Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("you," "user") and RoommateAds.com ("RoommateAds," "we," "us," or "our") governing your access to and use of roommateads.com (the "Site").

By accessing or using the Site, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, you may not use the Site.

1. Eligibility (18+ Only)

You must be at least 18 years old to use the Site. By using the Site, you represent and warrant that you are 18 or older and legally able to enter into a binding contract.

We prohibit use of the Site by minors. We may suspend or terminate any account we reasonably believe belongs to a person under 18.

2. Accounts

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity under your account.

You agree that:

• Accounts are personal and non-transferable
• You will not share, sell, or transfer your account
• We may suspend or terminate accounts at our discretion
• We may reclaim usernames or identifiers at any time

You must notify us immediately at webmaster@roommateads.com of unauthorized account use.

3. User Content & License

You retain ownership of content you submit ("User Content").

By submitting User Content, you grant RoommateAds a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable license to host, store, display, reproduce, distribute, and adapt such content solely to operate, improve, and promote the Site.

We may remove or restrict any User Content at any time for any reason, including suspected violations of these Terms.

4. Prohibited Content

You may not post or transmit content that:

• Is false, misleading, fraudulent, or deceptive
• Violates applicable law or regulation
• Infringes intellectual property or privacy rights
• Contains harassment, hate speech, threats, or defamation
• Contains malware, viruses, or malicious code
• Constitutes spam, scams, pyramid schemes, or solicitation abuse
• Includes personal data of others without consent
• Attempts to impersonate any person or entity
• Contains discriminatory housing preferences prohibited by law

5. Fair Housing & Non-Discrimination

RoommateAds prohibits discriminatory listings where prohibited by law.

You are solely responsible for ensuring your listings comply with all applicable fair housing, civil rights, and anti-discrimination laws.

We reserve the right to remove any listing that we determine, in our discretion, may violate applicable housing discrimination laws or platform integrity standards.

6. User Risk & Interactions

RoommateAds is a neutral platform. We do not vet, screen, or guarantee users, listings, or outcomes.

You acknowledge that:

• You interact with other users at your own risk
• We are not responsible for user conduct or disputes
• We are not a party to any lease, agreement, or transaction

Use caution when sharing personal information, meeting others, or transferring funds.

7. Identity Verification (Optional)

We may offer optional identity verification. Verification is entirely voluntary and is provided as a convenience feature only.

By submitting verification information, you:

• Confirm the information is accurate and belongs to you
• Consent to processing of government ID images, selfies, and biometric-derived identifiers for verification purposes
• Acknowledge we may use third-party automated systems to perform verification

We may delete, retain, or anonymize verification data in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable law. Submitting fraudulent or third-party identity information is prohibited and may result in immediate termination and referral to law enforcement.

The Verified badge confirms only that, at the time of submission, a government-issued ID image and a live selfie were found to be consistent by our automated system. It does not confirm identity with legal certainty, does not constitute a background check, and does not represent any endorsement, warranty, or guarantee of that user’s character, honesty, intentions, criminal history, or future conduct.

RoommateAds expressly disclaims all liability for any act, omission, harm, loss, or damage caused by any user, regardless of whether that user has completed identity verification. The existence of a Verified badge on a user’s profile creates no duty of care, no warranty of fitness, and no transfer of responsibility from that user to RoommateAds. You interact with all other users entirely at your own risk.

8. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• Use the Site for unlawful purposes
• Harass, stalk, threaten, or harm users
• Scrape, crawl, or harvest data without permission
• Attempt to bypass security or access unauthorized accounts
• Post duplicate or spam listings
• Interfere with Site operation or performance
• Use the Site to distribute unsolicited commercial messages
• Create fake accounts or evade enforcement actions

9. DMCA Copyright Policy

We comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. §512).

If you believe content infringes your copyright, send a notice to webmaster@roommateads.com including:

• Identification of the copyrighted work
• Identification of the allegedly infringing material
• Your contact information
• A statement of good-faith belief of unauthorized use
• A statement under penalty of perjury of accuracy and authority
• Your physical or electronic signature

We may terminate repeat infringers where appropriate.

10. Intellectual Property

The Site, including all software, design, text, graphics, and branding, is owned by RoommateAds or its licensors and is protected by applicable intellectual property laws.

You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works without prior written permission.

11. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SITE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS.

WE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT GUARANTEE UNINTERRUPTED, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE OPERATION.

12. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ROOMMATEADS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF YOUR USE OF THE SITE.

Our total aggregate liability shall not exceed the greater of:

• $100, or
• the amount you paid to us in the 12 months preceding the claim

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless RoommateAds from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including attorneys' fees) arising from:

• Your use of the Site
• Your User Content
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your interaction with other users

14. Arbitration & Class Action Waiver

You agree that any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Site shall be resolved through binding individual arbitration, rather than in court, except where prohibited by law.

You waive any right to:

• A jury trial
• Participate in a class action or representative proceeding

15. Liquidated Damages (Abuse & Spam Only)

For violations involving spam, automated posting, scraping, or fraudulent mass listings where actual damages are difficult to calculate, you agree RoommateAds may recover liquidated damages of up to $100 per violating post or action, where enforceable by law.

This does not apply where prohibited by law.

16. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access at any time, with or without notice, for any reason including violation of these Terms.

Upon termination, your license to use the Site immediately ceases.

17. Third-Party Disputes

You agree that disputes between users are solely between those users. RoommateAds has no obligation to intervene but may do so at its discretion.

18. Force Majeure

We are not liable for delays or failure to perform resulting from events beyond our reasonable control, including internet outages, natural disasters, or governmental actions.

19. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Subject to the arbitration clause, exclusive venue shall be the state and federal courts in Suffolk County, Massachusetts.

20. Severability

If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect.

21. Changes to Terms

We may modify these Terms at any time. Continued use of the Site constitutes acceptance of updated Terms.

22. Contact

Questions may be directed to webmaster@roommateads.com.

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