Terms of Service

The Content & Community Guidelines form part of these Terms and give additional detail and examples of the conduct and content rules described here.

The Privacy Policy explains how personal information is collected, used, stored and shared when the Platform is used. The Safety Guidelines offer practical guidance for renting and advertising safely; they are recommendations for users and do not create obligations for Muslim Rentals.

If any of these documents conflicts with these Terms, these Terms govern.

Muslim Rentals is a free housing marketplace for the Muslim community in Canada. Muslim Rentals provides the Platform at muslimrentals.ca. In these Terms, “Muslim Rentals”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to the operator of the Platform.

Questions about these Terms, an account, a listing or a safety concern may be sent to muslimrentals.ca@gmail.com or through the Contact page. Questions, requests and complaints about privacy can be sent to the person responsible for privacy at Muslim Rentals, at muslimrentals.ca@gmail.com (subject line “Privacy request”), as described in the Privacy Policy.

Muslim Rentals is an online platform that lets users post rental housing listings, browse listings and message one another about them. It is a marketplace that connects people; it does not take part in the rentals arranged through it.

Muslim Rentals is not a landlord, tenant, property manager, real estate broker, rental agent, payment processor, lawyer or legal adviser, and is not a party to any lease, sublease, roommate arrangement or other rental agreement between users. Any agreement users make is solely between them.

Muslim Rentals does not independently verify the identity of users, property ownership or the right to rent, whether a user is a landlord, tenant or agent, the accuracy of listings, the condition of a property, or the legality of a rental arrangement. It does not inspect properties, carry out credit, reference or background checks, prepare or review leases, or collect or hold rent, deposits or any other money for users. The appearance of a listing or profile on the Platform is not an endorsement or recommendation by Muslim Rentals.

Information on the Platform, including in the Safety Guidelines, is general information and not legal advice. Many rental agreements are governed by the residential tenancy law of the province or territory where the property is located, although some arrangements, such as renting a room in the owner's own home, may be excluded from that law. Disputes about a tenancy, including rent, deposits, repairs, the condition of a unit, notice or eviction, are between the parties involved and, where applicable, the relevant provincial or territorial residential tenancy board or tribunal.

To create an account, a person must have reached the age of majority in the province or territory where they live (18 or 19, depending on the province or territory) and must be able to enter into a binding contract. A person whose account was previously banned from the Platform may not create a new account without permission from Muslim Rentals.

An account is created with a name, an email address and a password. Each individual may hold one account. Accounts are for individual use; an account may not be shared, sold or transferred. Creating additional accounts to get around a ban, a messaging restriction, a rate limit or a pending report is prohibited and may result in action against all related accounts.

If Muslim Rentals learns that an account holder does not meet these eligibility requirements, it may close the account.

Users are responsible for keeping their password confidential, for choosing a password they do not use elsewhere, and for activity that occurs under their account. Users should sign out on shared devices.

A user who suspects unauthorized access to their account should change their password immediately, if able to sign in, and contact muslimrentals.ca@gmail.com. Changing the password signs the account out on other devices after a short time. Muslim Rentals may temporarily restrict an account while investigating suspected unauthorized access.

Users must provide accurate information when creating an account and keep it up to date, including a working email address, which is used for account and security messages such as password resets. Profile information, including name, photo and bio, must not be false or misleading and must not impersonate another person or organization.

A user's name, profile photo, bio, the date they joined and their active listings are visible to anyone visiting their profile, including visitors who are not signed in. Users should not include information in a public profile that they do not want shown publicly. See the Privacy Policy for details.

The Platform may be used only for its intended purpose: finding or offering rental housing in Canada and communicating with other users about specific listings. Users must use the Platform lawfully, honestly and respectfully, and in line with these Terms and the Content & Community Guidelines.

Users are responsible for complying with all laws that apply to their use of the Platform and to any rental they offer, seek or enter into.

Users may not use the Platform to:

• post a fake, misleading, bait or duplicate listing, or a listing for a property they do not have the right to rent or sublet;
• commit fraud or run a scam, such as requesting money for a property that does not exist, is not available, or that the person has no right to rent or sublet;
• impersonate another person, a landlord, a property manager, an agent or an organization;
• harass, threaten, bully or intimidate anyone, or post hateful, abusive, sexually explicit or exploitative content;
• discriminate unlawfully in housing, as described in Housing law, human rights and audience labels below;
• share another person's personal information, photos or contact details without their permission;
• send spam or unsolicited commercial messages, or advertise goods or services unrelated to rental housing;
• post content that infringes copyright, trademarks, privacy or any other right of another person;
• offer, arrange or promote anything illegal;
• scrape, harvest or systematically collect data from the Platform, including by automated means;
• upload malicious code, probe or test the Platform for vulnerabilities, interfere with its operation, or access any account, data or system without authorization;
• get around a rate limit, ban, messaging restriction, content removal or other safeguard; or
• file false or retaliatory reports.

