Review & Rating Policy

Last updated: 14 July 2026 · Version 2

Reviews are being introduced gradually; this policy applies wherever review features are visible, and forms part of the Terms.

1. Who may review

Only signed-in users with a verifiable interaction with the property (a recorded contact/lead on StayLocal) may review it. "Drive-by" reviews without interaction are not accepted. One review per user per property; you may edit or delete your own review, with edit history retained for moderation.

2. Content standards

Reviews must reflect genuine personal experience and be factual in tone. Not allowed: profanity or hate speech; personal data of any individual (phone numbers, exact door numbers of occupied homes, vehicle plates, photos of people without consent); allegations of criminal conduct (report those at /report instead — reviews are not a court); promotional/affiliate content; content unrelated to the rental experience.

3. Prohibited manipulation

• Fake, purchased, or incentivised reviews (including discounts for positive reviews).
• Reviews by the lister, their family, employees, or associates of their own property — or of competitors.
• Review swaps and coordinated campaigns.
• Extortion in either direction — "pay me or I post a bad review" and "remove your review or else" both violate this policy and the Community Guidelines; report immediately.
• Retaliatory reviews following a dispute unrelated to the stay/visit experience.

4. Moderation and lister responses

Reviews are moderated before display under the Content Moderation Policy. We do not remove reviews merely for being negative; we remove them for violating this policy. Listers may post one public reply per review, moderated by the same standards. Ratings feed listing quality signals; manipulation attempts void the affected signals.

5. Removal requests and appeals

Request removal via /report (category: review) with specifics; appeal moderation outcomes via the Grievance Redressal Policy. Court-ordered removals are honoured per the Law Enforcement Request Policy.