Terms of Service

• You must be at least 18 years old
• You must have the legal capacity to enter into a binding contract under Nigerian law
• Property Owners must be the owner of, or have legal authority to list, the property
• Businesses must be duly incorporated or registered in their country of operation
• You must not have been previously suspended or banned from the Platform

• You must provide accurate, complete, and current registration information
• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials
• You must notify us immediately of any unauthorised access to your account at hello@uselodger.com
• One person or entity may not maintain more than one active account without prior written consent
• You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account

UseLodger may require Property Owners to complete identity verification before their listings go live. This may include uploading a government-issued ID (NIN, BVN confirmation, or international passport). Verification is required to create a Paystack subaccount and receive Payouts.

• All Listing information must be accurate, complete, and not misleading
• Photos must be genuine photos of the actual property — stock images or photos of other properties are prohibited
• Pricing shown on Listings is the price charged to Guests — no hidden fees may be added after booking
• Property Owners must keep availability calendars current to prevent double bookings
• Listings must comply with all applicable Nigerian laws, including local government permit requirements
• Short-term rental operations must be compliant with Lagos State and other relevant state regulations

• Property Owners must honour all confirmed Bookings unless extraordinary circumstances apply
• The property must substantially match the Listing description at the time of check-in
• Property Owners must respond to Guest enquiries within 24 hours
• Check-in arrangements must be communicated to Guests at least 24 hours before arrival
• Property Owners are responsible for meeting all safety and habitability standards

• Properties listed without the owner's knowledge or legal authorisation
• Properties that violate zoning, planning, or tenancy laws
• Properties that cannot be legally used for short-term accommodation
• Properties with known safety hazards not disclosed to Guests
• Duplicate listings for the same property

To receive Payouts, Property Owners must add a valid Nigerian bank account. UseLodger will create a Paystack subaccount using the provided bank details. Property Owners warrant that:

• The bank account belongs to them or their registered business
• The account details provided are accurate and current
• They will update their bank details promptly if they change
• They accept that 5% of each Transaction will be retained by UseLodger as the Platform Fee

• Guests must be at least 18 years old to make a Booking
• Booking requests are an offer to book — a Booking is only confirmed upon payment (instant) or host acceptance (request-to-book)
• Guests must provide accurate personal details during booking
• Guests are responsible for reading the full Listing description, house rules, and cancellation policy before booking
• Guests may not book on behalf of a third party without disclosing this

Cancellation policies are set by each Property Owner and displayed on every Listing before payment. The available policies are:

• Flexible — full refund if cancelled at least 24 hours before check-in
• Moderate — full refund if cancelled at least 5 days before check-in
• Strict — 50% refund if cancelled at least 7 days before check-in
• Non-refundable — no refund under any circumstances

Platform Fees are refunded proportionally when a Guest receives a refund. Refunds are processed to the original payment method within 5–10 business days.

• Guests must treat properties with care and leave them in the condition found
• Guests are liable for any damage caused during their stay beyond normal wear and tear
• Guests must comply with all house rules stated in the Listing
• Guests may not sublease, assign, or transfer their Booking to another person
• Guests must report maintenance issues or safety concerns to the Property Owner promptly

UseLodger charges a 5% Platform Fee on every Transaction processed through the Platform. This fee is deducted automatically at the point of payment via Paystack's split payment infrastructure.

• The Platform Fee applies to all Transactions — bookings, restaurant orders, and any other paid services on the Platform
• The Platform Fee is calculated on the gross Transaction amount before Paystack's own processing fees
• Property Owners receive 95% of the Transaction amount via their linked Paystack subaccount
• Paystack's transaction processing fees are separate and are governed by Paystack's own fee schedule
• UseLodger reserves the right to adjust the Platform Fee rate with 60 days' written notice to all Property Owners

Paystack settles funds to Property Owners on a T+1 business day cycle. UseLodger has no control over Paystack settlement timelines. Delays caused by bank processing, public holidays, or Paystack infrastructure issues are not the responsibility of UseLodger.