This list is illustrative, not exhaustive. Users who believe they have found a security vulnerability should report it to muslimrentals.ca@gmail.com rather than test or exploit it.

"User content" means anything a user submits to the Platform, including listing text, photos, profile information, messages and reports. Users are solely responsible for their user content.

A listing must describe a real property that is currently available and that the poster has the right to rent or sublet. Listings must be truthful, lawful and accurately described, including the rent and any other charges, location, availability, property type, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, amenities, condition, utilities and photos. Photos must show the property being advertised. A listing should be updated or removed promptly once the property is no longer available.

Users may submit only content they own or have permission to use, and should not post photos showing identifiable people without their consent. Muslim Rentals removes embedded information such as location data from photo files when they are uploaded, but what a photo shows can still reveal personal details, so posters should check their photos before posting them.

The exact street address and unit number of a listing are not shown publicly; maps show an approximate location. Contact information included in a listing is shown only to signed-in users.

Anyone who posts a listing, whether a landlord, property manager, tenant subletting or a person seeking a roommate, is responsible for:

• having the legal right to rent or sublet the property, including any required consent from an owner or landlord;
• complying with the residential tenancy law of the province or territory where the property is located, including rules about leases, deposits, rent, notice and the condition of the property;
• complying with federal, provincial, territorial and municipal human-rights and housing laws, as described in the next sections;
• complying with applicable municipal rules, such as licensing, zoning, occupancy and safety requirements, where they apply;
• handling any personal information collected from prospective tenants lawfully, collecting only what is reasonably needed and protecting it; and
• responding honestly to inquiries, not asking for a deposit, holding fee, application fee or other payment before the prospective renter has had a fair chance to view the property (in person or by live video) and to confirm who they are dealing with, and asking only for payments that the applicable residential tenancy law permits. These rules vary by province and territory, and some limit what a landlord may collect in advance.

Users looking for housing, or contacting a poster about a listing, are responsible for:

• making their own inquiries about a property and the person offering it, and viewing the property in person or by live video where reasonably possible before paying any money or signing an agreement;
• providing truthful information in inquiries and applications;
• using a poster's contact details only to ask about the listing, and not sharing or misusing them;
• reviewing any rental agreement before signing it and understanding their rights and obligations under the residential tenancy law that applies; and
• reporting suspicious listings, users or messages.

Decisions to view a property, communicate with another user, pay money, or enter into a rental agreement are each user's own. See the Safety Guidelines for practical guidance.

All users, and in particular anyone who posts a listing or chooses a tenant or roommate, must comply with applicable federal, provincial, territorial and municipal human-rights, housing and residential tenancy laws. In every province and territory, human-rights law generally prohibits discrimination in housing on protected grounds. Depending on the jurisdiction, these include race, ancestry, place of origin, ethnic origin, citizenship, religion or creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, and receipt of public assistance or source of income. The protected grounds and their wording vary between jurisdictions.

A listing may include an audience label, such as Brothers, Sisters, Families or For anyone. An audience label is a description chosen by the poster to help people discover relevant listings. It is not an eligibility rule set or enforced by Muslim Rentals. Muslim Rentals does not decide who may rent a property and does not assess whether a label or preference is permitted by law. Users remain responsible for complying with applicable federal, provincial, territorial and municipal housing and human-rights law.

Whether a preference about who may rent is permitted depends on the applicable law and the circumstances. Some human-rights laws contain limited exceptions, such as for certain shared accommodation. These exceptions are narrow, differ between provinces and territories, generally do not cover a self-contained unit, and in some places may not apply once a space is advertised publicly, including online. Any preference expressed in a listing, title, description or message, and any decision about who may rent, is the poster's responsibility. A poster who is unsure whether a preference is permitted should consider choosing For anyone, contact the human rights commission in their province or territory, or obtain legal advice.

Muslim Rentals does not authorize, and does not permit the Platform to be used for, unlawful discrimination. Muslim Rentals may remove a listing, message or other content that appears to violate these laws, and may take action on the account involved.

Messaging is provided so that users can communicate about specific listings. Messaging may not be used to harass or threaten anyone, to send spam or unsolicited commercial messages, or as part of a scam, including a request for payment or an attempt to move a conversation off the Platform before a user has met the other person or confirmed who they are dealing with.

Users should not share identification documents, banking details or other sensitive information through messages. Messages are stored on Muslim Rentals' servers so participants can see their conversation history. They are not end-to-end encrypted, and Muslim Rentals staff may access conversations for safety and moderation purposes, as described in the Privacy Policy. Muslim Rentals does not guarantee that any message will be delivered or read.

Interactions that take place off the Platform, including viewings, meetings, payments and tenancies, are solely between the users involved. Users should take reasonable precautions; see the Safety Guidelines. In an emergency or if anyone is in immediate danger, users should contact 911 or local emergency services.

A listing, a user or a message may be reported directly on the Platform. Other concerns, including suspected discriminatory listings and copyright or other legal complaints, may be sent to muslimrentals.ca@gmail.com or through the Contact page.

Reports are reviewed by people, not in real time and not around the clock. Filing a report in good faith is welcome even if Muslim Rentals reaches a different conclusion after review. Filing a false report, or using the reporting process to harass or retaliate against another user, is prohibited and may itself result in account action.

Muslim Rentals does not review listings or other content before they are published and has no obligation to monitor the Platform. Content and accounts are generally reviewed in response to a report, but Muslim Rentals may also act without a report. Muslim Rentals does not guarantee that harmful, inaccurate or unlawful content will be identified or removed.

Muslim Rentals may, at its discretion, remove or restrict any content that it reasonably believes violates these Terms, the Content & Community Guidelines or the law, or that is fraudulent, misleading or harmful to users. Content may be removed without prior notice, particularly in cases of suspected fraud, harassment, threats or unlawful content. Where practical, Muslim Rentals will tell the affected user why content was removed.

Users can edit or permanently delete their own listings from their account, except while a listing has an open report or after a moderator has removed it. In those cases, a user may ask for the listing to be deleted by writing to muslimrentals.ca@gmail.com.

Depending on the nature and seriousness of a violation, Muslim Rentals may remove content, restrict a user from messaging another user, suspend an account (which blocks sign-in and removes its listings from public view), keep an account suspended permanently, or permanently delete an account. A serious violation, including fraud, threats, harassment or unlawful content, or repeated violations, may result in immediate action without prior notice.

A user who disputes a moderation decision may ask for it to be reconsidered by writing to muslimrentals.ca@gmail.com and explaining why. Muslim Rentals will review the request in good faith.

Users may stop using the Platform and delete their account at any time in Settings. When an account is deleted or terminated, the user's right to use the account ends, listings are removed from public view, and profile details are removed. Some information is retained, as described in the Privacy Policy. Sections of these Terms that by their nature should continue after an account ends, including those on licences, disclaimers, limitation of liability, indemnification and governing law, continue to apply.

Users keep ownership of their user content. The Platform itself, including its design, software, text, graphics and the Muslim Rentals name and logo, but not including user content, belongs to Muslim Rentals or its licensors and may not be copied, modified or used without permission, except as needed to use the Platform normally.

Users who send suggestions or feedback about the Platform allow Muslim Rentals to use them without restriction or payment.

Anyone who believes content on the Platform infringes their copyright or other rights may send a notice to muslimrentals.ca@gmail.com identifying the content (for example, by its link), the right claimed and how to reach them. Muslim Rentals may remove content that it reasonably believes is infringing.

By submitting user content, a user grants Muslim Rentals a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to host, store, reproduce, adapt (for example, to format or resize), display and distribute that content, only as necessary to operate, provide, improve and promote the Platform. This includes, for example, showing listings and their photos to visitors, displaying listings in link previews when they are shared, featuring publicly visible listings when promoting the Platform, and delivering messages to conversation participants. The licence is worldwide because the Platform's service providers store and process information both in and outside Canada.

Messages are used only to deliver them, to provide conversation history and for safety, moderation and legal purposes; they are never used to promote the Platform. Information that is not shown publicly, such as a listing's exact address and unit, is not used in promotion. This licence does not permit the sale of user content or licensing it to others for their own use.

The licence ends when the content is deleted from the Platform, except for copies retained for a reasonable period in backups or under the retention practices described in the Privacy Policy, content that has already been shared with or delivered to others (such as messages already received or promotional material already published), and copies retained as reasonably needed for legal, safety or moderation records. Muslim Rentals will not use content in new promotional material after it has been removed from public view, including when a listing is removed or an account is deleted.

Muslim Rentals is free to use. No fee is charged to create an account, post a listing, browse or send messages, and Muslim Rentals does not process rent, deposits or any other payments between users.

The Platform relies on third-party services, including map tiles from OpenStreetMap, address and place lookup services, and email delivery providers, and may contain links to other websites, including links that users add to listings or messages. These services and websites are not controlled by Muslim Rentals and have their own terms and privacy practices.

