acknowledge that we have no means of verifying that reviewers are who they say they are, and we are not responsible for any defamatory, inaccurate, or otherwise harmful user-submitted content. We exclude all liability for any loss or damage arising from your use of, or inability to use, the Service; loss or corruption of any content or submission; or reliance on any content or feature on our site. We exclude all implied conditions, warranties, and representations relating to the site or its content. We will not be liable for loss or damage caused by viruses or other harmful material resulting from your use of our site, provided we have used reasonable endeavours to prevent such material. We assume no responsibility for the content of third-party websites linked from our site. We only provide the Service for domestic and private use. We have no liability for loss of profit, loss of business, or business interruption. Where we fail to comply with these Terms, we are responsible for loss or damage that is a foreseeable result of our breach or negligence, but not for loss or damage that is not foreseeable. As a consumer, you have legal rights if the Service is not carried out with reasonable skill and care — these rights are not affected by these Terms. 📋 FOR LANDLORDS & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANIES ONLY | Our Liability to Landlords and Property Management Companies We accept no liability whatsoever for any opinion, review, feedback, rating, or other statement posted by third parties on our site in relation to you personally, your business, or any property you own or manage ("Third Party Material"). Any views expressed do not represent our views. You acknowledge that it is reasonable for us to exclude our liability in relation to Third Party Material. The purpose of this site is to provide honest feedback from tenants about properties and landlords. By registering to use the Service, you accept the risk that such material may represent you or your business in a negative light. Liability cap for businesses Subject to the non-excludable liabilities stated above, and where you are using the Service as a business: We shall under no circumstances be liable for any loss of profit, or any indirect or consequential loss arising under or in connection with the Contract. Our total liability to you in respect of all other losses arising under or in connection with the Contract shall not exceed £1,000. 12. Cancelling Your Account and Termination Tenants You may cancel your account at any time by giving us at least 30 calendar days' written notice by email. You may cancel with immediate effect by written notice if: we breach these Terms in any material way and fail to remedy the breach within 30 calendar days of you asking us to do so; we become insolvent or an administrator or receiver is appointed over our assets; we change these Terms to your material disadvantage; or we are affected by an Event Outside Our Control (as defined in Clause 13) that continues for more than 24 weeks. We may cancel your account by giving you at least 30 calendar days' written notice, or with immediate effect if you breach these Terms in any material way and fail to remedy that breach within 7 calendar days of us asking you to in writing. 📋 FOR LANDLORDS & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANIES ONLY | Termination (Landlords and Property Management Companies) We may terminate the Contract and cancel your registration immediately at our reasonable discretion if you breach any of your obligations under the Contract. You may terminate the Contract and cancel your registration at any time by informing us in writing. If you do so, you must stop using the Service immediately. Termination of the Contract will also automatically terminate any Badge licence granted to you. Termination of the Contract shall not affect either party's accrued rights or liabilities at the date of termination. We reserve the right to modify or discontinue the Service (or any part of it) at any time. Where reasonably practicable, we will give reasonable advance notice of any discontinuation. 13. Events Outside Our Control We will not be liable or responsible for any failure to perform or delay in performing our obligations under these Terms where that failure or delay is caused by an event outside our reasonable control, including — without limitation — strikes, civil commotion, riot, war, terrorism, fire, flood, earthquake, epidemic, or failure of public telecommunications networks (an "Event Outside Our Control"). If such an event occurs, we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible, and our obligations will be suspended for its duration. We will resume the Service as soon as the event is over. If an Event Outside Our Control continues for more than 24 weeks, we may terminate the Contract by written notice. If you no longer wish to use the Service during or after such an event, you may cancel your account in accordance with Clause 12. 14. Complaints and Legal Objections If you have a complaint about the Service, please contact us as soon as possible by email. We will try to resolve any problem promptly and reasonably. If you have a legal complaint or objection about content on our site — including if you believe any submission is defamatory or infringes your intellectual property rights — please contact us immediately at [admin@rateyourlandlord.co.uk] with a clear written statement of your objection. 15. Viruses and Security We do not guarantee that our site will be secure or free from bugs or viruses. You are responsible for configuring your own devices and using appropriate virus protection software. You must not introduce viruses, trojans, worms, logic bombs, or any other malicious or technologically harmful material to our site. You must not attempt to gain unauthorised access to our site, our servers, or any connected systems. Doing so may constitute a criminal offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990, and we will report any such breach to the relevant authorities. Your right to use the Service will cease immediately upon any such breach. 16. General We may transfer our rights and obligations under these Terms to another organisation, but this will not affect your rights or our obligations. We will notify you in writing if this occurs. You may not transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms to any other person without our prior written consent. This agreement is between you and us only. No other person has any rights to enforce any of its terms under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 or otherwise. Each clause of these Terms operates independently. If any court or authority finds any clause to be unlawful or unenforceable, the remaining clauses will remain in full force and effect. If we fail to enforce any right against you, or delay in doing so, that does not constitute a waiver of that right. Any waiver must be given by us in writing and applies only to the specific instance in question. Nothing in these Terms is intended to, or shall be deemed to, constitute a partnership, joint venture, or agency relationship between you and us. Neither party has authority to bind the other. 📋 FOR LANDLORDS & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANIES ONLY | Formal Notices (Landlords and Property Management Companies) Any formal notice or communication required under the Contract must be in writing and delivered by hand, pre-paid first-class post, recorded delivery, or commercial courier to the registered office or principal place of business of the receiving party. Notices shall be deemed received: if delivered personally, when left at the address; if sent by first-class post or recorded delivery, at 9:00am on the second Business Day after posting; if by commercial courier, when the delivery receipt is signed. This clause does not apply to the service of proceedings or other legal documents. For the avoidance of doubt, formal notices under the Contract are not validly served by email alone (though email may be used for general correspondence). 17. Governing Law and Jurisdiction These Terms and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them are governed by English law. You and we both agree that the courts of England and Wales will have non-exclusive jurisdiction over any such dispute. If you are a resident of Northern Ireland, you may also bring proceedings in Northern Ireland. If you are a resident of Scotland, you may also bring proceedings in Scotland. 📋 FOR LANDLORDS & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANIES ONLY | Governing Law for Business Users (Landlords and Property Management Companies) Where you are using the Service as a business: this Contract, and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it (including non-contractual disputes or claims), shall be governed by English law, and the parties irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. 18. Contact Us If you have any questions about these Terms or wish to get in touch, please contact us: Email: [admin@rateyourlandlord.co.uk] Thank you for using Rate Your Landlord.