Terms and Conditions for Rent From Locals
1. Introduction
2. Definitions
The terms "User", "You", and "Your" refer to anyone who accesses or uses our website and services. "The Company", "Ourselves", "We", "Our", and "Us", refer to Rent From Locals. "Party" or "Parties" refer to both the User and us. The terms “Platform or Website” refer to our website www.rentfromlocals.al. “Owner” refers to the car owner that is publishing his/her car for rent, and “Renter” refers to the renter of the car, who is renting the car against a daily fee.
3. User Registration and Obligations
To access certain features of our platform, users must create an account. You agree to provide accurate and complete information during the registration process and to update your profile to keep it accurate, current, and complete. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that are found to contain inaccurate or incomplete information. By using the Platform, you agree to these Terms of Use. If you do not agree to these terms, you cannot use our Platform.
4. Vehicle Listings
Owners are required to list their vehicles accurately, including detailed descriptions of the vehicle's make, model, age, condition, and any specific terms or restrictions associated with the rental. All listed vehicles must be in compliance with all local laws and regulations, including insurance, safety and emission standards. Owners must also provide proof of vehicle insurance, as well as a detailed description of the insurance package and additional options.
5. Disclaimer
Rent From Locals does not stand as a guarantor for any user or vehicle. Users remain responsible to provide accurate information and Rent From Locals does not provide any statement, confirmation or approval concerning users, their identity or their background.
Users agree that, in the event of damage attributable to another user or a third party, they will only hold liable the party that caused the damage, and take action only against such party. All users agree to not attempt to hold Rent From Locals liable or take legal action against Rent From Locals for such acts or omissions. The users are themselves responsible for their actions in the service and they should estimate the reliability of other users before dealing with them.
Rent From Locals can in no case guarantee the solvency of users, including the renters. The users must check the identity of their contact, the documents of the vehicle, and the renter’s driving license at the time the vehicle is taken.
The user acknowledges and agrees that Rent From Locals is not obliged to carry out a background check of its users. Rent From Locals reserves the right to verify a user’s records in its sole discretion, to the extent permitted by applicable law and if it has sufficient information to identify such User. Rent From Locals chooses to carry out such control actions in order to offer the best possible service conditions.
As a digital platform, Rent From Locals’s role is limited exclusively to the linking of owners with renters. Given that Rent From Locals is not a party to the rentals, it is not part to the contractual relationship formed between users for each rental. Accordingly, Rent From Locals cannot be held liable for any damage suffered or caused by the renter or the owner using a vehicle/apartment rented via the website.
Moreover, Rent From Locals cannot be held liable for a user’s non-compliance with local regulations such as rules relating to tourism and rental.
6. Rental Agreements
Rental agreements are direct contracts between the Owner and the Renter. Rent From Locals serves as a platform to facilitate these agreements and to connect the Host and the Renter, but is not a party to them. Users are responsible for ensuring that all terms of the rental agreement are met and should carefully review these terms before finalizing any agreement.
7. Fees and Payments
Our platform charges a commission on each rental transaction, detailed in our fee structure. Payments are processed through our secure online payment system. The commission is divided equally between the owner and the renter. It is prepaid during the reservation by the renter, but the part concerning the owner is deducted from the amount that the renter will pay locally.
The commissions are referred to as “Service Fees” in the reservation summary and are clearly highlighted before the confirmation of the payment.
The owners reserve the right to require a guarantee amount for the reservation, which is held by Rent From Locals. The guarantee is reimbursed to the renters after they pick up the car, it only serves to protect the owner from no-show cases. In case the renter does not show as expected and has not cancelled the reservation within the deadline, the guarantee, minus eventual transfer fees is transferred to the owner.
Renters will be charged the service fees plus an eventual refundable guarantee upon reservation confirmation, and owners will receive their payment directly from the renter during the delivery of the car and before the rental period begins.
8. Insurance and Liability
The car insurance packages at Rent From Locals are provided by the Owner. The owner is responsible that the car has the minimum insurance required by law, as well as to describe accurately the insurance package and options offered. Rent From Locals offers no insurance products on its own, however it aims to provide a frame for the proper description of the insurance included, as well as the extra insurance options. In case the description provided by the owner is not clear, Rent From Locals suggests that the renter contact the owner directly via the messaging platform for further details.
The following concepts are included in the description.
Included Insurance: This is part of the rental price and has two types:
a) Basic Insurance: Mandatory by law and always included in the base rate.
b) Extended Insurance (e.g. collision damage waiver or any kind of limited insurance cover): Offers additional protection in case of accidents, typically with a deductible that the Renter is liable for.
Extra Insurance: Available for an additional daily rate, offering:
a) Deductible Reduction: Lowers the deductible for an extra daily fee, specifying the new, reduced deductible amount.
b) Full Insurance: Eliminates the deductible entirely offering full protection
9. Cancellation and Refunds
The cancellation policy on Rent From Locals is set by the car owner in the listing. If a cancellation occurs before the specified deadline, both the service fees and any guarantee set by the owner are fully refundable. The duration for refunds to process can vary, potentially taking a few weeks, depending on the policies of the renter's bank.
10. User Conduct and Responsibilities
Users are expected to conduct themselves in a lawful and respectful manner. Discriminatory behavior, illegal activities, and any form of harassment are strictly prohibited. Users must respect the rights and properties of others and adhere to all terms of the rental agreement.
11. Dispute Resolution
In the event of a dispute between Users, our customer service team will facilitate resolution efforts. While we aim to assist in reaching amicable solutions, decisions made during dispute resolution are not legally binding.
In the event that a user needs to start a dispute they can reach us via our email address: info@rentfromlocals.com. We aim reply to all disputes in the course of the following 21 days from the day the dispute was started by the user.
Users may also seek resolution through legal channels as per the governing law and jurisdiction. Hereunder the link to the conflict resolution platform made possible from the European Union: https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/main/?event=main.home.selfTest
12. Changes to Terms and Conditions
Rent From Locals reserves the right to modify these terms and conditions at any time. Changes will be effective immediately upon posting on our website. Users will be notified of significant changes through our website or via email.
13. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These terms and conditions are subject to Belgian law. For any dispute concerning the application of these terms and conditions and the performance of the service, the courts of the district of Brussels shall have exclusive jurisdiction, without prejudice to the rules contained in Article 624 of the Judicial Code.
14. Contact Information
For any questions or concerns regarding these terms and conditions, please contact us at info@rentfromlocals.com.