Acceptable Use Policy

Effective date: May 1, 2026
Last updated: May 1, 2026

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") defines what is and isn't permitted when using Nook. It is part of our Terms of Service. By using Nook, you agree to follow this policy.

We take violations seriously. Suspected violations can result in account suspension or termination, and in serious cases, reporting to law enforcement.

Nook is a community of renters, landlords, and property professionals. The trust that makes the Service useful depends on everyone behaving well. This policy makes that expectation explicit.

3.1 Illegal activity

• Commit, facilitate, or promote any illegal activity
• Violate applicable laws in the country where you are or where you are renting
• Evade taxes (cash-only rent demands, unreported income, etc.)
• Launder money or finance illegal activities
• Discriminate against renters or landlords on the basis of protected characteristics

3.2 Discrimination

You must not discriminate against users based on:

• Race, ethnicity, or national origin
• Religion or belief
• Sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation
• Disability
• Age
• Family status (having children, being pregnant, etc.)
• Marital status
• Other protected characteristics under applicable law

This includes refusing applications, charging different prices, or providing different terms based on these characteristics.

Exception: legitimate rental criteria (income requirements, credit checks, references) applied equally to all applicants are permitted, even if they have indirect disparate effects.

3.3 Fraud and scams

• List a property you don't own or have authority to rent
• Misrepresent property details (location, condition, price, availability)
• Solicit deposits or rent before showing a property in person or via verified video call
• Demand payments via untraceable methods (cryptocurrency, gift cards, money orders)
• Bait-and-switch tactics
• Falsify documents (passports, payslips, references)
• Impersonate another person or entity
• Use content you do not have the right or permission to use

3.4 Harassment and abuse

• Send threatening, harassing, or abusive messages
• Stalk other users
• Make sexual advances or inappropriate comments
• Discriminate or use slurs
• Bully or shame users publicly
• Make repeated unwanted contact after the other party has declined

3.5 Privacy violations

• Share other users' personal information without consent
• Photograph or record other users without permission
• Access another user's account
• Try to identify users from anonymized data
• Use Nook data for purposes other than finding/renting a property

3.6 Spam and abuse of communication

• Send unsolicited bulk messages
• Send messages to landlords/tenants for purposes other than rental inquiries
• Promote unrelated services (other apps, ads, schemes)
• Send messages to the same user repeatedly after they decline
• Use Nook to send phishing links

3.7 Manipulation of the Service

• Create multiple accounts to bypass limits or restrictions
• Manipulate reviews or ratings (fake reviews, paid reviews, review manipulation)
• Scrape or extract Nook data using bots
• Reverse engineer or attempt to access source code
• Bypass technical security measures
• Manipulate match scores or rankings

3.8 Misuse of AI features

• Use voice input or AI features to generate content unrelated to renting
• Attempt to manipulate AI models for malicious purposes
• Use auto-apply or auto-book to overwhelm landlords with applications
• Generate fake or misleading cover letters for properties

3.9 Harm to children

• Use Nook to interact with minors in inappropriate ways
• Allow minors to use the Service (the Service is intended for users aged 18 and over)
• Share content involving the sexualization of minors

This is taken seriously regardless of context.

3.10 Impersonation

You must not impersonate:

• Other users
• Nook staff or representatives
• Real estate professionals you don't represent
• Government or legal authority

4.1 Honesty

• Provide accurate information in your profile
• Don't misrepresent your situation, financials, or intentions
• Disclose conflicts of interest (e.g., you're an agent and landlord both)

4.2 Respect

• Treat other users professionally and politely
• Honor agreements you make (viewings, applications, leases)
• Communicate clearly and promptly
• Cancel or reschedule with reasonable notice

4.3 Compliance

• Follow rental laws in your jurisdiction
• Protect tenant deposits as required by law
• Comply with Right to Rent or equivalent checks
• Use legitimate contracts and protected deposit schemes

4.4 Cooperation with our moderation

• Respond to reasonable requests from Nook support
• Cooperate with fraud investigations
• Don't retaliate against users who report you
• Accept the outcome of moderation decisions

• Apply only to properties you genuinely intend to rent
• Not submit multiple competing applications without disclosing
• Honor viewing appointments or cancel in advance
• Provide accurate financial and identity information
• Not exploit landlords financially (delayed rent, damage without compensation)

• Have legal authority to rent the property
• Comply with all rental laws (Right to Rent, registration, etc.)
• Protect tenant deposits as legally required
• Not discriminate against applicants based on protected characteristics
• Respond to inquiries within reasonable time (7 days)
• Honor terms in your listing (price, conditions, availability)
• Not retaliate against tenants who report problems

7.1 Investigation

1. Initial review (typically within 24 hours)
2. Review of relevant evidence (messages, listings, data)
3. Contact with the reported user (if appropriate)
4. Decision and action

7.2 Actions we may take

7.3 Appeals

1. Email support@thenook.rent within 30 days
2. Explain your perspective and provide evidence
3. We will review within 14 days
4. Final decisions are at our discretion

7.4 What we don't do

• We don't disclose the identity of reporters to the accused
• We don't provide legal advice
• We don't mediate disputes between users (we facilitate communication)
• We don't refund subscriptions to users we terminate for violation

8.1 On-Service reporting

• From a listing: Click "Report this listing" on the listing page
• From a profile: Click "Report this user" on the user's profile
• From a message: Click flag icon on the message

8.2 By email

• safety@thenook.rent for harassment, discrimination, fraud
• legal@thenook.rent for legal issues
• abuse@thenook.rent for system abuse, scraping

8.3 What to include

• Description of the issue
• User or listing involved (URL, username, or other identifier)
• Evidence (screenshots, message references)
• When it happened
• Whether you've contacted other authorities

8.4 Confidentiality

Reports are confidential. We do not share reporter identity with the reported user. We may share aggregated data for safety research.

• Tenant: Searching for a flat that allows pets, applying to 5 listings in your area, asking landlords about minor details before applying
• Landlord: Listing your property with accurate description, declining an applicant whose income is below your stated minimum, communicating professionally with multiple applicants
• Both: Following up after a viewing, negotiating contract terms in good faith, leaving honest reviews

• Tenant: Applying to 200 properties with auto-generated cover letters with no genuine interest, lying about employment status, demanding viewings then never attending
• Landlord: Listing a property you don't own, refusing to rent to single mothers because they "might have noisy kids," asking for cash-only deposits via Bizum/Western Union, ghosting tenants after they sign
• Either: Sending threatening messages, sharing other users' photos publicly, creating fake reviews

We take special care with users who may be vulnerable:

Migrants and asylum seekers:

• We don't share immigration status with landlords without your explicit consent
• We provide multilingual support where feasible
• We take reports of discrimination based on immigration status seriously, subject to applicable law

Survivors of domestic violence:

• Address confidentiality protections available on request
• Easy account closure and data deletion
• Cooperation with relevant support agencies

Disabled users:

• We work to ensure the Service is accessible (WCAG AA standard)
• Reasonable adjustments available on request
• No discrimination tolerated

If you need special protections, contact safety@thenook.rent confidentially.

We comply with legitimate legal requests for information from law enforcement, courts, and regulatory authorities. We:

• Verify the legitimacy of requests
• Provide only what's legally required
• Notify affected users where legally allowed
• Document all law enforcement interactions

For court orders or subpoenas, contact legal@thenook.rent.

We may update this policy as our community grows and we learn what works. Material changes will be announced by email with 30 days notice.

• General: support@thenook.rent
• Safety concerns: safety@thenook.rent
• Legal: legal@thenook.rent