Traveler Policy

Membership & Verification

All travel professionals must complete verification before accessing property listings or submitting housing requests. Verification is a three-part process: (1) identity confirmation via Stripe Identity, (2) professional license status confirmation through your applicable licensing body — monitored continuously, and (3) assignment verification via direct contact with your agency recruiter.

In addition to platform verification, all placements on SecuredStays require a Portable Tenant Screening Report. You obtain your Portable Tenant Screening Report directly from Portable Tenant by paying Portable Tenant per their then-current fee schedule. Portable Tenant issues you a secure authenticated link. You share that link with a property owner through the SecuredStays messaging thread. The owner reviews your Portable Tenant Screening Report independently on Portable Tenant's platform. SecuredStays does not receive, access, or review your Portable Tenant Screening Report at any point.

SecuredStays requires a Portable Tenant Screening Report for all placements. You obtain your report directly from Portable Tenant before initiating any placement request.

Your Portable Tenant Screening Report includes criminal background, eviction history, and credit history. The property owner you share it with will access the full report on Portable Tenant's platform via the authenticated link you provide.

Your Portable Tenant Screening Report is valid for 30 days from the date of issuance by Portable Tenant. If your Portable Tenant Screening Report is older than 30 days at the time you initiate a new placement request, you must obtain a new Portable Tenant Screening Report directly from Portable Tenant before the request can proceed. Portable Tenant Screening Report renewal is a direct transaction between you and Portable Tenant at Portable Tenant's then-current fee schedule. SecuredStays is not a party to that transaction and does not collect Portable Tenant Screening Report fees. Active placements in progress are not affected by Portable Tenant Screening Report expiry. You will receive advance notice from the platform when your Portable Tenant Screening Report is approaching its 30-day expiry window.

Your membership fee (per the then-current Membership Pricing Schedule) is non-refundable once your verification process has been initiated.

You are responsible for ensuring all information submitted during verification is accurate and current. Submitting false or misleading information is grounds for immediate account termination without refund.

Assignment verification requires that we contact your agency recruiter directly. You must provide accurate recruiter name and agency information. Inability to verify your assignment may delay or prevent listing access.

SecuredStays does not display your profile photograph or full legal name to property owners at any time. You are identified to owners by your platform username only. This is an intentional platform design decision to prevent discriminatory selection.

Platform messaging between travelers and property owners is limited to one message from the traveler until the property owner responds. Once the owner sends their first reply, messaging is unlimited for both parties.

Assignment-Gated Contact: You may browse all listings freely at any time regardless of assignment region — no gate applies to browsing. However, if you attempt to contact a property owner outside your current verified assignment region, a verification gate is triggered. You will be prompted to submit your new assignment details through the platform. SecuredStays will contact your recruiter to verify the new assignment. Upon verification, messaging and placement requests unlock for that region. A new Portable Tenant Screening Report from Portable Tenant is required before any new placement request is initiated in the new region. The timestamp of each gate trigger, assignment submission, and verification confirmation is logged to your account.

Owner Verification & Your Protection

SecuredStays verifies both sides of every placement. Every property owner must pass four independent checks before their listing is visible to any traveler: (1) identity confirmation via Stripe Identity, (2) criminal background check cleared by a licensed third-party screening provider, (3) property ownership verified against public deed records through BatchData, and (4) entity authorization documentation reviewed and approved for entity-owned properties.

The Verified Owner badge means exactly this: the person listing the property is who they say they are, has passed a criminal background check, and has proven they own or are legally authorized to lease the property they are offering. No listing goes live without all checks approved.

For entity-owned properties (limited liability company, corporation, or trust), the owner is required to upload authorization documentation confirming they are authorized to lease on behalf of the entity. SecuredStays compliance staff review and approve this documentation before the listing goes live.

If an owner's verification is revoked after your placement begins — for any reason — SecuredStays will notify you immediately and conduct an expedited review. Active placements are not automatically terminated, but SecuredStays will work with you directly to ensure your housing and rights are protected.

