Book Jersey Shore
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Terms of Service

Last updated: 2026-04-03

We believe legal documents should be readable.

Throughout these Terms, you'll see teal-highlighted sections labeled "In plain English." These are plain-language summaries meant to help you understand what each section actually means and why it exists. The legal language is what governs your relationship with the Platform — the plain-language notes are there to make sure you can actually understand it.

1. Agreement to Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("User," "you," or "your") and BookJerseyShore LLC, a Wyoming limited liability company ("Company," "we," "us," or "our"). By accessing or using the Book Jersey Shore platform, including the website, mobile applications, APIs, and all related services (collectively, the "Platform"), you accept and agree to be bound by these Terms, including all policies and documents incorporated herein by reference, including our Privacy Policy, Payment Terms, Arbitration & Dispute Resolution Policy, Electronic Signature Disclosure, Acceptable Use Policy, and Cookie Policy.

If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access or use the Platform.

In plain English: By using Book Jersey Shore, you're agreeing to these rules. We've linked every related policy above so you can find everything in one place — no hidden documents.

2. Platform Role

The Company operates the Platform solely as a facilitator and technology provider. The Platform is an online marketplace that enables property owners and managers ("Hosts") and prospective renters ("Guests") to connect, communicate, and enter into short-term rental agreements. The Company does not act as a broker, real estate agent, property manager, insurer, escrow agent, or money transmitter. No agency, partnership, joint venture, employer-employee, or franchisor-franchisee relationship is created between the Company and any User by these Terms or by use of the Platform.

The Company does not own, manage, or control any property listed on the Platform and does not endorse, guarantee, or verify the accuracy, safety, or legality of any listing, property, Host, or Guest. All rental transactions are conducted directly between Hosts and Guests. The Company's role is limited to providing the technology platform and related tools.

In plain English: We build the tools — you make the deals. Think of us like a word processor for rental agreements: we give you the software to create, sign, and manage contracts, but the agreement itself is between the host and the guest. We're not a middleman, broker, or insurance company.

Why this matters to you: Because we don't sit between host and guest, there's no platform markup on your rental price, no platform holding your money, and no corporate bureaucracy deciding your cancellation disputes. Your contract is your contract. That also means both sides need to do their own homework — we provide the tools, not the guarantees.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least eighteen (18) years of age and have the legal capacity to enter into binding agreements to use the Platform. By using the Platform, you represent and warrant that you meet these eligibility requirements. If you are using the Platform on behalf of an organization or entity, you represent and warrant that you are authorized to bind that entity to these Terms.

In plain English: You need to be 18+ to use the platform. If you're listing a property on behalf of a business or another person, you need to have their permission.

4. Account Responsibilities

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and to keep your information reasonably current if it changes. You may not maintain more than one active account, and you may not share your account credentials with any third party. You must notify the Company as soon as reasonably practicable of any unauthorized use of your account.

In plain English: Keep your login secure, use real information, one account per person. If someone gets into your account, let us know.

5. Host Obligations

If you list a property on the Platform, you represent and warrant that you have the legal right and authority to offer the property for short-term rental, that your listing information (including descriptions, photos, pricing, availability, and house rules) is accurate and not misleading, and that you will comply with all applicable laws, regulations, ordinances, tax requirements, and homeowners association rules. You are solely responsible for the condition of your property, the safety of your Guests, and the terms of any rental agreement you enter into.

In plain English: If you list a property, it needs to be yours to rent (or you need permission from the owner). Your photos, descriptions, and pricing need to be honest. You're responsible for following local rental laws and HOA rules — we don't check those for you.

6. Guest Obligations

If you book or inquire about a property, you are solely responsible for evaluating the suitability of any property, reviewing all listing details and contract terms before signing, complying with the Host's house rules, and providing accurate booking information. You acknowledge that the Company makes no representations regarding property condition, safety, or legal compliance, and that any rental agreement is between you and the Host exclusively.

In plain English: Read the listing and contract before you sign. Follow the house rules. We provide the tools to connect you with the host, but your agreement is with them — make sure you're comfortable with the terms before committing.

7. Contracts and Electronic Signatures

The Platform provides tools that enable Hosts to create rental agreements and send them to Guests for electronic signature. Contracts are entered directly and exclusively between Hosts and Guests. The Company is not a party to, nor a guarantor of, any rental agreement, and bears no responsibility for the performance, enforcement, or outcome of any contract.

Contract templates and tools are provided for convenience only and do not constitute legal advice. Users are encouraged to consult with their own legal counsel before entering into any binding agreement.

By using the Platform's electronic signature features, you consent to the use of electronic signatures and records in accordance with our Electronic Signature Disclosure and the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-SIGN Act, 15 U.S.C. § 7001 et seq.).

