Terms of Service

1. Who we are

Staynow is operated by Staynow Technologies, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (“Staynow”, “we”, “our”).

By creating an account or using Staynow to book or publish an offer, you accept these terms. If you do not accept them, you must not use the service.

2. What Staynow is — and is not

Staynow is an intermediary platform that connects travellers with short-term accommodation available immediately or at very short notice.

Staynow is not the accommodation provider and does not own, operate or manage the accommodation offered on the platform.

Staynow provides the platform, certain validation and arrival checks, and access to payment services provided by third-party payment providers.

The obligations relating to the stay and accommodation depend on the offer and, as applicable, on the relationship between the traveller, the host and/or the original booking holder.

Two kinds of offer can be published:

• Host offers — published by a host whose profile and required information have been validated by Staynow.
• Transfers — where a traveller offers another traveller a booking they can no longer use. Proof of the original booking is required and may be verified before the offer goes live.

3. Your account

You must be at least 18 years old to use Staynow.

Authentication may be done through “Sign in with Apple”, depending on the features available in the app.

You are responsible for the use made of your account and must take reasonable steps to keep your access secure.

The information you provide must be accurate, complete and up to date.

4. Prices and payment

The price shown for an offer is computed by Staynow’s systems according to the pricing rules applicable to that offer. Where the price changes as the deadline approaches, the price that applies is the one shown when you confirm your booking.

Payment is taken at booking, not on arrival.

Payments are processed by Stripe, including where payment is made with Apple Pay. Staynow does not store your card number.

Staynow does not hold travellers’ funds in a Staynow bank account. The processing, holding and payout of funds are handled through Stripe’s payment infrastructure according to the payment flow applicable to the booking.

Where a payment is subject to an arrival confirmation, the funds are paid out to the offer owner in accordance with the applicable payment mechanism after that confirmation.

Depending on the type of offer and the applicable payment flow, a payout may also be made as soon as the booking is made.

Staynow charges a commission of 14% of the booking price, on the terms shown at the time of booking. The remaining balance applicable to the offer is paid to the designated recipient, subject to the applicable payment conditions.

5. Cancellation and no-shows

Except where a refund is required by law or expressly provided for in these terms, a confirmed booking is non-refundable.

A no-show does not give rise to a refund.

Where a payment is subject to an arrival confirmation and you do not confirm your arrival within the allowed window, the funds are handled in accordance with the payout rules applicable to the booking.

This rule reflects how Staynow works: an offer is pulled from the feed as soon as it is booked and is generally no longer available to another traveller in the short time remaining before arrival.

You may be entitled to a refund where:

• payment fails or the booking is never confirmed;
• the offer owner withdraws the offer or fails to provide the necessary access instructions before your arrival;
• the accommodation does not exist, is inaccessible, or clearly does not match the published offer;
• a refund is otherwise required by applicable law.

Where a problem with the accommodation arises, you must contact Staynow as soon as possible at info@staynow.live and, where relevant, before confirming your arrival.

These terms do not limit any right granted to you by applicable law, including Quebec’s Consumer Protection Act.

6. Arrival confirmation

Where the booking is subject to an arrival confirmation, that confirmation is the step that verifies you are actually on site and, where the payment flow provides for it, allows the funds to be paid out to the offer owner.

• Confirmation may require your precise location in order to verify that you are near the accommodation.
• It is only available during the window around the arrival time.
• Never confirm your arrival remotely, or simply because the owner or the booking holder asks you to. An arrival confirmation can have irreversible consequences for the processing of the payment.

7. If you publish an offer

By publishing an offer, you confirm that:

• you have the right to offer the accommodation or booking concerned;
• in the case of a transfer, you actually hold the original booking and provide truthful proof of it;
• the information published is accurate and up to date;
• the photos published genuinely show the accommodation;
• the dates, conditions and characteristics of the offer are accurate;
• you provide the necessary access instructions before the traveller’s arrival;
• you comply with applicable laws and with the rules of your building, lease, condominium or any other competent authority or body;
• you obtain and maintain the permits, authorisations or registrations required for the activity offered.

In Quebec, certain tourist accommodation activities may be subject to registration or authorisation requirements. It is your responsibility to check and comply with the requirements that apply to you.

You must also complete the steps required by Stripe to receive payouts before you can publish an offer, where that setup is required.

Staynow may refuse, remove or suspend an offer, and suspend or terminate an account, including in cases of fraud, false proof, misleading information, misuse of the service, or breach of these terms.

8. Payouts

Payouts to offer owners are made by Stripe to the payout account configured with Stripe, in accordance with the applicable payment flow.

Stripe may collect directly the identity and banking information required for its legal and regulatory obligations.

Staynow does not ask users to send it their banking details where those are collected directly by Stripe for payout purposes.

You are responsible for your own tax obligations in respect of the amounts you receive, including, where the law requires it, the collection and remittance of applicable taxes.

9. Prohibited conduct

You must not:

• publish a fictitious or misleading offer;
• publish a booking you do not hold;
• provide false proof of a booking;
• request or make a payment outside Staynow for a booking made on Staynow;
• ask a traveller to confirm their arrival before they are actually on site;
• circumvent Staynow’s payment or security mechanisms;
• impersonate another person or create multiple accounts in order to circumvent the rules of the service;
• use Staynow for illegal or fraudulent purposes.

10. Liability

Staynow provides a platform for publishing, discovering and booking accommodation offers.

Staynow does not own, operate or manage the accommodation offered and cannot guarantee the quality, safety, compliance or legality of an accommodation, nor the conduct of a user.

Staynow may, however, carry out certain checks, validations or safety measures described in the app or in these terms. Those checks do not constitute a general guarantee concerning an accommodation or a user.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, Staynow’s liability in respect of a booking is limited to the amount paid for that booking.

Nothing in these terms limits or excludes liability that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded.

11. Suspension and termination

You can delete your account at any time, subject to the restrictions that apply while a confirmed booking is still in progress.

Staynow may suspend or terminate an account where reasonably necessary, including in cases of breach of these terms, fraud, illegal activity, or risk to the safety of the service or its users.

12. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws applicable in the province of Quebec and by the laws of Canada applicable therein.

Any provision relating to the jurisdiction of the courts applies subject to the mandatory rights granted to consumers by applicable law.

13. Changes

Staynow may change these terms where necessary, including to reflect changes to the service, technical changes or legal requirements.

Significant changes will be signalled appropriately in the app or by any other means provided for by law.

The last updated date at the top of these terms indicates the version in force.

14. Contact

For any question about these terms: info@staynow.live

See also our Privacy Policy.