Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using RoomieBU, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, you may not use the platform. RoomieBU is a student-built project and is not officially affiliated with or operated by Bennett University.

2. Eligibility

RoomieBU is exclusively available to current students of Bennett University. To use the platform, you must:

• Have a valid Bennett University email address ending in @bennett.edu.in.
• Authenticate through Microsoft Entra ID using your institutional Microsoft account.
• Be at least 17 years of age.
• Complete the onboarding profile with accurate information about yourself.

Accounts that do not meet these criteria may be suspended or removed without notice.

3. User Responsibilities

As a user of RoomieBU, you agree to:

3.1 Provide Accurate Information

All profile information, including your name, course, year, lifestyle habits, and preferences, must be truthful and accurate. Misleading or false profiles undermine trust for everyone on the platform.

3.2 Create Honest Listings

Listings must accurately represent a genuine need for a roommate or flatmate. You must not create fake listings, post misleading budget or location details, or use listings for any purpose other than finding a roommate.

3.3 Communicate Respectfully

All interactions on the platform — including interest requests, matches, and any communication that follows — must be respectful. You agree not to:

• Harass, threaten, or intimidate other users.
• Send unsolicited or inappropriate messages after a match.
• Discriminate based on religion, caste, ethnicity, or any other protected characteristic beyond the stated listing preferences.
• Engage in stalking or persistent unwanted contact.

3.4 Not Engage in Prohibited Conduct

You must not:

• Impersonate another student or create accounts on behalf of others.
• Scam other users — including soliciting money, advance payments, or deposits through the platform.
• Spam the platform with repetitive or irrelevant listings.
• Misuse the reporting system by filing false or malicious reports against other users.
• Attempt to accessadmin features, other users' accounts, or backend systems without authorization.
• Scrape, crawl, or extract data from the platform in an automated manner.

4. Listings and Matching

RoomieBU allows you to create up to 5 active listings at a time. Each listing may specify accommodation type (hostel, flat, or flexible), budget, location, gender preference, and lifestyle preferences. Listings automatically expire after 30 days of inactivity.

When you express interest in a listing, the listing owner receives a notification and can choose to accept or reject your request. If accepted, a match is created and contact details (email and phone number) are shared between both parties.

You may withdraw your interest before it is accepted. Once a match is created, both parties can view each other's contact information.

5. Platform Rights and Moderation

RoomieBU reserves the right to maintain the safety and quality of the platform. We may, at our discretion:

• Remove listings that violate these terms, are misleading, or are reported by other users.
• Suspend accounts temporarily while investigating a report or complaint.
• Permanently ban users who repeatedly violate these terms or engage in serious misconduct.
• Edit or remove content that is inappropriate, offensive, or violates community standards.
• Review reports submitted by users and take appropriate action.

Moderation decisions are made by appointed platform administrators. If you believe a decision was made in error, you may submit a moderation appeal by contacting us at roomiebu@buconfess.in.

6. Limitation of Liability

RoomieBU is a matching platform that helps Bennett University students find potential roommates. It is important to understand that:

• RoomieBU does not guarantee compatibility between matched users. Compatibility scores are calculated based on self-reported lifestyle preferences and are indicative, not absolute.
• RoomieBU is not responsible for roommate disputes, disagreements, or any issues that arise after a match is made. Living arrangements are ultimately the responsibility of the individuals involved.
• RoomieBU does not verify housing. We do not inspect, verify, or guarantee the accuracy of accommodation details in listings (rent amounts, locations, or property conditions).
• RoomieBU is not a real estate service. We do not facilitate lease agreements, rental transactions, or financial dealings between users.
• Use your judgment. Always verify details independently, meet potential roommates in safe, public settings, and do not share financial information through the platform.

The platform is provided “as is” without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. RoomieBU shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of the platform.

7. Intellectual Property

The RoomieBU name, logo, design, and code are the property of the RoomieBU team. Content you post (listings, bios, profile information) remains yours, but you grant RoomieBU a non-exclusive license to display it on the platform as needed for the service to function.

8. Account Termination

You may stop using RoomieBU at any time. To request account deletion and removal of all your data, contact us at roomiebu@buconfess.in. We will process deletion requests within a reasonable timeframe.

We may also terminate or suspend your account if you violate these terms, with or without prior notice.

9. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms of Service from time to time. Changes will be reflected on this page with an updated “Last updated” date. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

10. Contact

For questions about these Terms of Service, contact us at:

roomiebu@buconfess.in