1. Agreement to Terms
By accessing or using the RentaKoto platform ("the Platform"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use the Platform. These Terms apply to all users, including Renters, Landlords, Service Providers, and visitors.
2. Eligibility & Accounts
- You must be at least 18 years old to create an account and use the Platform.
- You must provide accurate, complete, and current information when registering and keep it updated.
- You are responsible for safeguarding your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account.
- You may register using a valid email address and password, or via Google OAuth. By using Google Sign-In, you authorize RentaKoto to receive your Google account name, email address, and profile photo.
- You may not create multiple accounts to circumvent bans, limits, or other platform restrictions.
- We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, engage in fraud, or otherwise harm the Platform or its users.
3. User Roles & Approval
- The Platform supports three main user roles: Renter, Landlord, and Service Provider. You may hold multiple roles.
- Activation of Landlord and Service Provider roles requires administrative review and approval. This includes submission of business documents and identity verification (KYC).
- Renter profiles may also require KYC verification depending on the platform configuration for your jurisdiction.
- We reserve the right to approve, reject, suspend, or revoke any profile or role at our discretion.
- A Team Lead role may be granted to users who manage referral networks. Team Leads are bound by additional guidelines communicated at the time of their appointment.
4. Identity Verification (KYC)
- To access certain features (such as applying for a rental or listing a property), you may be required to complete identity verification by submitting government-issued identification documents and/or a selfie.
- KYC verification is processed by our third-party partner, InnovatorX (Profile Check service). Submitting your documents constitutes your consent for RentaKoto and InnovatorX to process your identity data for verification purposes.
- Providing false, altered, or fraudulent documents is a serious violation of these Terms and may result in immediate account termination and referral to relevant authorities.
- KYC approval does not constitute a guarantee or endorsement of any user by RentaKoto.
5. Listings, Services & Content
- Landlords are responsible for the accuracy, completeness, and legality of their property listings, including prices, photos, descriptions, and amenities.
- Service Providers are responsible for the accuracy of their service listings and the quality of services rendered.
- Do not post misleading, inaccurate, illegal, or infringing content.
- Listings and services are subject to review and may be approved, modified, or removed by RentaKoto at our discretion.
- Property photos and documents uploaded to the Platform are stored securely by RentaKoto. By uploading content, you grant RentaKoto a non-exclusive license to store, display, and use that content solely for the purpose of operating the Platform.
6. Applications, Bookings & Contracts
- Renters may apply for rental properties through the Platform. Applications are subject to Landlord approval.
- Viewing schedules (property visits) may be requested and managed through the Platform.
- Upon approval, a rental contract ("Rental Agreement") is generated by the Platform. Both Renter and Landlord must digitally sign the agreement before the tenancy commences.
- Digital signatures applied within the Platform are legally binding to the same extent as handwritten signatures, subject to applicable law in your jurisdiction.
- Bookings and rental agreements are agreements between the Landlord and Renter. RentaKoto is a platform intermediary and is not a party to any rental agreement or service contract.
- We do not guarantee the availability of properties, the suitability of matches, or the completion of any transaction.
7. Payments & Fees
- Rent payments are processed through the Platform using integrated payment providers (Stripe for card payments; Xendit / NovusX for local Philippine payment methods including GCash, Maya, and bank transfers).
- A payment processing fee of 3.5% is added to each rental payment and charged to the Renter ("tenant"). This fee covers payment gateway costs and is displayed before payment confirmation.
- Payment schedules are determined by the terms of the rental agreement. Overdue payments may be subject to a grace period, after which the payment may be marked as overdue.
- All payment card numbers are tokenized by Stripe or Xendit and are never stored on RentaKoto servers.
- Subscription fees for paid plans are billed through Stripe. Subscription details (plan tier, billing cycle, amount) are displayed in your subscription settings.
- RentaKoto is not responsible for payment failures caused by your bank, card issuer, or payment provider. In case of a failed payment, please contact your financial institution or our support team.
- Refund policies for subscription fees and rental payments are governed by the specific terms of your subscription plan and rental agreement, respectively. Contact support@rentakoto.com for payment disputes.
8. Subscriptions & Plan Features
- The Platform offers free and paid subscription plans for Renters, Landlords, and Service Providers. Plan features, limits, and pricing are described in the subscription settings page.
- Paid plans unlock additional features such as increased AI search quotas, priority listing, and advanced analytics.
- Subscription plans are billed on a recurring basis (monthly or annually). You authorize RentaKoto to charge your saved payment method at each renewal.
- You may cancel your subscription at any time through the Platform. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. No partial refunds are issued for unused time unless required by law.
- We reserve the right to change subscription pricing or features with reasonable prior notice.
9. AI-Powered Features
- The Platform includes an AI-powered property search feature that processes your natural-language queries using OpenAI's API to generate structured search results.
