Terms and Conditions for Hosts

These terms and conditions, as may be amended from time to time, apply to our services made available online for Hosts. By accessing, browsing and using our website ROYALCOTTAGES.CA and/or by purchasing our service you acknowledge and agree to have read, understood and agree to the terms and conditions set out below (including our Privacy Policy).

These pages, the content, and infrastructure of these pages and the online reservation service (including the facilitation of payment service through a third party provider), provided by us on these pages and through the website are either owned, operated and/or provided by royalcottages.ca and are provided for your personal use only, subject to the terms and conditions set out below.

Any Host may have, declare applicable and/or require (acceptance of) - in addition to the policies and fine print as disclosed on the website, their own terms and conditions, policies and house rules for the use, access and consumption of their service by Guest (which may include certain disclaimers and limitations of liability) at their own discretion.

Royal Cottages takes no responsibility with the policies and fine print as provided by each host respectively.

All definitions used in Terms and Conditions for Hosts fully comply with definitions specified in General Terms and Conditions that are posted on this Platform/Website.

2. Scope & Nature of Our Service

Through the Platform, we provide an online service where Hosts, as Service Providers, can advertise, market, promote and/or offer their Property for rent, and where relevant visitors of the Platform can discover, search, compare, submit an inquiry, send message, make a reservation and/or payment.

From the point at which the Guest made their reservation (and/or sent inquiry), Royal Cottages acts solely as an intermediary between the Guest and the Host, unless the Guest and the Host enter into a direct contractual relationship with each other, and the Guest pays for the Services directly to the Host, Royal Cottages transmits the relevant details for the Reservation and/or Inquiry to the relevant Host(s) and sends the Guest a confirmation email for and on behalf of the Host. Royal Cottages also accepts, retains & pays out charges made for the rental of the Property (via a third-party payment processor) in accordance with the Reservation details to the respective party. Royal Cottages does not rent out nor own any Property.

When rendering our Service, the information that we disclose is based on the information provided to us solely by Hosts. As such, only the Host remains responsible at all times for the accuracy, completeness, and correctness of the (descriptive) information (including but not limited to the rates/fees/prices, policies, conditions, house rules, location, amenities and availability) displayed on our Platform. Our Platform does not constitute and should not be regarded as a recommendation or endorsement of the quality, service level, qualification, (star) rating, or type of accommodation of any Host (main or supplemental) services made available, unless explicitly indicated or set out otherwise.

Our Service is made available for personal and non-commercial use only. Therefore, you are not allowed to copy or/and scrape infrastructure of the Platform or use Royal Cottages’ brand without our express written permission.

3. Host Program

The Host program consists of four membership levels (Basic, Silver, Gold and Platinum) based on services provided through the Platform, each with different tiers or features and/or selected options. After simple and easy registration on our Platform/Website, Hosts can set up their Property listing on the easy to use back-end interface where Hosts can include & manage Property(s) photos/videos, rates, dates of availability, cancellation policy and their own House Rules, which Guests can view and book or inquire about on the front end and quickly find Host’s Property using our Platform’ search engine.

Basic Membership Level allows Hosts to create their Cottage Landing Page (“listings”) with ten (10) photos of their cottage, as well as rental rates and availability calendar.

Silver Membership Level allows Hosts to create their listings with thirty (30) photos and one (1) video of their cottage, rental rates and availability calendar, as well as page visitor & inquiry statistics/history and priority appearance to cottages on Basic level for Guests in our search engine and all listings section of the Platform.

Gold Membership Level allows Hosts to create their listings with forty (40) photos and two (2) videos of their cottage, rental rates and availability calendar, as well as page visitor, inquiry, booking & payout transactions statistics, client contacts, priority appearance to cottages on Silver & Basic levels and online booking capability for Guests.

Platinum Membership Level allows Hosts to create their listings with sixty (60) photos and two (2) videos of their cottage, rental rates and availability calendar, as well as page visitor, inquiry, booking & payout transactions statistics, client contacts, rate analysis/profitability, monthly earnings financial reporting, priority appearance to cottages on Gold, Silver & Basic levels and online booking capabilities for Guests. Moreover, the Host’ Service provided to Guests can be customized upon execution of joint separate Platinum Service agreement between Royal Cottages and Host to include calendar & rates management and synchronization with Airbnb and VRBO as well as guest communication by Royal Cottages amongst other optional services such as Advertising & Cleaning of Property.

Membership levels may vary and may be subject to change at the sole discretion of Royal Cottages. Royal Cottages may, at its discretion, (partially) alter, limit, or modify the Host program structure or any other feature of the program subject to Host level(s), for any reason, without prior notice.

By using our Services, the Host agrees and understands that he/she (they or their legal representatives) must respect and obey the present Terms and Conditions, Ontario municipal and provincial legislations, and Canadian Federal Laws, while renting out the Property to Guests.

4. Payments and Charges

Our Basic Membership Service is free of charge for Hosts who are dealing directly with Guests through email or phone after Guests submit initial inquiry through the Platform. They will pay the Host the relevant amount as directly agreed upon outside of the realm of the Platform.

The cost of our Silver Membership Service is one hundred dollars ($100) plus (13%) HST per year. We are not a party to any parent transaction between Hosts and Guests who are dealing directly with each other via email or phone after submitting an initial inquiry through the Platform.

If Host subscribed for Gold or Platinum Membership Service, Royal Cottages remits all fees/dues as specified on the Host’s listing(s) for each completed booking/reservation to the Host’s Stripe account (which should be created along with Membership account) the next day after Guest(s) check-in, minus applicable commissions/service fees as specified below and in Membership level. The security deposit which is withheld from Guest with each booking/reservation, is remitted to the Host pursuant to provisions of Section 7 of the present Host Terms and Conditions.

Royal Cottages also remits to the Host’s Stripe account the amount of Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) (equal to thirteen present (13%) of total amount of accommodation price/nightly rate, cleaning fee and pet fee indicated on the Host’s listing(s)) and Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) (equal to four percent (4%) of total amount of accommodation price/nightly rate), if the Host has provided accurate HST and MAT account numbers in their back end, for each completed booking/reservation next day after Guest’s check-in.

The Host hereby agrees that Royal Cottages will charge Hosts a two percent (2%) commission/Service Fee on all online bookings, if any, deducted from each booking/transaction payout, for providing its Gold or Platinum Membership Service.

In order for Royal Cottages to remit funds due to Host as specified above, Host is responsible for setting up accurate & legal bank account details within the third party (Stripe) payment processor portal before the first online booking/reservation can be completed. We take no responsibility for the accuracy/validity of the bank account details provided, nor the Hosts ownership of the bank account. Host agrees and takes full responsibility for receiving funds into the bank account provided by them within the third party payment processor portal, because Royal Cottages at no point has access to / visibility of the bank account details.

5. Correspondence and Communication

By creating an account with Royal Cottages, Host agrees to receive email and/or text correspondence with respect to Guest inquiry, Guest booking, payout & payment process, claim resolution and identity verification etc, as well as site information, upgrades and offers (including third-party offers to the extent that Host has actively opted in for this information). See our Privacy Policy for more information about how we may make contact.

Royal Cottages disclaims any liability or responsibility for any outcome or communication, or content exchanged by or with the Host on or through its platform. You cannot derive any rights from any request, inquiry to, or communication with the Host or (any form of) acknowledgement of receipt of any communication or request. Royal Cottages cannot guarantee that any request, inquiry, or communication will be (duly and timely) received/read by, complied with, executed, or accepted by the Host. Royal Cottages disclaims any liability or responsibility for any communication by or accuracy of information provided by Host and/or Guest through inquiry or through communication with each of them

6. Procedural and Cancellation Policy

According to Ontario legislations, Royal Cottages are prohibited from participating in transactions for renting out premises that do not belong to the Hosts, renting out premises without valid property insurance permitting them to rent the cottage or reselling their bookings to other Hosts/cottages, other than the premises booked by Guests.

Host is eligible to appoint his/her/their Legal Representative to deal with Royal Cottages by providing the signed Written Authorization Form specified by Royal Cottages of the Platform/website.

Therefore, the Host agrees to provide Royal Cottages with the following documents by uploading them to his/her account at the Platform/website:

Royal Cottages reserves the right to revoke and cancel the Host membership of any individual in the event of violation of these Terms and Conditions, such as providing false personal/listing information, account info (if applicable), etc. Royal Cottages furthermore reserves the right to revoke and cancel the Host membership of any individual who engages in inappropriate behavior, such as violence, threat, harassment, discrimination, obscenity, or fraud in relation to Royal Cottages (or its employees and agents) and/or the accommodation of Guests.

The Host membership is created for each individual cottage Property listed on the Platform/website and is linked to Host account on Royal Cottages and will not expire or otherwise terminate unless Host terminates, closes, deletes, or otherwise revokes Host’s account. Without notice to Host, Royal Cottages also reserves the right to “unregister” or otherwise disable an account that is inactive. An inactive account is defined as an account that has not had any inquiries or process any reservations for more than three (3) years. In the event that the account is disabled, the Host will no longer be eligible for the features, if any. The Host may reactivate the account by making a written request to Royal Cottages at info@royalcottages.ca.

Host understands and agrees that all disputed issues should be addressed ONLY to the Guest and resolved ONLY with Guest in the manner stipulated by provisions of legislation of the province of Ontario.

At the same time, Royal Cottages provides certain assistance to Hosts in resolving their disputes regarding the security deposit as specified in section 7 of this Terms and Condition

7. Security Deposit Process

Security Deposit withheld from Guest for each booking/reservation is the amount specified on the Host’s listing(s) and is a collateral in case the Host’s Property (or part of one) is damaged by the Guest or those traveling with the Guest.

