Thank you for using Ajar!

This Ajar Users Terms and Conditions (this “Agreement”) forms the binding agreement to your use or enter of the website www.ajar.casa and other offerings from Ajar (collectively, “Ajar Platform”). 

Ajar is provided by “Ajar Casa sarl”, a limited liability company registered in Lebanon with whom you are contracting through your use of Ajar Platform and will be the link between Guests and Hosts.

In this Agreement:

1. The terms “Ajar”, “Ajar Casa”, “we”, “us”, or “ours” shall be referred to the Provider and the owners of Ajar Platform.
2. The terms “Users”, “User” shall be referred collectively to “Guests” and “Hosts”.
3. “Host” or “Hosts” refers to a User or Users who are owners of flats, apartment, rooms, or any other type of accommodations in Lebanon, who submit a description of their places on Ajar Platform in the intent to rent and offer their places for accommodations.
4. “Lodging” refers to a place published on Ajar Platform and offered by “Host” or “Hosts” for “Guest” or “Guests” accommodations.
5. “Guest” or “Guests” refers to a User or Users searching for booking accommodations or utilizing services from Ajar.
6. “Nightly Rate” refers to the amount of money requested by “Host” or “Hosts” for the lease of their premises for each night of the stay in LBP.
7. “Total Price” refers to the sum of Lodging Price based on Nightly Rate, number of days, other fees imposed by the Host and service fees imposed by Ajar.

1.1. Guests are required to abide by the following: (i) to create a personal account on Ajar Platform and (ii) should be at least 18 years old and (iii) keep all his/her personal information accurate and updated at all time

1.2. When a Guest books a Lodging, they agree to pay the Total Price as described above, including any other fees or taxes that may be necessary. Online payments on the Ajar Platform are processed through Areeba’s & Tap Payment’s secure e-payment gateways.

1.3. Ajar does not represent or act on behalf of a Host nor on behalf of a Guest. Ajar is considered as a mediator between the Host and the Guest unless clearly stated by Ajar in a property management contract.

1.4. Guests shall pay in advance any security deposit required for Lodging as per the Lodging’s policies.

1.5. After receiving the booking confirmation, a short-term rental contract (also referred to as a reservation in these Terms) is established directly between the Guest and the Host. Ajar or any Ajar team member is not a party to this aforementioned contract. This Agreement is considered an integral part of the rental contract. The Guest Lodging reservation is time-bound and must be honored by the Guest and their invited Guests; the Host can choose to impose overstay penalties if the Guest(s) stay beyond their reservations date. Bear in mind that some Hosts may choose to leverage services from external parties to manage their Lodging.

1.6. Guests may request to rent a Lodging for long-term use with monthly or yearly payments. Guests should contact Ajar directly through WhatsApp or email to receive information about the desired Lodging as well as to set up a visit if required. By contacting Ajar and requesting to inquire about long-term rentals opportunities, the Guest agrees and accepts to pay the equivalent of one month of rent to Ajar when an agreement is reached.

1.7. As a Guest you must abide by the cancellation policy set by the Host for the specific Lodging you have booked. If the Host cancels, Ajar encourages you to contact us so we can assess your eligibility to rebook or receive partial or full refund.

1.8. Guests are responsible and liable for their own acts and omissions and are also responsible for the acts and omissions of anyone they invite to join or provide access to any Lodging. For example, this means: (i) you are responsible for treating the Lodging as if it were your own place, making sure to leave it in the same conditions as you found it when you (or your invited Guests) first entered the Lodging, and (ii) you must act ethically, treat others respectfully not matter what circumstances arise, and you must comply with applicable laws at all times. No minors are allowed to book a Lodging by themselves, and any minor accommodated in the Lodging must be accompanied by a legally authorized person.

1.9. You, as a Guest, recognize that utilizing or accessing the Ajar Platform carries risks and you accept to bear full responsibility for all risks arising from any situation formed due to the use of the Ajar Platform, including your stay at any Lodging and interactions with other Users. As such, you are solely responsible to accurately examine any Lodging prior to booking it. Some examples of risks associated with Lodgings are, but are not limited to, illness, injury, disability or death and you accept to take the entirety of these risks.

 

2.1. As a Host, Ajar provides you with a venue where you can easily make your Lodging discoverable to Guests registered on the Ajar Platform and earn money effortlessly. Hosts can easily create a Lodging online and completely manage it as you like, such as by setting your nightly rate, availability dates, and rules & cancellation policies for each Lodging.

2.2. When a Host accepts a booking request through the Ajar Platform, you are directly contracting with the Guest, and are responsible for offering your Lodging at the agreed upon price and terms, including associated taxes if any. Any booking made through the Ajar Platform will incur a service fee that you are agreeing to pay to Ajar. Ajar will withdraw amounts you owe us from your payout unless we and you agree to a different method. If you decide to add additional terms to your Lodging that require Guests to enter into an additional contract between you and the Guest, you should clearly provide this information in your Lodging description. You must provide Ajar with a copy of this additional contract prior to offering your Lodging and must ensure that the contract complies with these Terms and Policies.