You should never feel unsafe in a SecuredStays placement. If at any time you have concerns about your property owner, use the Report button on your placement page or contact admin@securedstays.com immediately.

Escrow Requirements & Lease Execution

Escrow is mandatory on every SecuredStays placement — no exceptions. You cannot move in to any property without first funding the required escrow account through the SecuredStays-approved third-party escrow provider.

Once you and the property owner have both independently confirmed lease execution by each pressing the 'Confirm Lease Signed' button within the platform, the 48-hour escrow funding clock begins automatically. Both confirmations are required — the clock does not start on one confirmation alone.

You will receive a platform notification when the clock starts and a reminder notification at the 24-hour mark if escrow remains unfunded. The clock is not paused or stopped by self-reporting — only confirmed funding as received directly from the escrow provider will stop the timer.

Upon confirmed funding you will receive a 'Placement Activated' notification and your account will enter active placement status. If the 48-hour window expires without confirmed funding, the placement is automatically nullified with no manual intervention required, the owner is notified, and the property is immediately returned to the available pool.

Your escrow payment consists of three components: (1) first month's rent, (2) security deposit as agreed in the lease, and (3) a non-refundable escrow service fee charged directly by the escrow provider per the then-current Membership Pricing Schedule.

The escrow service fee is non-refundable once the escrow transaction is opened, regardless of whether the placement proceeds to move-in.

Escrow funds are automatically disbursed to the property owner twenty-four (24) hours after your scheduled move-in date, provided no Habitability Concern Report has been submitted by you within that window. No action is required from you or the owner to trigger disbursement. Your next monthly rent payment is due 30 days after your move-in date.

Habitability Concern Report: You have the right to submit a formal Habitability Concern Report through the SecuredStays platform within twenty-four (24) hours of your scheduled move-in date. Submitting a report triggers an automatic escrow hold, pausing disbursement until the concern is reviewed. Qualifying conditions include: non-functional utilities (electricity, water, heat or air conditioning), inaccessibility (missing keys or non-functioning locks), material misrepresentation of the property relative to the listing, or an active safety hazard such as mold, pest infestation, or structural damage. Minor cleanliness issues, aesthetic differences, or subjective preferences do not qualify. SecuredStays will review your report and contact both parties within 24 hours. Submitting a false or frivolous Habitability Concern Report is a violation of platform policy and may result in account suspension, forfeiture of escrow fees, and removal from the platform.

All monthly rent payments after the first month are made directly between you and the property owner, outside of the SecuredStays platform. This is by design — SecuredStays is never involved in ongoing rent collection, and paying your owner directly is expected and required.

SecuredStays does not collect, hold, transmit, or control any escrow funds or rent payments at any time. All escrow funds are held exclusively by the approved third-party escrow provider.

If a property owner asks you to pay the initial security deposit or first month's rent directly to them outside of escrow — by Zelle, Venmo, cash, check, or any other method — use the Report button on the platform or contact admin@securedstays.com immediately. This is a serious policy violation and potential fraud.

Placement Status & Availability Window

Once escrow is confirmed funded, your account enters active placement status for the duration of your lease term. During an active placement, you may not submit new housing requests. You may browse all listings freely and use the 'Notify Me When Available' button on any currently placed listing to join that property's silent interest queue.

Beginning 14 days prior to your lease end date, your placement lock is automatically lifted and you may submit new housing requests for your next assignment.

The property listing remains fully visible and searchable throughout your active placement. A 'Currently Placed' banner and Next Availability date are displayed on the listing so that other travelers can note the upcoming opening and plan ahead.

If you choose not to extend and do not pursue a new placement, you are required to vacate the property by the lease end date as originally agreed.

Lease Terms & Extensions

All lease agreements are entered into directly between you and the property owner. SecuredStays is not a party to your lease and assumes no landlord or tenant obligations under any lease agreement.

If you wish to extend your stay beyond the original lease end date, you must provide written notice to the property owner no later than 14 days before your lease expires. Extensions must be agreed to in writing by both parties through the SecuredStays platform messaging system.

