Terms of Service

Welcome to Kovie. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Kovie mobile applications, website (kovie.co), and related services (collectively, the "Service"). By using the Service, you agree to these Terms. If you don't agree, please don't use the Service.

1. Who can use Kovie

You must be at least 18 years old to use the in-app services (matching, listings, reviews). You must be at least 13 years old to subscribe to the marketing waitlist at kovie.co.

You agree to provide accurate information when registering, and to keep your account credentials confidential. You're responsible for everything that happens under your account.

2. What Kovie does — and doesn't do

Kovie helps college students discover housing options and connect with potential roommates. We provide matching tools, listings information, and a venue for residents to share lived-experience reviews.

Kovie is not a real estate broker, property manager, leasing agent, or landlord. All rental terms, leases, deposits, and rental decisions are made directly between the renter and the property owner or their representative. We are not a party to any rental agreement.

Kovie also does not provide background checks, credit reports, or any consumer report subject to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

3. Fair Housing

Kovie is committed to Equal Housing Opportunity. The Service does not permit or facilitate discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, disability, or any other protected class under federal, state, or local fair-housing laws.

Roommate matching may include shared-living preferences that fall under the Fair Housing Act's roommate exemption (see Fair Housing Council v. Roommates.com, 666 F.3d 1216 (9th Cir. 2012)). These preferences apply only to shared-living situations, never to traditional landlord- tenant rentals.

4. User content

You retain ownership of the content you submit (profiles, photos, reviews, messages). By submitting it, you grant Kovie a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, display, reproduce, and distribute it as needed to operate the Service.

Reviews you write are your opinion. Kovie does not verify the accuracy of every review, but we may remove content that violates these Terms or our community guidelines.

5. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• Submit false, misleading, defamatory, or unlawful content
• Impersonate another person or misrepresent your identity
• Harass, stalk, or threaten any user
• Solicit illegal activity, including discriminatory housing practices
• Scrape, mine, or copy data from the Service without permission
• Use the Service to send spam or unauthorized marketing
• Interfere with the Service's operation or security

6. Listings

Listings on Kovie may be (a) self-posted by property owners or managers, (b) ingested from publicly available sources, or (c) submitted by community members. Kovie does not warrant the accuracy of any listing. Always verify details directly with the listing party before making rental decisions or sending money.

7. Reviews and defamation

User reviews are user opinions. Kovie acts as a platform under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. If you believe a review is defamatory, contains harassment, or otherwise violates these Terms, you may submit a takedown request to legal@kovie.co. We will review valid requests and remove content as appropriate.

8. Subscriptions and payments

Some features (including landlord listing tiers and any future premium student features) require payment. Pricing, billing terms, and refunds will be described at the point of purchase. Payments are processed by third-party providers; their terms apply.

9. Termination

You can delete your account at any time from the app's profile settings. Kovie may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

Upon deletion, we remove your personal information from active systems as described in our Privacy Policy. Some records may be retained as required by law or for fraud prevention.

10. Disclaimers

The Service is provided "as-is" and "as-available" without warranties of any kind, express or implied. Kovie does not guarantee that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or meet your expectations. We do not warrant the accuracy of listings, reviews, compatibility scores, or other user content.

11. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Kovie's total liability for any claim arising from your use of the Service is limited to the amount you paid Kovie in the 12 months preceding the claim, or $100, whichever is greater. Kovie is not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold Kovie harmless from any claim, loss, or expense (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from your use of the Service, your content, or your violation of these Terms.

13. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Arkansas, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. Any dispute will be brought in the state or federal courts located in Washington County, Arkansas, and you consent to jurisdiction there.

14. Changes

We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be communicated in-app or by email at least 14 days before they take effect. Continued use after the effective date is your acceptance of the changes.

15. Contact

Questions? Reach us at hello@kovie.co for general inquiries or legal@kovie.co for legal matters.

These Terms apply between you and the entity operating Kovie (LLC name pending — see footer). The most current version is always available at kovie.co/terms.