2.3. Ajar remains autonomous from Hosts and does not act as your employer, agent, or partner, except when receiving and transferring payments whereas Ajar acts as an escrow account. Ajar is not involved in the management or control of your Lodging, its availability and set price. You are solely responsible for managing your Lodging.

2.4. Your Lodging’s information must be complete and accurate (e.g., your nightly rate, cleaning fees, photos, description) at all times. You should clearly state any additional rules or requirements that apply to your Guests or Lodging. We recommend that you obtain appropriate insurance for your Lodging. Failure to maintain up-to-date and accurate information may lead to account suspension.

2.5. You are solely responsible for comprehending and adhering to any laws, rules, regulations, and contracts with third parties that apply to your Lodging. As a Host, you are receiving Guest personal information that you must handle with care, privacy, and integrity.

2.6. Hosts may be able to promote their Lodgings on Ajar Platform by paying an additional fee. Contact us directly for more information about promotional packages.

2.7. Hosts may choose to offer their Lodgings to Guests as long-term rentals. By uploading your Lodging to the Ajar platform, and choosing to offer your Lodging for long-term rent, you agree to pay Ajar a commission equivalent to one month of rent in the event of a successful rental deal. You also agree to pay this amount in full at the moment the rental deal was successfully completed, as defined by Ajar.

2.8. You, or the authorized people to co-manage your Lodging (also known as Co-hosts), are responsible and liable for your acts and omissions. You are responsible for creating the rules and policies of your Lodging as well as putting your price. You are required to clearly mention all fees included in your price (e.g., nightly rate, cleaning fees, security fees or other additional fees). Collection of external fees from Guests, unless pre-authorized in written by Ajar, is forbidden and highly discouraged to prevent untrustworthy behavior across the platform, reduce risk and increase safety.

2.9. You recognize that utilizing or accessing Ajar Platform carries risks and you accept to bear responsibility for all risks arising from any situation formed due to the use of the Ajar Platform, including your Lodging activities as well as interactions with other Users. You are responsible for understanding and abiding by the laws, rules, regulations, or obligations related to your Lodging.

2.10. Cancellations and Booking Changes: In the event a Guest decides to cancel their reservation, the cancellation policy of that reservation will determine the amount to be paid to you. As a Host, you should not cancel on a Guest without a valid reason that Ajar deems appropriate (e.g., death of a host or guest, unforeseen injuries, property damage, transportation issues). Please contact us to inquire about the validity of your reason in case you are in doubt. Ajar may impose a cancellation fee and other consequences if you cancel on a Guest without such a valid reason.

3.1 Trust, Verifications & Reviews

The Ajar Platform is based on trust between all parties involved. We aim to provide a maximum of positive experiences for Guests and Hosts alike, for the betterment of Lebanon across all regions. To ensure the safety and security of our community, we require you to submit verification documents such as a valid ID or passport. To increase the level of trust on our platform, Guests and Hosts can rate and review each other after check-out. Honest, constructive, respectful, and accurate reviews are highly encouraged. Ajar reserves the right to alter or remove ratings and reviews that can be offensive to either party. Due to the nature of ratings and reviews, we have limited capacity to verify their accuracy; yet we will actively work to minimize incorrect or misleading information to the best of our abilities

3.2 Uploaded and Transmitted Content

By using Ajar Platform, you agree that content is defined as any information, text, image, video, audio, or otherwise, uploaded on or transmitted through the website to which you are the owner. You also agree that by providing content in any form or through any mean, you grant Ajar a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual, sub-licensable and transferable license to copy, modify, prepare derivative works of, distribute, publish, analyze, commercialize, and otherwise utilize, that content, without limitation. If Content includes personal information, our Privacy Policy describes how we use that personal information. In the event you require assistance from Ajar in creating Content, Ajar may own that Content and draft additional terms if needed. As a User, you are the only responsible party for all Content that you contribute, and you affirm that you either own it or are authorized to grant Ajar the rights described in these Terms. Content that includes any unlawful, threatening, abusive, defamatory, obscene, or indecent information, or material of any kind which violates or infringes upon the rights of any other person, including without limitation any transmissions constituting or encouraging conduct that would constitute a criminal offence, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any applicable law, is solely your responsibility and you are liable for that Content.

3.3. Payment Terms & Fees Structure

Our service fees are split between Hosts and Guests to ensure fairness from all parties involved. As a matter of transparency, Hosts pay 3% of the subtotal price when opting for wire transfer as a payout method compared to 12% when choosing OMT transfer, whereas Guests pay up to 12% depending on their promotional packages, referrals, or rewards. Service fees are non-refundable unless explicitly mentioned by Ajar. We reserve the right to change the service fees at any time and will notify Users of any changes prior to their effective dates.

As a Guest, you acknowledge and agree that Ajar does not have access to your credit card or debit card information. Upon booking, you will be redirected to a secure webpage solely managed by Areeba or Tap Payments, through which Guest payments are processed.

