Property Owner Policy

Eligibility & Verification

All property owners must complete full verification before any listing is approved and made visible to travelers. Verification includes: (1) government-issued identity confirmation via Stripe Identity, (2) criminal background check conducted by a licensed third-party screening provider, and (3) property ownership verification through automated public records lookup and, where necessary, manual review.

You must be the legal property owner or an authorized property manager with documented authority to lease the property. Listing a property you do not own or are not authorized to manage is grounds for immediate account termination and may be reported to appropriate authorities.

Criminal background check: All owners are required to submit to a criminal background check as a condition of listing. The check is conducted by a licensed third-party screening provider engaged by SecuredStays. Results are reviewed by SecuredStays compliance staff only and communicated as Approved or Not Approved. Owners who do not pass the background check will not be permitted to list properties on the platform.

Property ownership verification: SecuredStays verifies ownership through automated public deed records (ATTOM Data). For individually owned properties, your verified name is matched against the deed owner of record. For properties owned by an LLC, corporation, or trust, you must upload documentation confirming your authorization to lease on behalf of the entity — see item 5 below.

Listing draft gate: Upon submitting your listing, it is saved as a draft and is not visible to travelers. Your listing goes live automatically once both your criminal background check and property ownership verification are approved. You will receive email notification when your listing is live. This process typically takes 1–3 business days.

IMPORTANT — DOCUMENT RETENTION POLICY: SECUREDSTAYS DOES NOT STORE, RETAIN, OR ARCHIVE ANY PERSONAL DOCUMENTS, WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTION: Uploaded document images, ID scans, deed copies, uploaded files, photographs, and videos are stored on SecuredStays servers for the purpose of maintaining a secured environment for all parties involved. By uploading any document, image, or file to the SecuredStays platform, you consent to its secure storage.

Your identity, background, and ownership verification must remain current. SecuredStays reserves the right to re-verify at any time. Failure to pass re-verification may result in listing suspension.

Listing Requirements

All property information submitted must be accurate, current, and complete. Misrepresentation of amenities, property condition, location, or any other listing detail is grounds for immediate removal from the platform.

A minimum of 6 photographs are required before any listing is approved. Required photos include: exterior front, front door or entry, each bedroom, living room, kitchen, and laundry area if washer/dryer is listed as an amenity.

All photos are reviewed by SecuredStays before your listing goes live. Low-quality, misleading, or insufficient photos will result in listing rejection.

You must specify your property's smoking policy (Smoking Allowed, Not Allowed, or Outside Only) and your pet policy. These fields are required and cannot be left blank.

If you permit pets, any pet fees or pet deposits must be clearly disclosed in your listing before a traveler applies. You may not introduce pet fees after a lease agreement has been reached.

Your listing must accurately reflect the current availability date, minimum stay requirement, and monthly rent. You may not change the listed rent after a verified traveler has expressed formal interest.

Escrow Compliance & Lease Execution

Escrow is mandatory on every SecuredStays placement. You agree that all security deposits and first month's rent will be transacted exclusively through the SecuredStays-approved third-party escrow provider.

The 48-hour escrow funding clock begins automatically once both you and the traveler have independently confirmed lease execution by each pressing the 'Confirm Lease Signed' button within the platform. Both confirmations are required — the clock does not start on one confirmation alone. This ensures neither party can trigger the funding window without the other's acknowledgment.

You will receive a platform notification when the clock starts, a warning notification at the 24-hour mark if escrow remains unfunded, and an immediate notification if the 48-hour window expires without confirmed funding. Upon expiration, the placement nullifies automatically and your listing is restored to active status. If escrow is confirmed funded within the window, you will receive a 'Placement Activated' notification and your listing transitions to 'Currently Placed' status with the Next Availability date automatically calculated.

The escrow service fee is paid by the traveler — not by you. You have no out-of-pocket escrow costs. You receive the first month's rent and security deposit directly from the escrow provider upon the traveler's confirmed move-in.

All monthly rent payments after the first month are collected by you directly from the traveler, outside of the SecuredStays platform. SecuredStays is not involved in, and assumes no responsibility for, ongoing rent collection.

You may not request, accept, or solicit the initial security deposit or first month's rent from a traveler outside of the SecuredStays escrow process — including via Zelle, Venmo, cash, personal check, wire transfer, or any other payment method. Doing so is grounds for immediate account termination and may constitute fraud.

If a traveler fails to fund escrow within 48 hours of confirmed lease execution, the placement is automatically nullified and your property is immediately returned to the available listing pool. You are under no obligation to hold the property beyond the 48-hour funding window.

Placement Status & Listing Visibility

Once escrow is confirmed funded, your listing transitions to 'Currently Placed' status for the duration of the lease term. Your listing remains fully visible and searchable throughout the placement — it is not removed from the platform. A 'Currently Placed' banner and a Next Availability date — calculated automatically from the lease end date — are displayed prominently on your listing card so prospective travelers can note your upcoming opening and plan accordingly.

While a placement is active, your listing is not open for new applications. Travelers who visit your listing during an active placement may use the 'Notify Me When Available' button to join your silent interest queue. No messages are sent to you during this period — there is no inbox noise or obligation to respond until the listing re-activates.

Your listing re-activates automatically 14 days before the current lease end date. At that point, travelers who expressed interest are notified and may begin submitting formal connection requests. You are not required to act on any requests until you are ready.

If a placement ends without renewal, your listing returns to fully active status with no action required on your part.

Lease Terms & Renewals

All lease agreements are entered into directly between you and the traveler. SecuredStays is not a party to any lease and assumes no landlord obligations under it. You remain solely responsible for compliance with all applicable landlord-tenant law.

If a traveler wishes to extend their stay, you will receive a written extension request through the SecuredStays platform at least 14 days before the lease end date. Extensions must be confirmed in writing by both parties through the platform messaging system.

Verbal agreements to extend are not recognized by SecuredStays and do not constitute a valid extension. Written platform confirmation is required.

Extensions are treated as a continuation of the existing placement under the same agreed terms. No new escrow transaction is required for an extension — the original security deposit and lease terms carry forward through the extended period.

You may not increase rent during an active lease term. Any rent adjustment for a renewal must be agreed upon in writing before the renewal begins.

Smoking & Pet Policies

You must set a smoking policy on your listing before it goes live: Smoking Allowed, Not Allowed, or Outside Only. This policy is binding for the duration of any placement made under that listing.

You may not change your smoking or pet policy after a traveler has formally expressed interest in your listing. Policy changes apply only to future listings or renewed listings.

Traveler messaging is limited to one message until you respond. Once you send your first reply, messaging is unlimited for both parties. This limit is a platform-level protection designed to prevent owners from receiving unsolicited message volume from uninterested travelers. Your first reply constitutes your acceptance of the connection — there are no separate Accept or Decline buttons.

SecuredStays does not display traveler profile photographs or full legal names. Travelers are identified to you by their platform username only. This is an intentional anti-discrimination design — all travelers in your inbox are fully verified, and connection decisions should be based on their verified status, not their appearance or identity. A traveler may choose to share their name in a message — that is their decision.

If you permit pets, any pet deposit or pet fee must be fully disclosed in your listing before a traveler applies. You may not introduce new pet fees after a lease agreement has been reached.

Pet deposits and pet fees are transacted directly between you and the traveler and are not part of the SecuredStays escrow amount. SecuredStays assumes no responsibility for pet fee disputes.

If a traveler violates your smoking or pet policy, document the violation thoroughly with dated photographs and written records, and report it through the platform. Verified violations are logged in the traveler's account history and may affect their future placement eligibility.

Verified Owner Badge

The Verified Owner badge is displayed on your listing once you have completed all three required verification steps: identity confirmation (Stripe Identity), criminal background check (cleared), and property ownership verification (deed match or entity authorization approved).

The badge signals to travelers that SecuredStays has independently confirmed that you are who you say you are, that you have passed a criminal background check, and that you are the legal owner or authorized agent of the property you are listing.

If any component of your verification is revoked or expires, your Verified Owner badge is removed and your listing is suspended pending re-verification. Active placements are not automatically terminated — SecuredStays will notify both parties and conduct an expedited review.

You are responsible for keeping your verification current. If your background check results are appealed and reversed, or if property ownership changes, you must notify SecuredStays at admin@securedstays.com immediately.

Dispute Resolution

If a dispute arises between you and a traveler during a placement, the following process applies.

Step 1 — Direct Resolution (48 hours): You and the traveler have 48 hours to resolve the dispute directly through the SecuredStays platform messaging system. Keeping communications on-platform creates a documented record available to both parties.

Step 2 — SecuredStays Review (5 business days): If unresolved after 48 hours, either party may submit a formal dispute ticket. SecuredStays will review all available platform records — messages, escrow confirmation, verification documents, and listing details — and provide a written summary of findings within 5 business days.

Step 3 — Escrow Hold: If the dispute involves funds currently held in escrow, SecuredStays may request that the escrow provider hold disbursement pending resolution or a legal order. SecuredStays has no authority to direct the escrow provider and is not a party to escrow agreements.

IMPORTANT: SecuredStays is not a court, arbitrator, mediator, or legal representative. Our dispute summary is informational only, is not legally binding, and does not constitute legal advice. SecuredStays assumes no liability for any outcome or action taken in response to our review. For legal disputes, consult a licensed attorney in the state where your property is located.

Security Deposit Returns

You are required to return the traveler's security deposit, minus any documented and itemized deductions, within the timeframe required by the law of the state where the property is located. In Florida: 15 days if no deductions are claimed; 30 days if deductions are claimed with written notice.

All deductions must be documented with receipts, invoices, or photographs taken after the tenant vacates. You may not deduct for normal wear and tear.

Failure to return the deposit within the legally required timeframe, without documented cause, is a violation of this policy and applicable law. In Florida, failure to comply may require you to return the full deposit plus damages. Substantiated complaints may result in removal from the platform.

SecuredStays maintains escrow confirmation records and platform communications that may serve as documentation in deposit disputes.

Property Condition Responsibility

You are solely responsible for ensuring your property meets all applicable habitability standards under Florida law (or the law of the state where the property is located) for the full duration of any lease.

SecuredStays reviews submitted listing photographs but does not physically inspect properties. SecuredStays' review of your photos does not constitute certification, endorsement, or warranty of your property's condition.

If a traveler reports a habitability issue, you are required to respond within 48 hours and take reasonable steps to remediate the issue as required by applicable landlord-tenant law.

SecuredStays assumes no liability for any property condition, habitability defect, injury, or loss arising from the physical condition of any listed property. You indemnify SecuredStays against any claim arising from your property's condition.

Reporting Misconduct

If you experience conduct that you believe violates platform policy — including traveler misrepresentation, harassment, lease violations, escrow circumvention, or any other form of misconduct — use the Report button available on every active placement page and traveler profile.

Tapping Report opens a direct submission to the SecuredStays compliance board, where all reports are individually logged, reviewed, and resolved. You will receive a confirmation when your report is received and a follow-up notification when action has been taken.

Reports may also be submitted by email at admin@securedstays.com. The Report function is available to all users at all times, is separate from the standard dispute resolution process, and may be submitted anonymously if preferred.

All reports are treated confidentially. Submitting a report in bad faith or for retaliatory purposes is itself a violation of platform policy.

Platform Conduct & Liability

You agree to use the SecuredStays platform in good faith and in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Fair Housing Act, landlord-tenant law, and consumer protection law.

The following are grounds for immediate account termination: misrepresentation of property details; requesting or accepting payment outside of the approved escrow process; discriminatory conduct toward any traveler; unauthorized entry into an occupied property; harassment of travelers or SecuredStays staff; failure to confirm lease execution within the required window; and any fraudulent activity.

SecuredStays is a technology platform — not a landlord, property manager, real estate broker, or housing authority. SecuredStays is not a party to your lease agreements and assumes no obligations under them. You remain solely responsible for compliance with all landlord-tenant laws applicable to your property.

SecuredStays does not display traveler photographs or full legal names. You may not request this information as a condition of accepting or rejecting a connection. All travelers who can message you are fully verified members. Connection decisions must be based on verified credentials, availability, and lease terms — not on any personal characteristic of the traveler. Discriminatory rejection of a verified traveler based on any protected characteristic is a violation of these Terms and applicable law.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, SECUREDSTAYS' TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE PLATFORM SHALL NOT EXCEED THE TOTAL AMOUNT YOU HAVE PAID TO SECUREDSTAYS IN THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM.

SecuredStays reserves the right to suspend or terminate any owner account at its discretion for policy violations. Properties associated with terminated accounts will be immediately removed from the listing pool.

Platform Removal and Account Termination

SecuredStays reserves the right to suspend, delist, or permanently remove any property listing or owner account from the Platform at any time, without prior notice, for any reason including but not limited to: failure to maintain verification standards; reports of misconduct or dishonesty; patterns of unresponsiveness to placement requests; conduct inconsistent with the integrity of the Platform; violation of any term of this Policy or the Terms of Service; or any business reason at the Company's sole discretion. Removal of a listing or account does not entitle the owner to any compensation or refund except where required by applicable law. All obligations accrued prior to removal or termination shall survive.