Terms of Use

Agreement to Terms

These Terms of Use ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Chattel Limited (NZBN: [Your NZBN], "Chattel," "we," "our," or "us"), a company registered in New Zealand.

By accessing or using our website (chattel.co.nz) or any other website operated by us, including any information, text, reviews, comments, images, data or other content contained on or related to the above (together, the "Content"), you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. Your access to, and use (by any means, whether directly or indirectly) of the Content is at all times conditional on you agreeing to and complying with these Terms. If you do not agree to, or cannot comply with, these Terms, you must not use or access our Content.

Note that we may modify these Terms at any time. For more information about changes to these Terms, see the Changes to These Terms section below.

What We Offer

Subject to these Terms, Chattel uses the Content to operate a platform ("Platform") that allows current and former New Zealand-based tenants to:

• Review and rate their personal experiences in respect of rental properties, landlords, and property managers in New Zealand ("Rental Properties and Providers") by way of user-generated reviews and content
• Search and view user-generated reviews of Rental Properties and Providers
• Share information about Rental Properties and Providers
• View aggregated ratings and feedback about Rental Properties and Providers

When offering the Content, we may use, present to you and/or link to third-party technology, products and/or services. We do not endorse or make any guarantee or promise, and do not assume any responsibility for, any such third-party technology, products and/or services.

Important Disclaimer: Not Legal or Tenancy Advice

Accessing or Using Our Content

Your Responsibilities

To access and use our Content, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Only do so in accordance with these Terms and applicable laws and regulations (including in respect of privacy and defamation)
• Not do or omit to do anything which will (or would be likely to) result in a breach of your obligations set out in the Review Guidelines and Standards and Prohibited Conduct sections
• When posting reviews, comply with the Review Guidelines and Standards set out below
• Only do so in connection with your personal or domestic affairs — our Content must not be used in the course of trade
• Not use our Content for any purpose which competes with us or our Content
• Not sell, transfer, assign, distribute, host, or otherwise commercially exploit any part of our Content (except user-generated content created by you)

Eligibility and Account Creation

Account Registration

In order to leave a review on our Platform, you must create an account. You are only permitted to create one user account. Your user account is personal to you and must not be transferred to anyone else. By creating an account, you agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information
• Maintain and promptly update your account information
• Keep your password secure and confidential
• Accept responsibility for all activities connected with your account
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized access to, or security breach of, your account
• Not create multiple accounts or share access to your account with others

Account Termination

You may close your account at any time by contacting support@chattel.co.nz. We may suspend or terminate your account if you violate these Terms.

User Reviews and Content

Review Guidelines and Standards

When posting reviews or other content, you must comply with the following requirements:

• Be connected: Only review Rental Properties and Providers which you have had direct engagement with
• Be truthful and accurate: Base your review on your genuine experience and provide factual information — do not include any false, misleading, or defamatory information
• Be fair and balanced: Provide constructive feedback that reflects your actual experience
• Be respectful: Do not include offensive, abusive, threatening, or discriminatory language
• Protect privacy: Do not share any sensitive personal information of others (i.e., revealing ethnic origin, religious beliefs, health or financial information and similar)
• Stay relevant: Focus on your tenancy experience, property conditions, and landlord/property manager interactions
• Follow the law: Ensure your review complies with all applicable laws and regulations, including privacy and defamation laws
• No marketing: Do not include any materials which are of a promotional or marketing nature (whether that material relates to yourself, or any goods, services, products and/or businesses)

Prohibited Content

You must NOT post reviews or content that:

• Is false, misleading, or defamatory
• Violates any person's privacy or confidentiality
• Infringes intellectual property rights
• Contains hate speech, threats, or harassment
• Promotes illegal activity or violates any law
• Includes spam, advertising, or solicitations
• Contains malware, viruses, or harmful code
• Is sexually explicit or inappropriate
• Discriminates based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected characteristics
• Is intended to manipulate ratings or reviews (fake reviews, review swapping, paid reviews)
• Includes sensitive information about an identifiable individual (such as revealing ethnic origin, religious beliefs, health or financial information and similar)

Content Ownership and License

You retain ownership of any content you post. However, by posting content on Chattel, you grant us with a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, paid-up, sub-licensable, assignable license to use, copy, display, reproduce, modify, publish, distribute, and create works based on, your user-generated content for any purpose whatsoever.

This license survives termination of your account to preserve Platform integrity, though we will anonymize your content upon account deletion where possible.

Content Moderation

We reserve the right to:

• Review, monitor, edit, or remove any content at our discretion
• Reject or remove content that violates these Terms
• Suspend or terminate accounts that repeatedly post prohibited content
• Take no action regarding content even if it violates these Terms

We are not obligated to monitor all content but may do so for safety, legal compliance, and quality purposes.

Reporting Inappropriate Content

If you believe content violates these Terms or New Zealand law, please report it to report@chattel.co.nz with:

• URL or reference to the specific content
• Reason for the report
• Your contact information (if you wish to be contacted)

We will investigate reports and take appropriate action, usually within 5 business days.

Verification Process

To maintain review authenticity and comply with our standards, we verify tenancy relationships before publishing reviews.

