Non-discrimination Policy

Purpose

Homversity.com at its core is a website of students for students. Our aim is to help students find, book and enjoy the best places to stay, and property owners ("hosts") to showcase their properties and get discovered in the right way.

We are focused on building a reality where individuals from every background feel welcome and respected, regardless of how far they have come from home, and to ensure equality to every individual by guarding against all forms of social discrimination. We embrace diversity and respect the personal dignity of our fellow guests.

Homversity.com respects the personal dignity, privacy and personal rights of every guest and is committed to maintaining an environment free from discrimination and harassment. Hosts must not discriminate on the basis of origin, nationality, religion, race, gender, age or sexual orientation, or engage in any kind of verbal or physical harassment based on any of the above or any other reason.

Specific Guidance for Hosts within the Union of India

Homversity.com recognizes and adheres to the fundamental rights envisaged under the Constitution of India. As a general matter, we will familiarize ourselves with all applicable state and local laws that apply to homes and places of public accommodation. Hosts should contact Homversity.com with any questions about their obligations under this Non-discrimination Policy. Guided by these principles, our host community will follow these rules when considering and hosting guests:

Caste, Race, Ethnicity, National Origin, Religion, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, or Marital Status

Hosts may not:

• Decline a guest based on caste, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.
• Impose any different terms or conditions based on any of the above.
• Post any listing or make any statement that discourages or indicates a preference for or against any guest on account of any of the above.

Gender

Hosts may not:

• Decline to rent to a guest based on gender.
• Impose different terms or conditions based on gender, unless the host shares living spaces with the guest.
• Post any listing or make any statement that discourages or indicates a preference for or against a guest on account of gender, unless the host shares living spaces with the guest.

Disability

Hosts may not:

• Decline a guest based on any actual or perceived disability.
• Impose different terms or conditions because a guest has a disability.
• Substitute their own judgment about whether a unit meets the needs of a guest with a disability for that of the prospective guest.
• Inquire about the existence or severity of a guest's disability or the means used to accommodate it (though, if a guest raises their disability, a host may and should discuss whether the listing meets their needs).
• Prohibit or limit the use of mobility devices.
• Charge more in rent or other fees for guests with disabilities.
• Post any listing or statement that discourages or indicates a preference against a guest because they have a disability.
• Refuse to communicate through available accessible means, including relay operators and e-mail.
• Refuse to provide reasonable accommodations, including flexibility with house rules (such as an assistant necessary because of the disability, or a nearby parking space). Hosts and guests should engage in a dialogue to find mutually agreeable solutions.

Hosts may:

• Provide factually accurate information about the unit's accessibility features (or lack of them), so guests with disabilities can assess whether the unit suits their needs.

Personal Preferences

Hosts may:

• Except as noted above, decline to rent based on factors not prohibited by law — for example, declining guests with pets, or guests who smoke and/or drink.
• Turn down a guest on the basis of a characteristic that is not protected under civil rights laws (e.g. wanting to smoke/drink in a unit), or place limits on the number of guests.

When guests are turned down

Hosts should keep in mind that no one likes to be turned down. While a host may have and articulate lawful, legitimate reasons for declining a guest, it may cause that member of our community to feel unwelcome. Hosts should make every effort to be welcoming to guests of all backgrounds. Hosts who demonstrate a pattern of rejecting guests from a protected class — even while articulating legitimate reasons — undermine the strength of our community, and Homversity.com may suspend such hosts from the website.