- AI search results are suggestions only and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. Always verify property details independently before making decisions.
- AI search usage is subject to daily quotas based on your subscription plan.
- Your search queries are transmitted to OpenAI for processing. By using the AI search feature, you consent to this data transfer subject to OpenAI's applicable policies.
10. Messaging
- The Platform includes a real-time messaging system for communication between Renters, Landlords, and Service Providers.
- Messages are processed and stored by our messaging microservice and are accessible to both parties in the conversation.
- Do not use the messaging system to harass, threaten, or deceive other users, or to share illegal content.
- RentaKoto reserves the right to review messages if required for safety investigations, dispute resolution, or legal compliance.
11. Maintenance Requests & Service Jobs
- Renters may submit maintenance requests for properties they are renting. Landlords may assign Service Providers to fulfill these requests through the Platform.
- Service Providers and requestors may leave ratings and reviews upon job completion.
- RentaKoto is not a party to any service contract between users and is not liable for the quality, timeliness, or outcome of any maintenance job or service.
12. Disputes
- The Platform provides a dispute resolution system where users may file disputes related to bookings, payments, or services.
- Submitting a dispute requires a description of the issue and may involve uploading supporting evidence (photos, documents).
- RentaKoto will review disputes and may assist in resolution at our discretion. We do not guarantee any particular outcome.
- For payment disputes, you must first attempt resolution through the Platform's dispute system before contacting your bank or card issuer for a chargeback. Chargebacks initiated without going through our process may result in account suspension.
13. Support Tickets
- You may submit support tickets through the Help Center for technical issues, account questions, or platform-related concerns.
- We will respond to support tickets within a reasonable timeframe based on ticket priority and volume.
14. Referral Program
- RentaKoto operates a referral program where users may earn referral credits or fees for referring new users or landlords to the Platform.
- Referral rewards are subject to eligibility conditions, including successful account creation and, where applicable, completion of a rental transaction by the referred user.
- Referral rewards may not be exchanged for cash unless specifically stated in the program terms presented to you at the time of referral.
- We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or terminate the referral program at any time.
- Any suspected fraud, manipulation, or abuse of the referral program (including self-referrals or fake accounts) will result in disqualification and potential account termination.
15. User Conduct
- Do not harass, threaten, abuse, discriminate against, or harm other users.
- Do not attempt to bypass, disable, or circumvent any security measure, access control, or rate limit on the Platform.
- Do not use automated tools (bots, scrapers) to access or extract data from the Platform without our written permission.
- Do not engage in fraudulent activity, including submitting false documents, fake reviews, or fabricated disputes.
- Do not use the Platform for any unlawful purpose, including listing illegal properties or services.
- Violations may result in content removal, account suspension, or permanent termination, and may be reported to relevant authorities.
16. Disclaimers
The Platform is provided "as is" and "as available." RentaKoto disclaims all warranties to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure at all times.
RentaKoto is a marketplace platform and does not verify the physical condition of properties, the suitability of users for one another, or the quality of services rendered by Service Providers. All decisions made on the basis of information on the Platform are your own.
17. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, RentaKoto and its officers, directors, employees, and affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits, revenue, data, or goodwill, arising out of or related to your use of the Platform, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
Our total liability to you for any claim arising from your use of the Platform shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amount you paid to RentaKoto in the 12 months preceding the claim, or (b) USD $100.
18. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless RentaKoto and its affiliates, officers, directors, and employees from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from: (a) your use of the Platform; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of any applicable law or the rights of any third party; or (d) any content you submit, post, or transmit through the Platform.
19. Intellectual Property
- All Platform software, design, text, graphics, logos, and other content created by RentaKoto is owned by or licensed to RentaKoto and protected by applicable intellectual property laws.
- You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, or create derivative works based on the Platform's content without our prior written consent.
- By submitting content (photos, descriptions, messages) to the Platform, you represent that you own or have the right to use that content and grant RentaKoto the license described in Section 5.
20. Termination
- You may close your account at any time by contacting support@rentakoto.com.
- We may suspend or terminate your access to the Platform at any time, with or without notice, for violations of these Terms or for any other reason at our discretion.
- Upon termination, your right to use the Platform ceases immediately. Obligations that by their nature should survive termination (e.g., payment obligations, dispute records, indemnification) will survive.
21. Changes to Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you via the Platform's Terms acceptance screen and update the "Effective Date" above. Continued use of the Platform after the new Terms take effect constitutes your acceptance of the changes.
22. Governing Law
These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, without regard to its conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising under these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Philippines.
Note: If you access the Platform from another jurisdiction, additional local laws may apply. This document is not legal advice. Please consult legal counsel for your specific jurisdiction.
23. Contact
If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us: