Terms of Service

1. Who can use iHousing

You must be at least 18 years old and able to enter into a binding agreement. The Service is intended for international students and others seeking housing in New York City. By using the Service, you confirm that the information you provide is accurate and that you meet these requirements.

2. What iHousing is — and isn’t

iHousing is a platform that lists verified rooms, helps you discover and compare them, and helps match you with compatible roommates. We review listing details such as location, photos, and price before a room goes live.

iHousing is not a real-estate broker or agent. Any viewing, application, lease, or payment is arranged and completed off-platform, directly between you and the applicable property operator (which may be us or a partner), under a separate written agreement. We do not process online payments or hold deposits through the website. These Terms govern your use of the website only — they are not a lease and do not govern any tenancy you may enter into. We do not charge you to browse listings or submit an inquiry.

3. Your account

You are responsible for keeping your login credentials secure and for all activity under your account. Provide accurate, current information and keep it up to date. Notify us promptly at info@ihousingnyc.com if you suspect any unauthorized use. You may not share your account or let anyone else use it.

4. Inquiries, viewings, and off-platform dealings

Submitting an inquiry does not reserve or guarantee a room. Rooms are subject to availability. Any viewing, negotiation, lease, deposit, or payment takes place off-platform and is solely between you and the property operator. You are responsible for inspecting any room and reviewing any agreement before you commit. For your safety, never send money before you have seen and verified a room and signed a written agreement.

5. Roommate matching and community

Our roommate suggestions are based on the information you and others provide and are offered to help you decide. We do not guarantee compatibility, and we are not responsible for the conduct of any roommate or group member. In group chats and other community features, you agree to communicate respectfully and not to share other people’s personal information outside the group. We may remove content or members that violate these Terms.

6. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• post false, misleading, or unlawful information, or impersonate anyone;
• harass, threaten, or harm other users, or invade their privacy;
• scrape, crawl, harvest, or use bots or other automated means to access or collect data from the Service;
• copy, reproduce, or reuse our listings, design, or content for a competing or commercial purpose;
• attempt to bypass security, rate limits, or access controls, or probe or test for vulnerabilities;
• reverse engineer, decompile, or interfere with the Service or its infrastructure; or
• use the Service for any unlawful, fraudulent, or harmful purpose.

7. Intellectual property

The Service and all of its content and materials — including its design, look and feel, user interface, layout, graphics, logos, text, and software — are owned by International Housing NYC Inc. or its licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws. We grant you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, and revocable license to use the Service for its intended purpose. You may not copy, modify, create derivative works from, publicly display, distribute, frame, or sell any part of the Service without our prior written permission.

Content you submit remains yours. You grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, use, and display that content as needed to operate and improve the Service. If you send us feedback or suggestions, we may use them without obligation to you.

8. Third-party services and listings

The Service relies on third-party providers and may display maps, links, or content from others (for example, Google Maps). Your use of those services is subject to their own terms and policies, and we are not responsible for them. Listing details are provided by property operators and, while we take reasonable steps to verify them, we do not warrant that every detail is accurate, complete, or current.

9. Fair housing

We support equal housing opportunity and comply with the federal Fair Housing Act, the New York State Human Rights Law, and the New York City Human Rights Law. We do not tolerate discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, disability, familial status, age, source of income, or any other protected characteristic. Any roommate preferences you express are your own, and you remain responsible for complying with applicable law.

10. Disclaimers

The Service is provided on an “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” basis, without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. We do not warrant that listings are error-free, that a room, roommate, or viewing will meet your expectations, or that the Service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free. You are responsible for evaluating any room and any agreement before you commit.

11. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, iHousing and International Housing NYC Inc. will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, data, or goodwill. We are not liable for any dispute, transaction, or harm arising between you and a property operator or roommate, or for anything that happens off-platform. Our total liability for any claim relating to the Service will not exceed one hundred U.S. dollars (US$100). Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so some of the above may not apply to you.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless International Housing NYC Inc. and its officers, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of your misuse of the Service, your content, your off-platform dealings, or your violation of these Terms or any applicable law.

13. Termination

You may stop using the Service and delete your account at any time. We may suspend or terminate your access if you violate these Terms or to protect the Service and its users. Sections that by their nature should survive termination — including intellectual property, disclaimers, limitation of liability, and indemnification — will continue to apply.

14. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, United States, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. If you have a concern, please contact us first at info@ihousingnyc.com so we can try to resolve it informally. If we cannot, you and we agree to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state and federal courts located in Bronx County, New York, and each party consents to personal jurisdiction there.

15. Changes

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date above. Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect means you accept the updated Terms.

16. Contact us

Questions about these Terms? Contact us at info@ihousingnyc.com.