Terms of Service

1. What StayGuard does

StayGuard provides an identity-verification and fraud-screening service designed for Canadian short-term-rental hosts operating outside platforms like Airbnb and VRBO. We verify the guest’s identity through a third-party provider, check for basic fraud signals, and return a recommended action to the host. We do not manage bookings, take payment for stays, or act as a platform.

2. Accounts and eligibility

• You must be at least 18 years old to create an account.
• Hosts are responsible for complying with applicable short-term-rental, tax, and accessibility laws in their jurisdiction. StayGuard does not verify this.
• You are responsible for the security of your account credentials and for all activity on your account.

3. Host responsibilities and guest consent

As a host, when you send a verification link you confirm that:

• You have an active booking inquiry or agreement with the guest and a legitimate need to verify their identity.
• The guest will receive a clear consent screen before any data collection begins; the guest must affirmatively consent for the verification to run.
• You will not use the StayGuard service to screen anyone for any purpose other than a genuine booking decision (for example, employment screening, tenancy screening for long-term leases, or third-party background checks are out of scope).
• You will not share, export, or resell any StayGuard output beyond the minimum needed to make the booking decision.

4. Guest rights

As a guest completing a StayGuard verification you:

• See exactly what data will be collected and who will see what, before you consent.
• May decline verification at any time before submission without penalty from StayGuard.
• Can request a correction, access copy, or withdrawal via privacy@stayguard.ca.
• Are never shown to the host in raw form — the host only sees attestations and recommendations derived from your data.

5. Pricing and payment

• Pay-as-you-go: $9 CAD per billable terminal decision (approve, approve-with-deposit, or decline) charged at the time of the decision.
• Starter plan: $59 CAD per month, includes 10 verifications; overage billed at the PAYG rate.
• Pro plan: $149 CAD per month, includes 25 verifications; overage billed at the PAYG rate.
• Taxes (GST/HST where applicable) are added at checkout based on your billing province.
• Subscription fees are non-refundable once charged, but you may cancel at any time through the billing portal; cancellation takes effect at the end of the current period.
• Promo codes and discounts expire per their stated terms.

6. Booking protection plans

Any booking-protection plan offered through StayGuard is provided through partner-ready underwriting arrangements. StayGuard does not currently self-underwrite insurance. The terms, exclusions, and claim handling for a given plan are governed by the partner contract shown to you at time of selection. StayGuard’s liability in respect of such plans is limited to the fees you paid for the plan selection.

7. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• Submit false, stolen, or forged identity documents, or impersonate another person.
• Use the service to screen individuals without a booking context.
• Attempt to reverse-engineer, probe, or disrupt StayGuard’s rules engine, infrastructure, or security controls.
• Scrape or bulk-export data from the dashboard beyond your own workspace.
• Use StayGuard to harass, discriminate, or retaliate against any person.

We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these rules, at our sole discretion.

8. Data ownership

Hosts retain ownership of their own booking and business information. Guests retain ownership of the personal information they submit. StayGuard holds a limited licence to process both, solely to operate the service, as described in our Privacy Policy. Aggregated, de-identified data may be used by StayGuard to improve fraud detection.

9. Service availability

StayGuard is provided “as is”. We target 99% monthly availability but make no uptime guarantee in these terms. We may change, pause, or remove features on reasonable notice (typically 14 days for material changes affecting active accounts).

10. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by Canadian law, StayGuard’s total liability for any claim arising out of or relating to the service is limited to the fees you paid StayGuard in the 12 months preceding the event giving rise to the claim. StayGuard is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages (including lost bookings, lost rental income, or reputational harm).

Nothing in these terms limits liability for fraud, willful misconduct, or liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify StayGuard against third-party claims arising from (a) your breach of these terms, (b) your misuse of the service, or (c) your violation of the rights of a guest or any third party.

12. Termination

You may close your account at any time from the billing portal. We may suspend or terminate your account for cause (including breach of section 7) or for convenience on 30 days’ notice. On termination we retain data per the retention schedule in the Privacy Policy.

13. Governing law and disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein. The courts of Ontario have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute not otherwise resolvable, subject to any non-waivable consumer-protection rights you may have in your home province.

14. Changes

We may update these terms from time to time. Material changes will be announced at least 14 days in advance by email to active account holders. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance.

15. Contact

Questions: support@stayguard.ca. Privacy: privacy@stayguard.ca. Legal notices: StayGuard, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.