For using non-online payment service to book the Property (such as in direct dealings with Host), the Guest pays/requests refund of Security Deposit directly to/from the Host and deals directly with the Host in dispute situation, if any. In this case, Royal Cottages is unable to provide the Guest or Host with any assistance. In case of using online payment service to book the Host’s Property, Royal Cottages keep the Guest’s Security Deposit in its trust bank account and returns the full amount of Security Deposit to the Guest following seven (7) business days after the Guest’s check- out date (additional processing times set out by our third party payment processor may apply which are outside of the control of Royal Cottages), unless provisions specified hereinunder apply.

Host has a right to claim all or part of the Guest’s Security Deposit within seven (7) calendar days after the Guest’s check-out date (or before the next Guest’s check- in date of the Property, if the Host agrees to make a reservation for a new Guest, whichever is earlier) by providing Royal Cottages with appropriate Claim Form through their back-end along with written explanations and photos/videos, which will be forwarded to the Guest.

In this case, Security Deposit (fully or partially) will be returned to the Guest, if Royal Cottages will be provided with one of the following:

a) joint written Authorization originally signed by BOTH the Host and the Guest specifying the agreed upon amount to be paid respectively.

b) an appropriate court order.

Once again, Host understands and agrees that disputed issues regarding Security Deposit should be resolved ONLY between the Host and the Guest in the manner stipulated by provisions of legislation of the province of Ontario

8. Disclaimer

Neither Royal Cottages nor any of our officers, directors, employees, representatives, subsidiaries, affiliated companies, distributors, affiliate (distribution) partners, developers, licensees, agents, or others involved in creating, sponsoring, promoting, or otherwise making available the site and its contents will be liable for (i) any punitive, special, indirect, or consequential loss or damages, any loss of production, loss of profit, loss of revenue, loss of contract, loss of or damage to goodwill or reputation, loss of claim, (ii) any inaccuracy relating to the (descriptive) information (including rates, availability, location, condition of property and ratings) of the Host as made available on our Platform, (iii) the Services rendered or the products offered by the Service Provider or other business partners, (iv) any (direct, indirect, consequential, or punitive) damages, losses, or costs suffered, incurred, or paid by you, pursuant to, arising out of or in connection with the use, inability to use, or delay of our Platform, or (v) any (personal) injury, death, property damage, or other (direct, indirect, special, consequential, or punitive) damages, losses, or costs suffered, incurred or paid by you, whether due to (legal) acts, errors, breaches, (gross) negligence, willful misconduct, omissions, non-performance, misrepresentations, tort or strict liability by or (wholly or partly) attributable to the Service Provider or any of our other business partners (including any of their employees, directors, officers, agents, representatives, subcontractors, or affiliated companies) whose service are (directly or indirectly) made available, offered, or promoted on or through the Platform, including any (partial) cancellation, overbooking, strike, force majeure, forces of nature or any other event beyond our control.

Hosts must take all efforts to ensure the information on their listing page is accurate, up to date & not misleading. Host agrees to ensure their Property is safe for potential Guests and any “natural” potential hazards have been explained to Guest in writing.

Royal Cottages is not responsible (and disclaims any liability) for the use, validity, quality, suitability, fitness, and due disclosure of the Service and makes no representations, warranties, or conditions of any kind in this respect, whether implied, statutory or otherwise, including any implied warranties of merchantability, title, non-infringement, or its fitness for a particular purpose.

Host acknowledges and agrees that he/she is solely responsible and assumes all responsibility and liability in respect of the Service (including any warranties and representations) made by the Host.

Royal Cottages does not own or endorse the photos/images/videos that are uploaded. Therefore, Royal Cottages disclaims all responsibility and liability for the photos/images/videos posted.

Complaints or claims in respect to the Service (including related to the offered special/promotion price, policy or specific requests made by Customers are to be dealt between the Hosts and the Guests, and Royal Cottages is not responsible for and disclaims any liability in respect of such complaints, claims, and (product) liabilitie

9. Intellectual Property Rights

Royal Cottages exclusively retains ownership of all rights, title and interest in and the Platform on which the service(s) is/are made available, and you are not entitled to copy or/and scrape infrastructure of the Platform or use our use brand without our express written permission. To the extent that you would (wholly or partly) use or combine our content, you hereby assign, transfer and set over all such intellectual property rights to Royal Cottages. Any unlawful use or any of the above mentioned actions or behavior will constitute a material infringement of our intellectual property rights (including copyright and database right).

10. Privacy and Cookies

Royal Cottages respects your privacy. Please take a look at our Privacy Policy for further information.

11. Governing Law

To the extent permitted by law, these terms and conditions and the provision of our services shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of the Province of Ontario, Canada.