Terms & conditions

In these Terms and Conditions, the following terms have the meanings below unless the context requires otherwise.

These Terms and Conditions are part of the legal suite governing your use of Rukiye Zara. Together they form the agreement between you and Rukiyation Hospitality LLP.

If documents conflict, precedence is: Terms of Service, then these Terms and Conditions, then the Policies page, then the Privacy Policy — except where a lower document expressly governs a specific situation.

By using the Platform you confirm you have read and agree to all applicable documents. If you do not agree, you must not use the Platform.

Formation of a booking

• A booking is formed when checkout completes and Cashfree confirms payment. Until then, no reservation exists.
• Guest and Host enter a direct reservation agreement at confirmation. Rukiye Zara is not a party to that agreement.
• Terms shown at checkout — price, dates, cancellation policy, house rules — bind both parties from confirmation.

Guest obligations at booking

• Accurate name, contact information, and guest count.
• Bookers must be at least 18; under-18 guests must be with a legal guardian.
• Government ID may be required at check-in per listing or local law.
• False information may result in cancellation without refund at our discretion.

Host obligations at booking

• Honour confirmed bookings unless cancellation is allowed by published policy or law.
• Keep availability accurate and current to avoid double bookings.
• Host cancellation of a confirmed booking entitles the guest to a full refund of amounts paid.

Availability & confirmation

Bookings depend on real-time availability. If a confirmed booking cannot be fulfilled due to a system error or double booking, we will try to arrange a comparable alternative or a full refund. We are not liable for consequential losses in those cases.

Guest payments

• Payments are in INR at booking via Cashfree. We do not store card details.
• Checkout total includes accommodation and taxes or fees as published by the host.
• We are not liable for processing failures, delays, or errors from Cashfree, banks, or card issuers.
• Failed payment means no booking and no reservation held.

Host subscriptions & fees

• Paid software is billed on the agreed cycle; access depends on payment receipt.
• A one-time non-refundable Elite Host setup fee applies as stated in your agreement.
• Unpaid invoices by the due date may lead to suspension per Payment & Billing policies.
• Prices include applicable GST unless the invoice states otherwise.

Host payouts

• Eligible marketplace payouts run after guest checkout once the guest payment has cleared.
• Payouts may be held for open disputes, chargebacks, fraud checks, compliance review, or missing or unverified bank or tax details.
• Report missing payouts within 7 days of checkout with the booking reference.
• We are not liable for delays from incorrect or outdated bank, GSTIN, or KYC information.

Currency & taxes

All transactions are in INR. Hosts are responsible for GST registration, filing, and compliance. We may withhold or adjust payouts where tax law requires.

Guest cancellations

• Eligibility and refund amounts follow the listing's cancellation policy at booking time.
• Cancellations must be submitted through the Platform; off-platform requests are not binding on us.
• No refund after check-in date for no-shows, change of plans, or eviction for rule violations.

Host cancellations

• Host cancellation of a confirmed booking requires full refund to the guest.
• Repeated host cancellations may reduce visibility, incur penalties, or cause removal.
• Commission, processing fees, and setup costs are not refunded to the host on host-initiated cancellation.

Platform-assisted refunds

We may assist guest refunds for host cancellation, denied access, essential utility outage over 6 consecutive hours without remedy, significant misrepresentation, or serious health and safety issues. Full rules are in our Guest policies.

Out-of-policy refunds

Courtesy refunds after the cancellation deadline may net out platform fees, gateway charges, and processing costs actually incurred — not a penalty.

Software subscription cancellations

Software refunds follow Payment & Billing policies and your order. Fees for periods where the software was actively used are generally treated as delivered and not refunded except where a confirmed fault on our side materially blocked use for a sustained period.

By listing or using our software, each Host warrants that:

• They have the legal right to offer short-term rental as owner, authorised agent, or with owner permission.
• The listing is materially accurate for type, location, rooms, amenities, photos, pricing, and rules.
• The property meets applicable safety, health, and habitability standards.
• They hold permits, registrations, and approvals required for short-term rental.
• They will meet tax obligations including GST where required.
• They will not discriminate on religion, caste, gender, nationality, disability, or other protected grounds under Indian law.
• Data entered in software — pricing, availability, tax, channel mappings — is accurate and kept current.
• They are authorised to grant the content licence described in the Terms of Service.

By booking, each Guest warrants that:

• They are at least 18 and capable of entering a binding reservation agreement.
• Booking information — name, contact, guest count — is accurate and complete.
• They will use the property only for lawful short-term personal accommodation.
• They will follow house rules, check-in/out times, and listing or host conditions.
• They will treat the property and contents with reasonable care.
• Minors on the booking are supervised by the booking adult at all times.
• They will not sublicense, sublet, or allow unlisted third parties without the host's explicit written consent.

