Terms of use for guests

Who we are and what we do

Bookalizer is run by [Operator company name], a company registered in England and Wales (company number [company number]), registered office [registered office address], VAT number [VAT number]. You can reach us at support@bookalizer.com or through our help centre.

Bookalizer is an online marketplace. The homes on it are offered by independent hosts: companies and individuals who manage short-term rentals. When you book, your accommodation contract is with the host, whose name appears on the listing and at checkout. We run the website, take your payment on the host's behalf, pass messages between you, and help both of you if there is a problem. Some hosts also use Bookalizer to run their own branded booking website. These terms apply there too.

Your account

• You must be 18 or over to create an account or make a booking.
• Give accurate details and keep your password safe. You are responsible for bookings made from your account. We recommend turning on two-step login in your account's security settings.
• One account works for everything. If you later list a home, you use the same account to switch between travelling and hosting.
• You can download your data or close your account at any time from your account's privacy page. Bookings that are still to come must be finished or cancelled first.

Prices, the service fee and taxes

Every price we show includes all compulsory charges: the host's nightly price, any cleaning or extra-guest fee, the Bookalizer service fee (including VAT) and any local tourist tax we know about. There are no hidden fees added at the end. At checkout you see the same total, broken down line by line.

• The Bookalizer service fee is what you pay us for running the platform, taking your payment securely and supporting you before and during your stay. It is a percentage of the host's price for your stay and it includes VAT where VAT applies. See how our fees work.
• Local taxes: some cities charge a visitor or tourist tax. Where we know about one, it is included in the total and shown as its own line. If the law changes after you book, the host may have to collect the difference. They must tell you before you arrive.
• Security deposits are not part of the price. If a home has one, the listing says so and explains how and when it is taken and returned.
• Currency: you are charged in the home's own currency, shown at checkout. If you choose to see prices in another currency, those amounts are approximate and are marked “approx.”. Your card provider may charge you a conversion fee.

Making a booking

• Before you pay, the checkout page shows the home, dates, number of guests, the full price, the host's house rules and the cancellation policy. Check them carefully.
• When you start checkout we hold the dates for you for 15 minutes. If payment is not completed in that time, the hold ends and the dates become available again.
• Your booking is confirmed when payment succeeds and we send you a confirmation with a booking reference. The host's exact address and arrival details appear in your trip once it is confirmed. Door codes and Wi-Fi details appear shortly before arrival.
• Only the number of guests you booked for may stay, including children. Pets are allowed only where the listing says so.
• No 14-day cooling-off period. UK and EU consumer law does not give a right to cancel within 14 days for accommodation booked for specific dates. Your cancellation rights are the host's cancellation policy shown before you pay, plus these terms.

Payment

Payments are processed by Stripe. We never see or store your full card number. We take payment as the host's limited payment collection agent: once you have paid us, you have paid the host, and the host cannot ask you to pay that amount again. We pass the host their share after your stay begins, keep the service fee, and pay any taxes we collect to the right authority.

Cancellations and refunds

• If you cancel, the host's cancellation policy shown at checkout decides how much you get back. Your trip page shows the exact refund before you confirm. The refund covers the same share of the service fee as of the host's price.
• If the host cancels, you get a full refund, service fee included, and we will help you find somewhere similar.
• If the home is not as described (for example it is unsafe, not clean, a key feature is missing, or you cannot get in), contact the host and us within 24 hours of finding the problem. Send photos if you can. If the host cannot fix it quickly, we may cancel the booking and refund you for the nights you could not use, service fee included.
• We may cancel a booking for a valid reason, such as suspected fraud or a serious safety risk. If we do, you get a full refund unless you broke these terms.
• Refunds go back to the card you paid with, normally within 5 to 10 working days.

During your stay

• Follow the house rules, respect neighbours and leave the home as you found it.
• You are responsible for damage caused by you or your guests beyond normal wear and tear. The host can ask us to help recover the cost. We will share their evidence with you and give you a chance to respond before anything is charged.
• Check in and check out at the times shown, unless the host agrees otherwise in writing through Bookalizer messages.

Reviews

Only guests who completed a stay booked through Bookalizer can review it. Reviews can be written up to 14 days after checkout. Reviews must be honest and about your own stay. We do not pay for, edit or select reviews to make a home look better or worse. We remove reviews that are fake, abusive, discriminatory, contain personal data or break the law. The host can publish one public reply.

Messages and safety

Keep messages and payments on Bookalizer. If a host asks you to pay outside Bookalizer, or by bank transfer, do not pay. Report it to us. Payments made outside Bookalizer are not protected by these terms. We may read messages to keep the platform safe, prevent fraud and resolve disputes, as explained in our privacy policy.

Our responsibility to you

• The host is responsible for the home, its safety and the accuracy of their listing. We check hosts and listings and act on reports, but we do not inspect every home.
• We are responsible for providing our own service with reasonable care and skill, and for losses that were a foreseeable result of us breaking these terms.
• Nothing in these terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or for anything else the law does not allow us to limit. It does not affect your legal rights as a consumer.

Problems and complaints

If something is wrong, message the host first through your trip. If that does not solve it, contact us through the help centre or at support@bookalizer.com. Include your booking reference. We aim to reply within 24 hours and to resolve complaints within 14 days. If you are not happy with our answer, you can take the matter to court. If you live in the UK or the EU, you can do this where you live.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms, for example when the law changes. Bookings you have already made stay under the terms you accepted when you booked. We will tell you about important changes before they apply to new bookings.

Which law applies

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may also bring proceedings there. If you live in the EU, you keep the protection of the mandatory consumer laws of your country.