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Roompal

Community Guidelines

Takes effect at public launch · Last updated October 2026

This is a working draft for review and does not take effect until Roompal's public launch. It is not legal advice, and items shown as [to be provided] are still being finalised.

Roompal works only if renters, landlords and guarantors can trust each other. These guidelines apply to everything you post or send on Roompal: listings, photos, Spaces videos, comments, profiles, Renter Resumes, messages, InMail, viewing invites and video calls. They form part of the Roompal Terms of Service. If you break them, we may remove content, limit features, or suspend or close your account.

1. Be who you say you are

  • Use your real name and your own government ID and selfie when you verify.
  • Do not create an account for someone else, share your account, or run more than one account per role to get around a limit or a ban.
  • Do not pretend to be a landlord, agent, owner, Roompal staff member, or someone else's parent or guarantor.

2. List only real places you are allowed to rent out

  • List a property only if you own it or have written authority from the owner to lease it.
  • Photos, videos, price, fees, location pin, amenities, house rules and availability must be accurate and current. Show the actual unit, not stock photos or another property.
  • State every fee the renter will pay, including advance, deposit, utilities, association dues and any charges for extra occupants.
  • Do not post the same unit more than once, post a unit that is already taken, or use "bait" prices you will not honour.
  • Mark a listing unavailable as soon as it is rented.

3. Handle money honestly

  • Charge only the rent, advance, deposit and fees shown in the listing or the signed lease. Advance and deposit may not exceed the limits of the Rent Control Act (RA 9653) where it applies.
  • Never ask for a "reservation fee" or deposit before a viewing, or before you have accepted an application or booking.
  • Record every payment you receive in the app accurately, and issue a receipt where the law requires one.
  • Refund what you owe on time, including deposits and cancelled stays.
  • Renters: before paying, confirm the payee matches the verified landlord on the listing. Report anyone who asks you to pay a different person or account.

4. Treat people fairly

Do not refuse, rank or treat an applicant differently because of their sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, ethnicity, disability, or similar personal characteristics, except where the law allows it (for example, a female-only dormitory). Applicant requirements you set in a listing must be lawful and apply to everyone equally.

5. Communicate respectfully

  • No harassment, threats, bullying, hate speech, or unwanted sexual remarks or advances, in messages, comments, video calls or at viewings. Gender-based online sexual harassment is a crime under the Safe Spaces Act (RA 11313).
  • No spam, chain messages, or unsolicited advertising. InMail is for genuine questions about a listing.
  • Do not share another person's contact details, ID, documents or photos outside the rental they were shared for.
  • Keep viewings and video calls appropriate. Do not record a video call without the other person's consent.

6. Content you may not post

  • Anything illegal, or anything that promotes illegal activity
  • Nudity, sexual content, or graphic violence
  • Content that shows a person who has not agreed to appear in it, including in listing photos and Spaces videos
  • Other people's copyrighted photos or videos
  • Personal information of others, such as ID numbers, addresses or bank details
  • Links to scams, malware or phishing sites
  • Misleading claims about Roompal verification badges

7. Use Roompal's documents only for their purpose

Renter Resumes, IDs and financial documents are shared with a landlord only so they can assess one application. Images of them are watermarked with the viewer's ID and the time they were opened. Landlords may not download, copy, sell, or reuse them for any other purpose, and must delete any copy once it is no longer needed for that application or lease.

8. Reporting and enforcement

You can report a listing, a profile or a conversation from inside the app. We review reports and may:

  1. Remove or hide content
  2. Unpublish a listing or remove a verification badge
  3. Restrict features such as messaging, applying or listing
  4. Suspend or permanently close an account
  5. Refer the matter to the police or other authorities where the law requires it or someone is at risk

We decide based on the information available to us and may act without warning where safety is at risk. If you think we got it wrong, contact roompal.ph@gmail.com within 30 days.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911 first.