ASUM Renter Center Announces New Tool for Users:
Terms of Service answer all your questions about creating rental listings on Housing Finder
What are Terms of Service?
Say you’ve got a great rental property available or are looking for a roommate to help split the cost of rent and you’d to create a listing on ASUM Renter Center’s Housing Finder. You’ve looked over other listings to get a feel for how they are worded, but you aren’t quite sure what you can and can’t advertise. You’re unsure if your listing can specify “smoker or non-“, “drinker or non-“, “student or non-“… You get the picture. You’ve got some ideas about the types of tenants or roommates you’re looking for, but you just don’t know if you can advertise for them, or how. What do you do?
You check out the Housing Finder’s new Terms of Service.
Terms of Service are an agreement between one who provides a service and one who uses it. Usually, the person using the service agrees to abide by the provider’s terms. In other words, when you use the Housing Finder to list your property, you are agreeing to list your property according to the Housing Finder’s terms.
Why does ASUM Renter Center have them?
The Housing Finders Terms of Service not only set out guidelines for how to list your property; they also describe your rights as a user. These terms have been added to make the process for listing easier to understand and to inform you of your responsibilities. The terms are provided to protect everyone involved, and they authorize the Renter Center to supervise property listings and remove those listings that do not comply. The goal of the Terms of Service is to keep the Housing Finder safe, helpful and beneficial for everyone who uses it.
Why should you care about Terms of Service?
When you are unsure of how to advertise for renters or roommates, the Terms of Service explain how to create your listing so that it complies with the law. If you have a question about whether or not you can advertise for a “female roommate” or a “male, non-smoker, graduate student,” the Terms of Service answers it. The terms list content that can and cannot be in a listing. If your listing violates the Terms of Service, you can expect that it will be removed. So if you want to ensure your listing will stay up, refer to the Terms of Service and make sure it complies.
Flag inappropriate listings
We moderate posts on the Housing Finder, but we are not always the first to see inappropriate posts. If you see a post that is discriminatory or otherwise violates our Terms of Service, please flag it by clicking or tapping the red flag icon in the top right corner.
Recap: What are the highlights of the new TOS?
They tell you what’s okay and not okay to advertise in your listing. Permitted and prohibited content is listed so check it out to make sure your listing complies.
No discrimination; keep it legal and be kind. The laws strictly forbid discrimination in rental listings. Refer to the Terms of Service to make sure your listing doesn’t discriminate against classes of persons based on race, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, marital status, and/or familial status.
User information: what’s private and what’s not. Read the terms to know and understand your rights and responsibilities.
Renter Center control over listings’ goal is to protect students. Keep in mind that listings that violate the terms are subject to removal. The Renter Center will take down your listing for violating the terms, so know them and use them to create helpful listings that will get your property rented.