Verbal agreements to extend are not recognized by SecuredStays and do not constitute a valid extension. Written confirmation through the platform 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. Upon mutual written confirmation of an extension through the SecuredStays platform, SecuredStays will notify the escrow provider of the updated tenancy end date and the security deposit hold extends automatically through the new lease end date at no additional cost. No new Portable Tenant Screening Report is required for a lease extension.

If no extension agreement is reached, you are required to vacate the property by the lease end date as originally agreed.

Smoking Policy

Each property listing specifies the owner's smoking policy: Smoking Allowed, Not Allowed, or Outside Only. You are required to abide by the smoking policy of the property you occupy.

Violation of a property's no-smoking policy is a material breach of your lease and may result in forfeiture of your security deposit.

SecuredStays does not inspect properties, but will record reported violations in your account history. Verified violations may affect your platform standing and future placement eligibility.

If you smoke and require a smoking-friendly property, use the search filters to identify properties that permit smoking. Do not misrepresent your smoking habits during the application process.

Pet Policy

Not all properties permit pets. Each listing clearly states the pet policy. You must filter listings accordingly and only apply to properties that match your situation.

If a property permits pets, the owner may charge an additional pet fee or pet deposit agreed upon directly between you and the owner. This is entirely separate from the SecuredStays escrow amount.

Pet fees and pet deposits are paid directly to the property owner and are not held in escrow through SecuredStays. SecuredStays assumes no responsibility for pet fee disputes.

Bringing a pet into a no-pet property is a material breach of your lease and may result in immediate lease termination, forfeiture of your security deposit, and removal from the SecuredStays platform.

Dispute Resolution

If a dispute arises between you and a property owner during your tenancy, the following process applies.

Step 1 — Direct Resolution (48 hours): You and the property owner have 48 hours to resolve the dispute directly through the SecuredStays platform messaging system.

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 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.

Arbitration. Any dispute that is not resolved through the steps above is subject to mandatory binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") under its Consumer Arbitration Rules then in effect, conducted in Hillsborough County, Florida. THE PARTIES WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT OR CLASS-WIDE ARBITRATION. ALL DISPUTES SHALL BE RESOLVED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS ONLY.

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. For legal disputes, consult a licensed attorney in the state where the property is located.

Security Deposit Return

Your security deposit is governed entirely by your signed lease and the laws of the state where the property is located. SecuredStays is not responsible for the return of your security deposit.

Property owners are required to return your deposit, minus any documented and itemized deductions, within the timeframe required by state law. In Florida: 30 days if a claim is submitted with written notice; 15 days after that 30-day window closes if no claim is filed.

You are strongly encouraged to document the property's condition with dated photographs and video immediately upon move-in and again at move-out. This is your primary protection in any deposit dispute.

SecuredStays maintains escrow confirmation records and platform communications that may serve as supporting documentation in a deposit dispute. Request these records at admin@securedstays.com.

SecuredStays cannot compel a deposit return. If an owner fails to comply with state deposit law, that remedy must be pursued through applicable state law or a licensed attorney.

Screening Rights & Adverse Action

SecuredStays does not order, obtain, receive, or review any consumer report about you. SecuredStays is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and has no Fair Credit Reporting Act adverse action obligations with respect to traveler screening.

Your background screening is accomplished through a Portable Tenant Screening Report, which you obtain directly from Portable Tenant. If a property owner declines to proceed based on the contents of your Portable Tenant Screening Report, that adverse action obligation rests with the owner. Portable Tenant provides adverse action notice templates to property owners for this purpose.

If you have a question or dispute regarding the contents of your Portable Tenant Screening Report, contact Portable Tenant directly. SecuredStays does not have authority to modify, override, or correct Portable Tenant Screening Report contents.

If your Stripe Identity verification or professional license verification is unsuccessful and access is paused, contact support@securedstays.com with the subject line 'Verification Issue — [Your Name].' We will review your situation and provide a response within 3 business days. These verification decisions are based on identity and license data — not consumer reports — and are not subject to Fair Credit Reporting Act adverse action procedures.

