Terms of Service
These terms govern use of Umutuzo Rentals by renters, homeowners, and verification agents.
1. Who we are
Umutuzo Rentals ("Umutuzo", "we") operates a rental property listing and physical verification platform at umutuzorentals.com. Umutuzo is operated by Umutuzo Rentals Ltd, a company registered in Rwanda (RDB code: TODO — pending final registration reference), with its registered office in Kigali, Rwanda.
Umutuzo is a marketplace and verification service. We are not a party to any tenancy agreement between a renter and a homeowner, and we are not a licensed real estate broker unless expressly stated.
2. What "verified" means — and what it does not
A "Verified" badge means an Umutuzo agent physically visited the property, confirmed it exists at the stated location, matched it against the listing photos, and completed our verification checklist on the date shown on the listing.
Verification is a point-in-time inspection. It is not a structural survey, a legal title search, a guarantee of the property's future condition, or a guarantee that the homeowner will honour any agreement. Renters remain responsible for their own due diligence before signing a lease or paying any deposit.
3. Homeowner obligations
Homeowners warrant that they own the listed property or hold written authority from the owner to let it; that listing information and photos are accurate; and that the property may lawfully be rented under Rwandan law, including Law N° 30/2012 governing leases of immovable property.
Umutuzo may suspend or remove any listing, and any account, where information is inaccurate, a property fails or refuses verification, or we reasonably suspect fraud. Listing removal decisions are at our discretion.
Homeowners agree to pay Umutuzo a service fee (TODO — final fee % pending) of the first month's rent for each successful placement, settled via mobile money or bank transfer as selected at payout setup.
4. Renter obligations
Renters agree to provide accurate information when requesting viewings or bookings, to attend arranged viewings or cancel in reasonable time, and never to pay deposits outside the channels described on the listing page.
Any payment made directly to a homeowner outside the platform is at the renter's own risk and is not covered by any Umutuzo protection or dispute process.
5. Verification agents
Agents are independent contractors, not employees of Umutuzo. Agents agree to complete verifications honestly and personally, to keep property and homeowner information confidential, and never to solicit off-platform deals from homeowners or renters they meet through Umutuzo. Violation results in immediate removal and forfeiture of unpaid fees.
6. Payments
Payments on the platform are processed by third-party providers including Flutterwave and mobile money operators. Umutuzo does not store full payment credentials. Refunds, where applicable, follow the policy stated at the point of payment.
7. Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by Rwandan law, Umutuzo's aggregate liability arising from use of the platform is limited to the fees you paid to Umutuzo in the twelve months preceding the claim. We are not liable for disputes between renters and homeowners, for losses caused by information a user supplied, or for interruptions outside our reasonable control.
Nothing in these terms excludes liability that cannot be excluded under Rwandan law.
8. Disputes and governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Rwanda. Disputes will first be addressed through good-faith negotiation; failing that, they will be submitted to the competent courts of Kigali.
9. Changes
We may update these terms and will post the effective date below. Continued use of the platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.
Effective date: TODO — set on publication. Contact: legal@umutuzorentals.com.