To the extent permitted by law, Muslim Rentals is not responsible for the content, accuracy or availability of third-party services or websites. Map locations and address suggestions may be approximate or inaccurate.

Muslim Rentals aims to keep the Platform available but does not guarantee that it will be uninterrupted, timely or error-free. The Platform may be slow or unavailable at times, including during maintenance, updates or outages of service providers. Users should keep their own copies of any information that is important to them.

Muslim Rentals may add, change, suspend or discontinue features of the Platform, or the Platform as a whole. Where a change significantly affects users, Muslim Rentals will try to give reasonable notice through the Platform or by email.

To the extent permitted by law, the Platform is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. Muslim Rentals makes no promise that any listing is accurate, available, lawful or suitable, that any user is who they say they are or will act honestly, or that any rental will be completed. To the extent permitted by law, Muslim Rentals excludes all implied warranties and conditions, including of merchantable quality, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement.

Nothing in these Terms limits any right or protection that a user has under applicable consumer protection law, including in Quebec, or under any other law that cannot be waived or limited by agreement.

To the extent permitted by law:

• Muslim Rentals is not liable for loss or damage caused by other users or third parties, including losses connected to a fraudulent or inaccurate listing, a scam, a viewing or meeting, a rental agreement or a dispute between users;
• Muslim Rentals is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, or for loss of profits, revenue, data or opportunity, arising from use of the Platform; and
• Muslim Rentals' total liability for all claims relating to the Platform or these Terms is limited to CAD $100.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for fraud, for intentional fault, gross fault or gross negligence, for bodily or moral injury caused by Muslim Rentals, or for any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law.

Nothing in these Terms limits rights under applicable consumer protection law, including the Quebec Consumer Protection Act and the Civil Code of Québec. Where such a law applies, the limitations in this section apply only to the extent that law permits.

To the extent permitted by law, a user agrees to compensate Muslim Rentals for reasonable losses and costs, including reasonable legal fees, arising from a claim by a third party to the extent that the claim is caused by that user's content, including their listings, that user's breach of these Terms, or that user's violation of the law, including human-rights, housing or residential tenancy law.

This does not apply to the extent a claim is caused by Muslim Rentals' own fault, and it does not apply where, or to the extent that, applicable consumer protection law, including in Quebec, does not allow it.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the province or territory of Canada where the user resides and the federal laws of Canada that apply there. A user may bring a claim relating to these Terms or the Platform in the courts of that province or territory, including small claims court where available.

If a user does not reside in Canada, these Terms are governed by the laws of the province or territory where the rental property concerned is located or, if no particular property is concerned, the province or territory where the user intends to rent, and the federal laws of Canada that apply there. Such a user may bring a claim in the courts of that province or territory.

These Terms do not require arbitration and do not prevent a user from taking part in a class action or other collective proceeding. Nothing in this section limits any right to file a complaint with a human-rights, privacy, consumer protection or residential tenancy body.

Users with a concern about the Platform are encouraged to contact muslimrentals.ca@gmail.com first so that Muslim Rentals can try to resolve it informally. This step is optional and does not affect any right to go to court.

Severability. If any part of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, it will be applied to the greatest extent the law allows, and the rest of these Terms will remain in effect.

Waiver. If Muslim Rentals does not enforce a part of these Terms at a particular time, that does not waive its right to enforce it later.

Entire agreement. These Terms, together with the Content & Community Guidelines and the other policies referred to in them, are the entire agreement between a user and Muslim Rentals about the Platform, subject to applicable law.

Assignment. Users may not transfer their rights or obligations under these Terms. Muslim Rentals may transfer them in connection with a reorganization, incorporation, or transfer of the Platform, after notice to users, provided this does not reduce users' rights under these Terms or applicable law.

Notices. Muslim Rentals may give notices to a user by email to the address on their account or by posting them on the Platform. Users may give notices to Muslim Rentals as described in Contact and legal notices below.

Muslim Rentals may update these Terms from time to time. The effective date at the top of this page shows when the current version took effect. For material changes, Muslim Rentals will provide notice as required by applicable law, for example by posting a notice on the Platform or by email to the address on the user’s account.

Changes do not apply retroactively. Continued use of the Platform after the effective date of updated Terms means the user accepts them. A user who does not agree with a change may stop using the Platform and delete their account in Settings at any time. Nothing in this section limits any right a user has under applicable consumer protection law, including in Quebec.

Questions about these Terms, legal notices, copyright complaints and other legal matters may be sent to muslimrentals.ca@gmail.com or through the Contact page.