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Terms of Service

Effective Date: January 15, 2026 | Last Updated: January 2026

Important: These Terms of Service govern your use of DMV Housing's tenant-landlord matching platform. By creating an account or using our services, you agree to these terms. Please read them carefully.

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using DMV Housing services ("Services"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you disagree with any part of these terms, you may not access our services. These Terms apply to all visitors, users, landlords, tenants, and others who access or use our Services, including our website at dmvhousing.org and any related mobile applications.

2. Platform Description

DMV Housing is a two-sided marketplace platform that connects:

  • Landlords: Property owners seeking qualified Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) tenants
  • Tenants: Voucher holders searching for suitable housing within DC payment standards

Important Disclaimer: DMV Housing is NOT a government agency, housing authority, or property management company. We are a private technology platform that facilitates connections between landlords and tenants. We do not:

  • Issue, manage, or guarantee Housing Choice Vouchers
  • Make housing decisions on behalf of DCHA, HUD, or any housing authority
  • Guarantee successful matches, lease signings, or housing placements
  • Serve as a party to any lease agreement between landlords and tenants
  • Conduct HQS inspections or determine rent reasonableness

3. User Types and Services

For Landlords

  • • Create and manage property listings
  • • View anonymized tenant profiles ("Blind Cards") showing voucher amount, household size, and profile score
  • • Unlock full tenant contact information through paid subscription or one-time purchase
  • • Boost listing visibility for increased exposure
  • • Track maintenance records and lease information
  • • Access HousingGuide AI assistant for landlord guidance

For Tenants

  • • Create a profile showcasing voucher information and rental history
  • • Upload voucher documentation for verification
  • • Add landlord references to strengthen profile
  • • Browse available listings within payment standards
  • • Get matched with interested landlords
  • • Access HousingGuide AI assistant for tenant guidance
  • • Complete screening questionnaire for landlord review

4. Account Registration and Eligibility

To use our Services, you must:

  • Be at least 18 years of age
  • Be legally authorized to form binding contracts
  • Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration
  • Verify your identity through phone number or email verification
  • Maintain the security of your account credentials
  • Promptly update any changes to your information
  • Be responsible for all activities under your account

Warning: Providing false information, including fabricated voucher details, fake references, or misrepresented property ownership, may result in immediate account termination, removal from the platform, and potential legal action. We reserve the right to verify any information submitted.

5. Tenant Contact Information Disclosure (IMPORTANT)

By creating a tenant profile on DMV Housing, you explicitly consent to the following:

  • Anonymized Profile Display: Your profile information (excluding full name, phone number, email, address, and reference contact details) will be displayed to landlords as "Blind Cards" showing your voucher value, household composition, profile score, move-in timeline, and general preferences.
  • Contact Information Unlocking: When a landlord pays to "unlock" your profile (either through a subscription plan or one-time $19 payment), your full contact information (name, phone number, and/or email) will be revealed to that specific landlord.
  • Reference Disclosure: Your landlord references (names, phone numbers, emails) may be shared with landlords who have unlocked your profile for verification purposes.
  • Screening Information: If you complete a screening questionnaire, this information will be available to landlords who unlock your profile or receive a shareable screening link.

You understand that once a landlord unlocks your profile, DMV Housing cannot control how that landlord uses your contact information. Landlords agree to use this information solely for legitimate housing-related communications.

6. Payments, Subscriptions, and Refunds

Subscription Tiers (Landlords)

  • • Guest (Free): Pay $19 per tenant contact unlock
  • • Starter ($29/month): Unlimited unlocks, up to 5 active listings
  • • Growth ($79/month): Unlimited unlocks, up to 25 listings, tax export features
  • • Enterprise ($199/month): Unlimited everything, priority support

One-Time Purchases

  • • Tenant Unlock: $19 to reveal one tenant's full contact information
  • • Listing Boost: $14.99 for 7 days of enhanced visibility

All payments are processed securely through Stripe. By making a purchase, you agree to Stripe's Terms of Service.

Refund Policy

  • • Subscriptions: You may cancel at any time through your account settings or Stripe customer portal. No refunds for partial billing periods. Access continues until the end of your paid period.
  • • One-Time Unlocks: Non-refundable once tenant contact information has been revealed, as the service has been fully delivered.
  • • Listing Boosts: Non-refundable once boost period has begun.
  • • Disputes: Contact support@dmvhousing.org within 7 days for billing issues.

7. Listing Heartbeat and Auto-Archiving

To maintain listing accuracy and protect tenants from outdated information:

  • Active listings will receive an SMS confirmation request every 14 days
  • Landlords must respond within 48 hours to keep listings active
  • Non-responsive listings are automatically archived (not deleted)
  • Archived listings can be reactivated at any time from your dashboard

By posting a listing, you consent to receive these operational SMS messages at the phone number associated with your account.

8. User Responsibilities

Landlords Must:

  • • Provide accurate property information and pricing
  • • Maintain properties to HQS (Housing Quality Standards)
  • • Comply with all Fair Housing laws
  • • Accept Housing Choice Vouchers as lawful income
  • • Use unlocked tenant information only for legitimate housing purposes
  • • Not discriminate against voucher holders
  • • Respond to heartbeat confirmations within 48 hours
  • • Update or archive listings when units are no longer available

Tenants Must:

  • • Maintain a valid Housing Choice Voucher
  • • Provide accurate voucher and personal information
  • • Keep profile information current
  • • Provide truthful references
  • • Update voucher status if it changes or expires
  • • Respond professionally to landlord inquiries
  • • Not misrepresent household composition or income

9. HousingGuide AI Assistant

DMV Housing provides an AI-powered assistant ("HousingGuide") to help users with housing-related questions.