In plain English: We give you a contract builder and e-signature tools. When you sign a contract through the platform, it's a real, legally binding agreement between you and the other party — just like signing a paper lease. We're not a party to that contract.

Why this is good for everyone: Your contract is between you and the other person, not filtered through a corporate platform. The host sets the terms. The guest sees them clearly. Both sides sign. No hidden platform terms override what you agreed to with each other.

8. Cancellation and Refund Policy

Cancellation and refund terms are determined by the rental agreement between Host and Guest, not by the Company. The Platform may provide cancellation tools, but the Company does not adjudicate or enforce refund obligations. Hosts are responsible for clearly communicating their cancellation policies in their listings and contracts.

In plain English: Cancellation and refund rules come from the contract between host and guest — not from us. Unlike platforms that impose a one-size-fits-all cancellation policy, the host and guest agree on their own terms. That means you should read the cancellation section of any contract carefully before signing.

9. Payments

Hosts choose how to receive payment. Payment may occur directly between Host and Guest (via Zelle, ACH, check, cash, or other methods) or through a third-party payment processor such as Stripe Connect. The Company does not receive, hold, escrow, or transmit rental payments between Hosts and Guests, except for service fees explicitly disclosed in the booking flow.

When Stripe Connect is used, Stripe acts as the payment processor of record and handles KYC verification, tax reporting (including 1099-K issuance), and payment disputes in accordance with Stripe's own terms.

See our Payment Terms for additional details.

In plain English: Hosts decide how they want to get paid — Venmo, Zelle, check, cash, or through Stripe. We don't hold your money or take a cut of rent. If you use Stripe, Stripe handles the payment processing and tax reporting on their end.

Why this matters: Many platforms hold rental payments for days or weeks and take a significant percentage. We don't touch your money at all — hosts and guests deal directly. That's by design.

10. User Content and Licenses

You retain ownership of content you submit to the Platform, including listings, photos, descriptions, and contract text ("User Content"). By submitting User Content, you grant the Company a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, fully sublicensable, transferable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, create derivative works from, distribute, and display such User Content in connection with operating, improving, and promoting the Platform.

You further agree that the Company may anonymize, aggregate, and use data derived from User Content for analytics, product development, market research, and commercial purposes without restriction or additional compensation. Such derived data shall be the sole property of the Company.

You represent and warrant that you have all necessary rights to grant the licenses described herein and that your User Content does not infringe the rights of any third party.

In plain English: Your content is yours — you own your listing photos, descriptions, and contracts. But by posting it on the platform, you're giving us permission to display it (obviously — otherwise we can't show your listing) and use anonymized, aggregated data to improve the product (like understanding average rental prices in a market).

We will never sell your individual data to third parties or use your listing photos for ads without your permission. The broad license language above is standard in every tech platform's ToS because we need it to operate — displaying your listing to guests, generating search results, sending booking confirmations, etc.

11. Identity Verification

The Company may offer identity verification services to promote trust and safety. Verification indicates that the Company or a third-party service reviewed an identification document or data source; it is not a guarantee of identity, character, behavior, creditworthiness, or the accuracy of any listing. Users should exercise their own judgment and due diligence.

When you submit identity verification materials (such as a photo of yourself holding a government-issued ID), these materials are stored securely on our platform for safety, fraud prevention, and dispute resolution purposes. By submitting verification materials, you consent to their retention for as long as your account remains active and for the post-deletion retention period described in Section 18.

In plain English: We offer optional ID verification so hosts and guests can build trust with each other. A "verified" badge means we checked an ID document — it doesn't mean we're vouching for someone's character. If you verify your identity, your photo is stored securely and kept for as long as you have an account (and for a legal retention period after, in case of disputes — see Section 18).

12. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

  • Use the Platform for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable law or regulation.
  • Create fraudulent, misleading, or deceptive listings or bookings.
  • Harass, threaten, defame, or discriminate against any other User.
  • Infringe the intellectual property or privacy rights of any third party.
  • Scrape, crawl, or use automated tools to access or collect data from the Platform without express written consent.
  • Attempt to bypass, circumvent, or interfere with the Platform's security features.
  • Impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity.
  • Transmit viruses, malware, or other harmful code.
  • Use the Platform to facilitate transactions outside the Platform in a manner that circumvents Platform policies.
  • Otherwise engage in conduct that the Company, in its sole and absolute discretion, determines to be harmful to the Platform, its Users, or its commercial interests.

In plain English: Don't lie, cheat, steal, harass people, or try to break the platform. This list is pretty self-explanatory — treat other users the way you'd want to be treated.