What We Verify

We may require proof that you were a tenant at the property you're reviewing, such as:

• Tenancy agreement or lease document
• Utility bills in your name at the property address
• Official correspondence linking you to the address
• Bond lodgement receipt

How We Handle Verification Documents

All verification documents are:

• Handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy
• Reviewed only by authorized personnel
• Securely deleted within 30 days after verification is complete
• Never shared with third parties or used for marketing

Verification Outcomes

If verification is:

• Successful: Your review will be published with a "Verified Tenant" badge
• Unsuccessful: Your review will not be published, and we will explain why
• Pending: We may request additional documentation or clarification

Prohibited Conduct

You agree NOT to:

• Use automated systems, bots, scrapers, or similar tools to access our services
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems, networks, or user accounts
• Interfere with, disrupt, or harm our services or servers
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any part of our Platform
• Create multiple accounts, fake accounts, or impersonate others
• Manipulate reviews, ratings, or rankings
• Offer or accept payment for reviews
• Harass, threaten, stalk, or intimidate other users
• Use our services for any illegal purpose or in violation of any law
• Collect or harvest user information without consent
• Post spam, advertisements, or unsolicited messages
• Circumvent any security features or access controls

Intellectual Property Rights

Our Intellectual Property

All content on Chattel, including:

• Text, graphics, logos, icons, images, audio, video
• Software, code, and Platform functionality
• The Chattel name, logo, and trademarks
• The design, compilation, and arrangement of content

...is owned by or licensed to Chattel. You must not copy, distribute, modify, or otherwise use any of our Content or intellectual property rights in any way not expressly permitted by us.

Copyright Infringement

If you believe content on our Platform infringes your copyright, please contact copyright@chattel.co.nz with:

• Description of the copyrighted work
• Location of the infringing content on our site
• Your contact information and proof of copyright ownership
• A statement of good faith belief that the use is unauthorized

Disclaimers and Limitations

Platform and Content Disclaimer

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

• Our Content is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis
• All express, implied, and all other representations and warranties of any kind are excluded
• We do not guarantee that our services will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure
• Reviews represent the opinions of individual users, not Chattel — we do not verify the accuracy of all user-generated reviews (beyond basic verification)
• We are not responsible for the actions of landlords, property managers, or other third parties

Third-Party Content and Links

Our Platform may contain links to third-party websites or services. We do not endorse or assume responsibility for third-party content, privacy policies, or practices.

Limitation of Liability

Limitation

Subject to the Exclusion section below, to the maximum extent permitted by law, Chattel shall not be liable to any person for any loss or damage arising directly or indirectly in connection with the Content or these Terms including (but without limitation):

• Indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary or punitive damages
• Loss of profits, revenue, data, goodwill, or opportunity
• Loss arising in connection with your tenancy relationships
• Failure to comply with these Terms

This exclusion of liability applies to liability in contract, tort (including negligence) and any other principle of legal liability.

Cap

In the event that any limitation or provision contained in these Terms is invalid for any reason and the Licensor becomes liable for loss or damage that would otherwise have been excluded, such liability is limited to NZD $100, or the amount you paid us in the 12 months prior to the claim, whichever is greater.

Exclusion

Nothing in these Terms limits our liability for:

• Death or personal injury caused by our negligence
• Fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation
• Any liability that cannot be excluded at law

Indemnification

To the extent permitted by law, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless Chattel, its directors, officers, employees, contractors, and agents (each, an "Indemnified Party") from any claim made by yourself or any third party (including any government authority) arising in connection with:

• Your use of our services in violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any rights of another party (including defamation claims)
• Any content you post on our Platform
• Your breach of any applicable law or regulation

The indemnity provided under this clause shall cover all losses, damages, costs or expenses (including reasonable legal costs) that any Indemnified Party may suffer or incur.

This indemnification survives termination of your account, the Content, and/or these Terms.

Dispute Resolution

Informal Resolution

If you have a complaint or dispute, please contact us first at disputes@chattel.co.nz. We will work in good faith to resolve the issue within 20 business days following receipt of a dispute ("Deadline").

Mediation

If we cannot resolve the dispute informally by the Deadline, we each agree to co-operate in good faith to resolve the dispute through mediation. The mediation shall be conducted by a mutually agreed upon mediator, or if the parties cannot agree, by a mediator appointed by the New Zealand Law Society, before pursuing legal action. The costs of such mediation shall be borne equally by the parties.

Account Suspension and Termination

Our Right to Terminate

We may suspend or terminate your account immediately, without prior notice, if:

• You breach these Terms
• You post prohibited content
• We suspect fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activity
• Required by law or legal authority

...as determined by us acting in our sole discretion.

Your Right to Terminate

You may close your account at any time by contacting support@chattel.co.nz or using account settings.

Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

• Your right to use our services immediately ceases
• Your account data may be deleted (subject to retention requirements)
• Your reviews may remain public but will be anonymized

Changes to These Terms

We may modify these Terms at any time. When we make changes:

• We will post the updated Terms on this page
• We will update the "Last updated" date
• For material changes, we will notify you via email or prominent notice on our website at least 14 days before changes take effect
• Your continued use after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the new Terms

If you do not agree to the modified Terms, you must stop using our Content and may close your account.

General Provisions

Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between us in respect of the Content.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable at law, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.

Force Majeure

We (nor any of our officers, employees, advisers, agents or delegates) shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing our obligations due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, wars, terrorism, pandemics, or government actions.

Relationship

Nothing in these Terms creates a partnership, joint venture, employment, or agency relationship between you and Chattel.

Contact Information

For questions about these Terms: