What are the Guidelines for Listing?
We take responsibility for making sure that listers and renters can trust one another as they work towards getting a lease signed. We do this in three ways.
1. We vet listings for authenticity so that renters can trust them - and we put our money where our mouth is
We don't want you to worry about fake listings, listings that are still listed but aren't actually available anymore or listers who are trying to scam you be pretending they have access to units that they don't actually lease or own. Under the hood, there are quite a few tools in place that identify red flags for these situations and unlist or ban listings and listers, respectively, from our platform.
We put our money where our mouth is: we'll refund you your rent in full if anything goes wrong.
2. We vet and prequalify renters so that listers don't put themselves at risk or waste their time
We know that we are facilitating offline interactions between people who met on our platform. We have taken great care to make sure that we aren't sending someone into your home for a viewing who might make you feel unsafe. We offer certain assurances to listers during viewings, including property protection, and we're only able to uphold our end of the bargain if renters have gone through our verification steps before they've viewed.
We also know how frustrating it can be for someone to express interest in your space, only to find out that they were wasting your time. This is why we prequalify applicants for you, cross-checking their identity, income, background, credit and criminal history against your requirements.
3. We require verifications at the appropriate times so that it's easy for everyone to feel safe
Asking a friend of a friend for their W2 can be awkward, but it's important in the context of apartment applications and leases. This is why we've built a system of preferences and policies that allow our platform to step in and suggest verifications rather than forcing our users to do it.
In order for us to make good on our promise to keep both sides safe, and in order for our support team to be able to offer help should anything go wrong, we ask that you adhere to our community guidelines. Here are some commonly asked questions about the dos and the don'ts of participating in our marketplace.
How should I coordinate viewings?
Listers should keep their calendars updated with times where they'll be available to provide a guided tour or times where the unit will be vacant if you're doing contactless showings. If someone wants to view but you don't have any time windows open, they'll click the link above the viewing button to request new slots.
Why are phone numbers filtered out?
We want listers to trust the quality of the renters you meet on Caretaker. Switching to direct contact isn’t allowed before renters have verified their accounts so that we can make good on our promise to only send vetted renters into someone's space for a showing.
What kinds of questions are not allowed?
The question and answer portion of a listing is meant to surface information that others renters would likely to want to know about before moving forward with a viewing or an application. Some examples include:
- Would you let me move in with my 40 pound border collie?
- Can you post a photo of the living room during the day?
- Does the gym cost extra and can I bring guests?
- How's the water pressure in the shower?
Examples of questions that we discourage and may potentially filter out include:
- Can I come by later today? (use the viewing scheduler for this)
- I know it says the minimum duration is 6 months, but can I move in for a month?
Additionally, please do not post your contact information in your listing questions, this will potentially make it publicly available for anyone to see which pay put your safety or information integrity at risk.