13. Third-Party Services

The Platform integrates or links to third-party services, including payment processors (such as Stripe), communication providers, and mapping services. These services are governed by their own terms and policies. The Company is not responsible for the availability, accuracy, or conduct of any third-party service, and your use of such services is at your own risk.

In plain English: We use other services like Stripe (payments) and Mapbox (maps) to power parts of the platform. They have their own terms. If Stripe has an outage or Mapbox shows a wrong address, that's on them — not us.

14. Disclaimers

THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. THE COMPANY DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE PLATFORM WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR SECURE, THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED, OR THAT THE PLATFORM OR ITS SERVERS ARE FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS.

You assume all risk arising from your use of the Platform and any interactions with other Users, including but not limited to the risk of property damage, personal injury, financial loss, or contractual disputes. The Company expressly disclaims any liability arising from User-to-User interactions and transactions.

In plain English: The all-caps block above is standard legal language that appears in virtually every software product's terms. It means: we provide the platform as-is. We work hard to keep it running and secure, but we can't promise it will never have bugs, downtime, or issues. We're a technology provider — not an insurance company.

When it comes to host-guest interactions, your relationship is with each other, not with us. If a property isn't as described or a guest causes damage, that's a matter for the parties and their contract to resolve. We provide the tools and the documentation trail to help, but we don't guarantee outcomes.

15. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE COMPANY, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, MEMBERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AND AFFILIATES SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE PLATFORM, REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF LIABILITY (CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE) AND EVEN IF THE COMPANY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

THE COMPANY'S TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE PLATFORM SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100.00) OR THE TOTAL SERVICE FEES ACTUALLY PAID BY YOU TO THE COMPANY DURING THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM.

The limitations in this section apply regardless of the theory of liability and even if a limited remedy set forth herein is found to have failed of its essential purpose.

In plain English: More required all-caps legalese. Here's what it actually means: if something goes wrong with the platform, our financial liability is capped at $100 or whatever service fees you've paid us in the past year — whichever is greater. We can't be held responsible for indirect damages (like "I lost a booking because the site was down for an hour").

Why this exists: We're a small company building tools for hosts and guests. Without a liability cap, a single lawsuit could shut down the platform for everyone. This clause is standard across every tech platform — from Google to your local weather app — and it's what allows us to offer the service at all.

16. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Company, its officers, directors, members, employees, agents, and affiliates from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees and court costs) arising out of or relating to: (a) your use of the Platform; (b) your User Content; (c) your breach of these Terms; (d) your violation of any applicable law, regulation, or third-party right; or (e) any dispute between you and another User. This indemnification obligation shall survive termination of your account and these Terms.

In plain English: If you do something on the platform that gets us sued — like posting a fraudulent listing or violating someone's rights — you're responsible for the costs, not us. This is the flip side of us not being a party to your contracts: we give you the freedom to make your own deals, but that means you own the consequences of your actions on the platform.

17. Dispute Resolution

Mandatory Individual Arbitration. Except as expressly provided below, any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms, the Platform, or any transaction facilitated through the Platform ("Dispute") shall be resolved exclusively through final and binding individual arbitration administered under the rules of the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") then in effect. The arbitration shall take place in the State of Wyoming or, at the Company's election, via telephone, video conference, or written submission.

Class Action Waiver. You and the Company each agree that any Dispute shall be conducted in your and our individual capacities only, and you waive any right to participate in a class action, class arbitration, or representative proceeding of any kind.

Pre-Arbitration Notice. Before initiating arbitration, the complaining party must send a written notice describing the Dispute and the relief sought to the other party and allow thirty (30) days to resolve the matter informally.

Small Claims Exception. Either party may bring qualifying claims in small claims court as an alternative to arbitration, provided the claim remains in small claims court and proceeds on an individual basis.

For additional detail, see our Arbitration & Dispute Resolution Policy.

JURY TRIAL WAIVER: TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, EACH PARTY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING, OR COUNTERCLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE PLATFORM.

In plain English: If you have a dispute with the platform (not with another user — that's between you two), here's how it works:

  1. First, contact us. We have 30 days to try to work it out informally.
  2. If that doesn't work, disputes go to individual arbitration — not court, not a class action.
  3. For smaller claims, you can use small claims court instead.

Why arbitration? It's faster and cheaper than court for both sides. Class action lawsuits mostly benefit lawyers, not individual users — arbitration means your specific issue gets addressed directly. The small claims exception means you always have an affordable path for smaller disputes.

18. Termination

The Company may suspend or terminate your access to the Platform at any time, for any reason or no reason, with or without notice, in its sole discretion, including but not limited to violation of these Terms, fraudulent activity, or conduct that the Company determines is harmful to the Platform or its Users.

You may stop using the Platform and close your account at any time by contacting us. Upon termination, your right to use the Platform ceases immediately. Sections 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, and 22 shall survive any termination or expiration of these Terms.

Termination of your account does not release you from obligations under any rental agreement entered into through the Platform prior to termination.

Post-Deletion Data Retention. When you delete your account, certain data will be retained for a period of six (6) years following deletion to comply with applicable statutes of limitations and to protect the legal rights of the Company and other Users. Retained data includes: contract and signature records, E-SIGN consent records, identity verification materials, and transaction history associated with executed rental agreements. This retention period reflects the statute of limitations for contract actions in New Jersey (N.J.S.A. 2A:14-1), the jurisdiction where the Platform's rental transactions primarily occur. After the retention period expires, retained data will be anonymized or deleted. See our Privacy Policy for additional detail.

Account Re-Registration and Contract Reassignment. If you delete your account and later re-register using the same email address, any previously executed contracts, booking records, and associated data from your prior account will be reassigned to your new account. This ensures continuity of legal obligations and allows you to access contracts you previously entered into. Counterparties to those contracts will continue to have access to the contract records regardless of your account status.

In plain English: You can delete your account whenever you want. But a few things stick around:

  • Signed contracts don't disappear. If you signed a rental agreement, that contract is still valid even if you delete your account. The other party can still access it. You can't erase a legal obligation by deleting an app.
  • We keep contract records for 6 years because that's how long someone could legally bring a contract dispute under New Jersey law. We're not keeping your data to be creepy — we're keeping it so both parties have evidence if there's ever a disagreement.
  • If you come back, your old contracts come with you. Sign up again with the same email and your previous agreements will be there waiting.

Why this protects everyone: Imagine you're a host and your guest causes $3,000 in damage, then deletes their account. Without this policy, all the evidence — their signed contract, their verified identity, their signature — would vanish. That's not fair to the host. This retention policy exists so that both sides of a deal are protected, even after one party leaves the platform.

19. Governing Law and Venue

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Wyoming, without regard to its conflict-of-law principles. For any claim not subject to arbitration, you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in the State of Wyoming, and you waive any objection to venue or jurisdiction in those courts.

In plain English: Wyoming law governs these terms. The company is a Wyoming LLC, so if anything ever ends up in court (after arbitration), it would be in Wyoming courts. Note: this applies to disputes with the platform, not disputes between hosts and guests — those are governed by your rental contract.

20. Modifications to Terms

The Company reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. We may also provide notice through the Platform or by email. Continued use of the Platform after the effective date of any modification constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree with the modified Terms, your sole remedy is to discontinue use of the Platform.

In plain English: We may update these terms from time to time. When we do, you'll see an in-app prompt asking you to review and accept the changes before continuing. We won't sneak changes past you — you'll always know when something has changed and what was updated.

21. Communications and SMS

By providing a phone number, you consent to receive service-related messages about your account, bookings, contracts, and security via SMS or other electronic methods. Message frequency varies. Reply STOP to opt out of non-essential messages. Message and data rates may apply.

In plain English: If you give us your phone number, we may text you about your bookings or account security. You can reply STOP at any time to opt out of non-essential texts. We won't spam you.

22. General Provisions

Entire Agreement. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, Payment Terms, Arbitration & Dispute Resolution Policy, Electronic Signature Disclosure, Acceptable Use Policy, and Cookie Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and the Company regarding the Platform and supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications, proposals, or agreements, whether written or oral.

Severability. If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court or arbitrator of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect, and the invalid provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

No Waiver. The Company's failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision, whether by course of dealing, custom, or otherwise.

Assignment. The Company may assign or transfer these Terms, or any rights or obligations hereunder, without restriction and without notice to you. You may not assign or transfer these Terms or any rights or obligations hereunder without the Company's prior written consent.

Force Majeure. The Company shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, natural disasters, pandemic, epidemic, government orders, labor disputes, utility or communications failures, cyberattacks, or disruptions to third-party services.

Headings. Section headings are for convenience only and do not affect the interpretation of these Terms.

In plain English: This section is standard legal housekeeping:

  • Entire Agreement: These terms are the whole deal — no side agreements.
  • Severability: If a court strikes one clause, the rest still applies.
  • No Waiver: Just because we didn't enforce a rule once doesn't mean we gave up the right to.
  • Assignment: If the company is sold or merges, these terms transfer to the new owner.
  • Force Majeure: We're not liable if a hurricane, pandemic, or cyberattack takes the platform offline.

23. Contact

Questions about these Terms can be sent to support@bookjerseyshore.com.

In plain English: If you have questions, just email us. We're real people and we actually read these.