In the event of a payment dispute or chargeback initiated by a Guest:

• UseLodger will notify the Property Owner within 24 hours of receiving the dispute
• The Property Owner must provide evidence to support the transaction within 5 business days
• If a chargeback is upheld, the disputed amount (including the Platform Fee) will be recovered from the Property Owner's future Payouts
• Repeated chargebacks may result in account suspension

Property Owners are solely responsible for determining and paying any taxes applicable to their income, including income tax and VAT obligations under Nigerian law. UseLodger applies 7.5% VAT to Platform Fees where required. UseLodger will provide transaction records to assist with tax compliance but does not provide tax advice.

• Posting false, misleading, or fraudulent information
• Manipulating reviews — including offering incentives for positive reviews or posting fake reviews
• Circumventing the Platform by arranging bookings outside UseLodger to avoid the Platform Fee
• Harassing, threatening, or discriminating against other users
• Using the Platform to facilitate illegal activities
• Attempting to reverse-engineer, scrape, or copy the Platform
• Creating fake accounts or impersonating another person or business
• Uploading malware, viruses, or any malicious code
• Engaging in price gouging, bait-and-switch pricing, or deceptive listing practices

• Content must be truthful and not violate any third-party rights
• Photos must be of the actual property and not digitally altered to misrepresent condition
• Listings must not contain offensive, discriminatory, or inappropriate content
• Property Owners must not include contact details in Listing descriptions (use Platform messaging)

The Platform, including its design, code, trademarks, brand assets, and all original content created by UseLodger, is owned by UseLodger Technologies Limited and protected by Nigerian and international IP law. You may not copy, reproduce, or create derivative works from any part of the Platform without written permission.

You retain ownership of any Content you upload to the Platform (photos, descriptions, etc.). By uploading Content, you grant UseLodger a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to:

• Display your Listing Content to Guests browsing the Platform
• Store and serve your media files via Cloudinary CDN
• Use anonymised versions of your data to improve the Platform and AI features
• Feature your property in marketing materials (with prior notice — you may opt out)

This licence ends when you delete your Listing or close your account, except where we are required to retain data by law.

• The accuracy of Listing descriptions, photos, or pricing provided by Property Owners
• The condition, safety, or habitability of any listed property
• Any loss, injury, or damage suffered by Guests during a stay
• Property damage caused by Guests
• Failure of a Property Owner to honour a confirmed Booking
• Delays or failures in Paystack settlement
• Loss of revenue due to Platform downtime (subject to a target of 99.5% availability)
• Any indirect, consequential, or incidental losses

To the maximum extent permitted by Nigerian law, UseLodger's total liability to any user for any claim arising from these Terms or use of the Platform shall not exceed the greater of:

• The Platform Fees paid by that user to UseLodger in the 3 months preceding the claim, or
• ₦50,000 (fifty thousand Naira)

We may suspend or terminate your account at any time, with or without notice, if:

• You breach any provision of these Terms
• We reasonably suspect fraudulent, deceptive, or abusive activity
• We receive a court order or regulatory direction requiring us to do so
• Repeated Guest complaints indicate persistent quality or safety issues
• You have arranged off-platform payments
• Your account has been inactive for more than 24 consecutive months

• All active Bookings must still be honoured or guests refunded
• Pending Payouts for completed stays will be disbursed on the normal schedule
• Your Content will be removed from public view within 48 hours
• Financial records will be retained for 7 years as required by Nigerian law
• You may request a copy of your data within 30 days of termination

You may close your account at any time from Account Settings → Profile. Closing your account does not release any obligations you have incurred prior to closure, including outstanding Platform Fees or Guest refunds owed.

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, including but not limited to:

• The Nigerian Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) 2019
• The Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023
• The Consumer Protection Council Act
• The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018
• The Electronic Transactions Act (where applicable)

In the event of any dispute arising from these Terms or use of the Platform, the parties agree to the following escalation process:

• Step 1 — Informal resolution: Contact support at hello@uselodger.com. We will respond within 5 business days and attempt to resolve the issue
• Step 2 — Mediation: If unresolved after 14 days, either party may request mediation through a mutually agreed Nigerian mediator
• Step 3 — Arbitration: If mediation fails, disputes shall be resolved by binding arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, Cap A18 LFN 2004, seated in Lagos
• Step 4 — Litigation: Either party may pursue litigation in the courts of Lagos State as a last resort

You irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Lagos State, Nigeria for any matters not resolved through the dispute resolution process above.