Terms of Service

1. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years of age to use Scholar Commons. By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you are at least 18 years old and have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms. If you are under 18, you may not create an account or use the Service.

2. User Accounts and Roles

Scholar Commons offers different account types to serve our community:

• Student Accounts: For college and university students looking to buy, sell, or find housing near their campus. Students may be asked to verify their enrollment status.
• Landlord Accounts: For property owners and managers offering housing to students. Landlords are responsible for ensuring their listings comply with all applicable housing laws.
• General User Accounts: For community members who wish to participate in the marketplace without student or landlord verification.
• Admin Accounts: Reserved for Scholar Commons staff who moderate and manage the platform.

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You agree to immediately notify us of any unauthorized use of your account.

3. Account Responsibility

You are solely responsible for your account activity, including any content you post, transactions you initiate, and messages you send. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and to update such information as necessary. Providing false or misleading information may result in account suspension or termination.

4. Verification and Trust Badges

Scholar Commons offers optional verification features, including .edu email verification and trust badges. These features are designed to help build community trust, but they do not constitute an endorsement, guarantee, or warranty of any user's identity, background, or reliability.

Disclaimer: Verification badges indicate only that a user has completed certain verification steps. They do not guarantee the accuracy of any listing, the quality of any item or property, or the trustworthiness of any user. You should always exercise caution and good judgment when transacting with other users.

5. Listings and Content

Content Ownership: You retain ownership of any content you post on Scholar Commons, including listings, descriptions, images, and messages. By posting content, you grant Scholar Commons a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute such content in connection with operating and promoting the Service.

Content Standards: All listings must be accurate, not misleading, and comply with applicable laws. You may not post content that is illegal, harmful, threatening, abusive, defamatory, or otherwise objectionable.

Listing Expiration: Listings may automatically expire after a set period to keep the marketplace fresh and relevant. You may renew or repost listings according to our policies. Expired listings may be removed from public view.

6. Messaging

Our messaging system is provided to facilitate communication between users regarding listings and transactions. You agree to use messaging responsibly and in accordance with these Terms.

Messaging Rules: You may not use the messaging system for spam, harassment, solicitation, phishing, or any purpose unrelated to legitimate use of the Service. Message volume may be limited to prevent abuse. We reserve the right to monitor messages for safety and compliance purposes.

7. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to engage in any of the following prohibited activities:

• Violating any applicable laws, regulations, or third-party rights
• Posting false, misleading, or fraudulent listings or information
• Impersonating another person or entity
• Harassing, threatening, or intimidating other users
• Circumventing or manipulating our fee structure, if applicable
• Attempting to access accounts or data belonging to other users
• Using automated tools to scrape, crawl, or extract data from the Service
• Interfering with or disrupting the Service or its infrastructure
• Posting listings for prohibited items, including but not limited to weapons, drugs, stolen property, or items that violate intellectual property rights
• Engaging in discriminatory practices in housing or transactions

8. Reporting and Moderation

Users may report listings, messages, or other users they believe violate these Terms. We review reports and take action as we deem appropriate, which may include removing content, issuing warnings, or suspending or terminating accounts. We are not obligated to take any specific action in response to reports, and our decisions are final.

9. No Housing or Transaction Guarantees

Scholar Commons is a platform, not a party to transactions.We do not own, manage, or inspect any properties listed on the Service. We do not verify the accuracy of listings, the condition of items, or the reliability of users.

All transactions, including housing rentals and item sales, are between users. Scholar Commons makes no warranties or guarantees regarding the quality, safety, legality, or availability of any listing. You are solely responsible for evaluating and verifying any property, item, or user before completing a transaction.

10. Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free, that defects will be corrected, or that the Service or servers are free of viruses or other harmful components.

11. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SCHOLAR COMMONS AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, OR GOODWILL, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE, ANY TRANSACTION OR INTERACTION WITH OTHER USERS, OR THESE TERMS, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100) OR THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE PAST TWELVE MONTHS.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Scholar Commons and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising out of or related to your use of the Service, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of another.

13. Termination

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting us or using the account deletion feature, if available. We may suspend or terminate your account at any time, with or without cause or notice, including if we believe you have violated these Terms.

Upon termination, your right to use the Service will immediately cease. Provisions of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination shall survive, including ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, indemnification, and limitations of liability.

14. Changes to Terms

We may modify these Terms at any time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of these Terms and, at our discretion, by sending you an email or displaying a notice on the Service. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the new Terms.

15. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Service shall be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Delaware.

16. Contact Information

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us at: