Terms of Service

1. Purpose

STAYIN is a platform that connects verified hosts with guests for furnished stays in Dakar. STAYIN acts as a technical intermediary: it is not the lodging provider, does not own the listed properties, and is not a party to the rental agreement between host and guest.

2. Accounts

Accounts are created by phone number and one-time passcode (OTP). Every user must provide accurate, up-to-date information, and an account is strictly personal: one person per account.

3. Host obligations

Before publishing a first listing, a host must complete identity verification (national ID card and selfie) with the STAYIN team. Hosts agree to publish accurate listings and to honor confirmed bookings.

4. Bookings and payment

Depending on the mode the host chooses, a booking is confirmed immediately (instant booking) or after the request is accepted (request-to-book). Once a request is accepted, the guest has 24 hours to complete payment; after that window, the dates are automatically released.

Payments are processed by PayDunya and can be settled via Wave, Orange Money, or bank card. Prices are shown and charged in West African CFA francs (FCFA / XOF). The commission retained by the platform (currently 13%) is deducted from the payout made to the host. For a nightly stay, the guest pays the total amount shown in a single payment. For a monthly stay, the guest pays the first month to confirm the booking, then one instalment for each remaining month: see section 4-bis.

4-bis. Monthly stays: payment by instalments

A stay booked by the month is paid in instalments. The total amount is divided into equal parts, one per booked month: the first month is paid to confirm the booking, and each following month is a separate instalment of the same amount. That amount is set at booking time and is never recalculated.

Each instalment is due on the monthly anniversary of the check-in date. For each listing, the host sets a grace period of 3, 7, or 14 days after that due date (7 days by default); this period is shown on the listing's page before any booking is made. The last day to pay, which is included, is fixed at booking time and is not changed afterwards, even if the host later changes their listing's grace period. Reminders are sent by SMS to the guest and, where applicable, to the payer.

If an instalment is still unpaid after that last day, the booking is terminated, including mid-stay: the stay ends, the remaining instalments are cancelled, and the dates are released. Instalments covering months already occupied are not refunded. The full consequences of termination are set out in our cancellation policy, section 4.

A booking can no longer be cancelled from the day of check-in onward, by the guest or by the host. For a monthly stay that has already begun there are therefore only two outcomes: paying the instalments through to the end of the stay, or stopping payment and having the booking terminated with the consequences above. Termination for non-payment is not an early-exit option: it is the consequence of an unpaid instalment.

5. Payment by a third party (payer)

For a given booking, the guest may invite one other person — the "payer" — to pay for it, by providing their phone number in international format. The payer creates a lightweight account by confirming that number with a one-time passcode (OTP); this account is subject to the same rules as any other account, including suspension.

The payer can only see a minimal summary of the bookings they were invited to: the listing title, the stay dates, the amount due, and its payment deadline. They have no access to any other guest data (no bookings, no messaging, no identity documents). An invitation only ever gives access to what is still to be paid: for a nightly stay it stops being visible once the booking is paid, confirmed, or expired; for a monthly stay it stays visible after confirmation, but only for monthly instalments that are due and unpaid, each shown with its amount, its due date, and the last day it can be paid — and nothing more about the guest. Once there is nothing left to pay, nothing remains visible to the payer. A guest may invite only one payer at a time per booking.

When a payment made by a payer gives rise to a refund, that refund is credited to the payer's wallet, not the guest's.

6. Wallet

The STAYIN wallet is a credit balance attached to your account. This credit originates solely from refunds or from adjustments made by our team and recorded for audit purposes. A wallet cannot be funded by a top-up or a deposit: STAYIN does not issue electronic money, and the wallet is not a payment account.

Wallet credit is not convertible into cash and cannot be withdrawn or paid out to a bank or mobile-money account. It can only be used to pay for bookings on the STAYIN platform.

A wallet is attached to a single account: the credit is neither assignable nor transferable to another user. A suspended account cannot spend its credit. These wallet terms may evolve.

7. Monitored messaging

Messages exchanged on the platform are automatically analyzed and may be reviewed by our moderation team. Sharing phone numbers, addresses, or any other personal contact details before a confirmed booking is prohibited and may result in permanent account suspension.

8. Reviews

After a stay, both the host and the guest may leave a review. Reviews stay hidden until both sides have submitted theirs, at which point they are published together. If only one side has submitted a review, it is published automatically 14 days after the stay ends. A published review is immutable; moderation may still hide it if it violates our rules (abuse, off-topic content, etc.).

9. Suspension

An account may be suspended for sharing personal contact details to bypass the platform, fraud, or abusive behavior. A suspended account can no longer book, publish listings, or send messages. To appeal a suspension, contact us at support@example.com.

10. Liability

STAYIN acts as an intermediary and does not guarantee the condition of listed properties or the conduct of hosts or guests beyond the controls described above. STAYIN cannot be held liable in cases of force majeure or fault by a third party.

11. Governing law

These terms are governed by Senegalese law. Any dispute falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Dakar.