AI Assistant Limitations

  • • Responses are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice
  • • AI responses may not always be accurate or up-to-date with current regulations
  • • Users should verify important information with official sources (DCHA, HUD, legal counsel)
  • • Usage is subject to daily message limits based on subscription tier
  • • Conversations may be logged for quality improvement purposes
  • • Do not share sensitive personal information (SSN, banking details) with the AI assistant

10. Prohibited Activities

You may NOT use our Services to:

  • Violate any federal, state, or local laws or regulations
  • Discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, or source of income
  • Submit false, misleading, or fraudulent information
  • Post fake listings or fabricate property availability
  • Create fake tenant profiles or misrepresent voucher status
  • Harass, abuse, threaten, or harm other users
  • Use unlocked contact information for purposes unrelated to housing
  • Share, resell, or distribute unlocked tenant information
  • Spam or send unsolicited commercial messages to users
  • Attempt to circumvent payment requirements or manipulate the platform
  • Scrape, crawl, or use automated systems to extract data
  • Impersonate others or misrepresent your identity
  • Interfere with or disrupt platform operations
  • Use the AI assistant to generate harmful, illegal, or discriminatory content

11. Fair Housing Compliance

DMV Housing strictly adheres to the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq.) and all applicable fair housing laws. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination.

Source of Income Protection: In Washington D.C. (D.C. Code § 2-1402.21), it is illegal to refuse to rent to someone because they have a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) or other lawful source of income. Similar protections exist in Maryland and Virginia jurisdictions.

Protected Classes: Landlords may not discriminate based on:

  • Race, color, or national origin
  • Religion
  • Sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation)
  • Familial status (families with children under 18)
  • Disability
  • Source of income (including Housing Choice Vouchers)

Violations will be reported to HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) and may result in:

  • Civil penalties up to $21,039 for first violation
  • Criminal prosecution for pattern violations
  • Permanent ban from DMV Housing

12. Sourced Listings (Seeder System)

Some listings on DMV Housing may be sourced from publicly available housing databases. These listings are marked with a "Sourced from [Source]" badge.

  • Sourced listings are owned by DMV Housing until claimed by the actual property owner
  • Property owners can claim their listings through phone verification or document upload
  • DMV Housing does not guarantee the accuracy of sourced listing information
  • Tenants should verify all listing details directly with property owners before committing

13. Intellectual Property Rights

The Services and all content, features, and functionality (including but not limited to all information, software, text, displays, images, video, audio, design, and the arrangement thereof) are owned by DMV Housing and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may not:

  • Copy, modify, or create derivative works
  • Use for commercial purposes without written permission
  • Remove any copyright or proprietary notations
  • Transfer or "mirror" any content on any other server
  • Use data mining, robots, or similar data gathering tools

14. Disclaimers and Limitations of Liability

No Guarantee of Results

DMV Housing does not guarantee: housing placement, successful matches, lease signings, HQS inspection passage, rent reasonableness approval, voucher acceptance, or any specific outcome. We are a connection platform only.

No Vetting or Background Checks

DMV Housing does not conduct background checks, credit checks, or identity verification on landlords or tenants beyond basic phone/email verification. Users are responsible for conducting their own due diligence.

Service "AS IS"

Services are provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that services will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free.

Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, DMV HOUSING SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOST PROFITS, LOST REVENUES, LOST DATA, OR DAMAGES FROM FAILED HOUSING ARRANGEMENTS, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER WE WERE ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO US IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM.

15. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless DMV Housing, its officers, directors, employees, contractors, agents, licensors, suppliers, successors, and assigns from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:

  • Your use or misuse of the Services
  • Your violation of these Terms
  • Your violation of any third-party rights
  • Any transaction between you and another user
  • Any content you submit to the platform

16. Termination

We may terminate or suspend your account and access to Services immediately, without prior notice or liability, for:

  • Breach of these Terms
  • Violation of applicable laws (including Fair Housing laws)
  • Fraudulent, illegal, or harmful activity
  • Providing false information
  • Non-payment of fees
  • Actions harmful to other users or our operations
  • At our sole discretion for any reason

Upon termination: your right to use the Services ceases immediately; any outstanding fees remain due; and provisions that should survive termination (including intellectual property, disclaimers, limitations of liability, and indemnification) shall survive.

17. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the District of Columbia, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Arbitration Agreement

Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Services shall be resolved through binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Commercial Arbitration Rules. The arbitration shall be held in Washington, D.C. Judgment on the arbitration award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof.

Class Action Waiver: YOU AGREE TO BRING CLAIMS ONLY IN YOUR INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION.

Exceptions: Either party may bring claims in small claims court if eligible, and may seek injunctive relief in any court of competent jurisdiction for intellectual property violations.

18. Modifications to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time at our sole discretion. Material changes will be notified via email to your registered address or prominent notice on our Services at least 30 days before taking effect. Your continued use of the Services after such notification constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms. If you do not agree to the modified Terms, you must stop using the Services and close your account.

19. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions, which shall remain in full force and effect. The invalid provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

20. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any other legal notices published on the Services, constitute the entire agreement between you and DMV Housing regarding your use of the Services. Any prior agreements, understandings, or representations are superseded by these Terms.

21. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms of Service, please contact:

DMV Housing

Email: support@dmvhousing.org

Legal inquiries: legal@dmvhousing.org

Website: dmvhousing.org

Fair Housing Complaints: File directly with HUD at 1-800-669-9777 orwww.hud.gov/fairhousing