You share your Portable Tenant Screening Report with property owners via the authenticated link you provide through the platform messaging thread. Property owners access the full report on Portable Tenant's platform. SecuredStays does not transmit, receive, or store any contents of your Portable Tenant Screening Report.

Property Condition & Platform Limitations

SecuredStays verifies property ownership and reviews submitted photographs, but does not physically inspect, certify, or warrant the condition of any listed property. Ownership verification is not a representation that the property is habitable, safe, or accurately described.

You are strongly encouraged to inspect any property before move-in and to document its condition with dated photographs and video immediately upon arrival.

If you arrive at a property and find it does not meet applicable habitability standards, you have the right to submit a Habitability Concern Report through the SecuredStays platform within twenty-four (24) hours of your scheduled move-in date. Doing so triggers an automatic escrow hold. SecuredStays will review your report and contact both parties within 24 hours. See Section 03 for qualifying conditions and full process details.

SecuredStays assumes no responsibility for property defects, habitability issues, mold, pest infestations, utility failures, structural damage, or any other physical condition of any listed property.

SecuredStays is a technology platform — not a landlord, property manager, real estate broker, or housing authority. SecuredStays is not a party to your lease and assumes no obligation under it.

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

Privacy & Data

SecuredStays protects your personal and verification data. Your Portable Tenant Screening Report, credit information, and personal details are never shared with property owners beyond what is necessary for matching.

Property owners are informed only that you are 'Verified.' Property owners access your Portable Tenant Screening Report via the authenticated link you share through the platform. SecuredStays does not share, store, or transmit your Portable Tenant Screening Report contents. Your profile photograph and full legal name are never shown to owners — you are identified by platform username only.

SecuredStays does not display your profile photograph or full legal name to property owners at any time. You are identified by your platform username only.

Your contact information is released to a property owner only after both parties have been mutually verified and have confirmed interest through the platform.

SecuredStays maintains your verification records for the duration of your membership plus 3 years.

You have the right to request a copy of the personal data SecuredStays holds about you. Contact admin@securedstays.com with the subject line 'Data Request — [Your Name].'

IMPORTANT — DOCUMENT RETENTION POLICY: SECUREDSTAYS DOES NOT STORE, RETAIN, OR ARCHIVE ANY PERSONAL DOCUMENTS, WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTION: Uploaded document images, identity scan images, uploaded files, photographs, and videos submitted during verification, move-in, move-out, or dispute processes 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.

Reporting Misconduct

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

Tapping Report opens a direct submission to the SecuredStays compliance board, where all reports are individually logged, reviewed, and resolved.

Reports may also be submitted by email at admin@securedstays.com. The Report function is available to all users at all times 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 & Removal

You agree to use the SecuredStays platform in good faith and in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

The following are grounds for immediate account termination without refund: submission of false or fraudulent verification information; attempting to pay the initial security deposit or first month's rent directly to a property owner outside of the SecuredStays-approved escrow process; harassment of property owners or SecuredStays staff; misrepresentation of your assignment or employment status; and violation of any lease term that results in a verified, documented complaint by the property owner.

Paying your monthly rent directly to your property owner after move-in is completely normal, expected, and required — this is how SecuredStays is designed and is never a violation of platform policy.

Communicating directly with your property owner by phone, text, or email after placement is also completely normal and expected. SecuredStays platform messaging is required only for pre-placement communications and formal dispute submissions.

SecuredStays reserves the right to suspend or terminate any account at its discretion for policy violations. Terminated accounts are not eligible for membership refunds.

Account Suspension and Termination

SecuredStays reserves the right to suspend, restrict, or permanently terminate any traveler account at any time, without prior notice, for any reason including but not limited to: failure to maintain verification standards; misrepresentation of professional credentials or assignment documentation; reports of misconduct; patterns of behavior inconsistent with the platform's standards; violation of any term of this Policy or the Terms of Service; or any business reason at the Company's sole discretion. Termination does not entitle you to any refund of fees paid, except where required by applicable law. All obligations accrued prior to termination shall survive.