As a Host, your preferred payment method will be taken into account when transferring your money for each booking reservation. You agree that Ajar may choose to transfer your money via other means than your preferred method in circumstances deemed necessary such as pandemics, transportation, and transactional issues. You agree to receive your reservation payouts on the 15th and/or 30th of each month, unless your payout amount is less than LBP 1.5 Mn, whereas Ajar can choose to bundle your payout amount with your next payout amount to optimize transactions. You also agree to receive payments in the currency paid by the Guest for each reservation, when applicable.

Hosts can choose to offer weekly and monthly discounts to Guests as they see fit. These discounts can directly be added when publishing a Lodging.

For long-term stays, where the Guest shall pay the Host on a monthly, yearly, bi-yearly or otherwise recurring form of payment(s), the Guest agrees to pay Ajar’s guest service fee amounting to one month of rent (or half a month of rent for rental less than 6 months) for that specific Lodging at the time and date the agreement between Guest and Host was completed. The Host also agrees to pay Ajar’s host service fee amounting to one month of rent (or half a month of rent for rental less than 6 months) for that specific Lodging at the time and date the contract between Guest and Host was signed. The host is responsible for creating and printing the long-term rental contract in accordance with applicable laws.

3.4. Ajar Safety Rules

You must follow these rules and must not help or induce others to break or circumvent these rules.

• You must follow these Terms while utilizing Ajar Platform.
• You must recognize and apply all of your legal obligations.
• You must remain ethical and trustworthy in all circumstances.
• You must remain respectful towards others at all times.
• You must neither scrap our website nor try to compromise it in any way possible.
• In the event of any threat to a person or property, you must instantly report to your local authorities prior to reporting to us in writing.
• You can share any story, suggestion, or concern with us! We will always listen to you.
• You must register an account to access and use many features of the Ajar Platform.
• You acknowledge that Ajar can choose to alter, modify or utilize Content as it deems appropriate to maintain the safety and security of its community or comply with Lebanese law.
• You must do everything that is in your power to keep your account secure and notify us if you believe your credentials have been compromised.

Ajar may alter these Terms and rules at any time. By using, accessing, or having an account on Ajar, you agree to these Terms. We encourage Users to frequently check this page for any changes to stay informed about the updates to these Terms. Ajar will notify you up to a month before the changes become effective. The last update date can be found at the bottom of these Terms.

3.5. Limitations, Termination and Suspension

These Terms are effective when you enter our website until either you or we terminate them. Ajar retains the rights to terminate or suspend any account that it deems characteristically or suspiciously inappropriate, false, corrupt, untrustworthy, fraudulent, criminal, or linked to any party with similar characteristics. Ajar can limit, terminate, or suspend any account that does not comply with its terms and policies. Whenever appropriate and deemed sufficiently convincing, Ajar may choose to revise its decision with regards to account limitation, termination, or suspension. 

3.6. Resolving Complaints and Damage Claims

Whether you are a Guest or a Host, you agree that complaints and damage claims will be resolved through Arbitration only, unless otherwise deemed reasonable by Ajar. Ajar shall not be liable for any delay or failure to provide its services fully due to causes outside its reasonable control, including, but not limited to, acts of God, natural disasters, war, terrorism, riots, embargoes, acts of civil or military authorities, fire, floods, accidents, pandemics, epidemics or diseases, strikes or shortages of transportation facilities, fuel, energy, labor or materials.

Ajar works tirelessly to maintain the platform safe and secure - yet Ajar is not responsible or liable for the behavior or conduct of its Users, whether Guests, Hosts or their related parties. You acknowledge that you will use common sense to avoid risky, dangerous, or otherwise seemingly unfavorable situations whenever using the Ajar Platform. You acknowledge that you are aware of your responsibilities with regards to Ajar and its community, and can be liable for misconduct.

3.7. Non-Circumvention Agreement. By using the Ajar platform as a User in any way, shape or form possible, the User agrees to not circumvent Ajar nor any of its partners nor employees. The User accepts to settle the entirety of the amount due to Ajar. Guests should conduct all inquiries into and discussions about any Lodging published on the Ajar platform solely through Ajar or an Ajar authorized person. Should a User purchase or sell directly from or to another User without Ajar’s participation, or in any way interfere with Ajar’s right to a fee, all involved Users shall be liable to Ajar and it’s agents for such fee and any other damages including reasonable attorney’s fees and costs.

3.8. Miscellaneous

Ajar Platform may contain links to third-party websites, applications, services, or resources (“Third-Party Services”) that are subject to different terms and privacy practices. Ajar is not responsible or liable for any aspect of such Third-Party Services and links to such Third-Party Services are not an endorsement.

Ajar Platform utilizes Google Maps/Earth mapping services, including Google Maps API(s). You are subject to the Google Maps/Google Earth Additional Terms of Service.

Ajar designs and implements its own referral, rewards, and promotional programs. We reserve the right to alter such programs whenever needed to preserve the operations of Ajar.