Users must not use the Platform to:

General prohibitions

• Break applicable law or regulation.
• Submit false, misleading, or fraudulent information.
• Impersonate or misrepresent affiliation.
• Attempt unauthorised access to the Platform, systems, or other accounts.
• Use bots, scrapers, or scripts without written permission.
• Send spam or bulk unsolicited messages.
• Upload malware or disruptive code.
• Place unreasonable load on infrastructure.

Off-platform transactions

• Hosts and guests must not use the Platform to move bookings off-platform to avoid fees or policies.
• Off-platform bookings are not covered by our policies, protections, disputes, or refunds.

Misuse of reviews & content

• No false, defamatory, or manipulated reviews.
• Hosts must not trade incentives for positive reviews.
• Guests must not threaten bad reviews for refunds or concessions.

We may remove content, restrict access, or take legal action for violations.

Guest reviews

• Honest, factual reviews after a stay are encouraged.
• Reviews must reflect first-hand experience and must not be defamatory, abusive, discriminatory, or false.
• We may remove reviews that breach these conditions or our content standards.

Host responses

• Hosts may respond professionally — no personal attacks, threats, or misleading counter-claims.

Listing content

• Hosts are responsible for accuracy of photos, descriptions, amenities, and pricing.
• Content must not infringe third-party IP.
• We may remove or request changes to inaccurate, misleading, offensive, or non-compliant content.

Content licence

By submitting content — listings, photos, reviews — you grant Rukiye Zara a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, worldwide licence to use, display, reproduce, and distribute it to operate and market the Platform. You retain ownership and may request removal subject to operational constraints.

By using the Platform you acknowledge that:

• Data may be shared with providers such as Cashfree, Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity, Brevo, and SMS gateways as described in our Privacy Policy.
• We are not responsible for third-party availability, accuracy, or conduct.
• Downtime, policy changes, or errors from OTAs, payments, or cloud may affect the Platform without us being in breach.
• Each third-party service has its own terms and privacy policy.
• Links to third parties are not endorsements; we do not control their content.

Personal data is handled under our Privacy Policy and Indian law, including the DPDP Act 2023.

• Using the Platform means you consent to data practices in the Privacy Policy.
• Guest contact details go to the relevant host when a booking is confirmed.
• Host financial and property data supports payouts and tools.
• You may exercise access, correction, deletion, and other rights as in the Privacy Policy.
• We use industry-standard measures including HTTPS/TLS; no system is risk-free.

No warranty on platform

The Platform is provided "as is" and "as available". We make no express or implied warranty of uninterrupted, error-free, virus-free, or fitness-for-purpose operation beyond what these documents state.

No warranty on listings or stays

We do not fully verify listing accuracy beyond standard onboarding and do not warrant condition, safety, or suitability of properties. Guests rely on listings at their own risk.

No warranty on booking volume

We make no warranty as to bookings, revenue, or occupancy. Results depend on many factors outside our control.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by Indian law, our total liability to any user for claims under these Terms and Conditions shall not exceed the amount that user paid to Rukiye Zara in the three months before the claim. We are not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive loss.

Neither party is in breach nor liable for delay or failure caused by a Force Majeure Event, including:

• Natural disasters (earthquakes, floods, cyclones, fires).
• Government lockdowns, travel restrictions, or emergencies.
• Epidemics, pandemics, or public health emergencies declared by competent authority.
• Widespread infrastructure failure (internet, power, telecom).
• War, terrorism, civil unrest, or riot.

For Force Majeure affecting bookings, we may apply modified cancellation or refund handling and notify affected guests and hosts. The affected party should notify the other as soon as reasonably practicable.

Severability

If a provision is unlawful, void, or unenforceable, it is severable and does not affect the validity of the remaining provisions.

No waiver

Failure to enforce a provision does not waive it. No waiver of one breach waives later breaches.

Assignment

You may not assign or transfer rights or obligations without our prior written consent. We may assign ours (e.g. merger or restructuring) with notice where required.

These Terms and Conditions together with the Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Host & guest policies are the entire agreement on Platform use and supersede prior communications on the same subject.

Hosts with a separate written agreement should refer to it where it specifically addresses a topic; the written agreement prevails in conflict.

These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of the Republic of India, including:

• The Indian Contract Act, 1872.
• The Information Technology Act, 2000, and amendments.
• The Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
• The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
• Applicable GST laws.

Disputes that cannot be resolved in good faith are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of New Delhi, India.

For questions about these Terms and Conditions, contact us. We aim to acknowledge queries within 7 working days.