Terms of Service

Last updated: 17 August 2026

Bracketed items such as [Sta.Res registered entity name and address] are placeholders that must be filled in with real company/legal details before this page is relied on for App Store submission.

1. Acceptance of terms 2. Eligibility and accounts 3. The service 4. Applications and bookings 5. Payments 6. User content, marketplace, and reporting abuse 7. Property partner obligations 8. Prohibited conduct 9. Intellectual property 10. Disclaimers 11. Limitation of liability 12. Termination 13. Governing law 14. Changes to these terms 15. Contact us

1. Acceptance of terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of the Sta.Res website and mobile app (the "Service"), operated by [Sta.Res registered entity name and address] ("Sta.Res", "we", "us"). By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

2. Eligibility and accounts

The Service is available to prospective and current higher-education students, property managers and business partners, institution representatives, NSFAS reviewers, and authorised Sta.Res staff. You must provide accurate, current information when creating an account and keep your login credentials confidential. You are responsible for all activity that happens under your account. Each person or organisation may hold one account appropriate to their role.

3. The service

Sta.Res is a platform that connects students with student accommodation listed by independent property managers and partners, and supports the application, funding review, incident reporting, marketplace, and check-in/check-out workflows around that accommodation. Sta.Res is not the landlord, lessor, or property owner for any listing, and does not guarantee the accuracy, availability, or condition of any property, room, price, or amenity listed by a property partner.

4. Applications and bookings

Submitting an application through Sta.Res does not guarantee placement in a residence. Final decisions on applications, including funding/accreditation status where NSFAS or an institution is involved, rest with the relevant property manager, institution, and/or NSFAS reviewer. No lease or tenancy is formed by using the Service; any lease is a separate agreement between you and the property partner.

5. Payments

Sta.Res does not currently process card, EFT, or bank payments inside the app. Any payment screens or amounts shown are informational only and do not constitute a completed transaction through Sta.Res. Where payment is required (for example rent or deposits), you will be directed to arrange this with the relevant property partner or institution outside the app until in-app payment processing is introduced, at which point these Terms will be updated.

6. User content, marketplace, and reporting abuse

The Service lets you post certain content, including marketplace listings, incident/maintenance reports and evidence photos, and support messages ("User Content"). You retain ownership of your User Content, but you grant Sta.Res a licence to host, store, and display it as needed to operate the Service.

You agree not to post User Content that is illegal, fraudulent, harassing, hateful, sexually explicit, infringes someone else's rights, or is otherwise objectionable.

Reporting objectionable content or abusive users: if you encounter User Content or behaviour that violates these Terms, report it to support@stares.co.za or through the in-app Support page. We will review reports and take appropriate action within a reasonable time, which may include removing content, and warning, suspending, or terminating the account responsible.

7. Property partner obligations

Property managers and business partners listing accommodation on Sta.Res must provide accurate business, registration/ID, and property information, keep listings up to date, and comply with applicable South African law, including housing and consumer protection law.

8. Prohibited conduct

Impersonating another person or misrepresenting your affiliation with any institution, property, or organisation
Attempting to gain unauthorised access to another account or to non-public areas of the Service
Uploading malicious files or attempting to disrupt the Service
Using the Service for any unlawful purpose, or to harass, defraud, or harm another user

9. Intellectual property

The Sta.Res name, logo, and platform (excluding User Content and property partner listings) are owned by Sta.Res or its licensors. You may not copy, modify, or distribute them without our written permission.

10. Disclaimers

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available." Sta.Res does not warrant that listings are accurate or available, that funding or institution decisions will be made by any particular time, or that the Service will be uninterrupted or error-free.

11. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Sta.Res will not be liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of the Service, disputes with property partners, or decisions made by institutions or NSFAS. Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be limited under South African law.

12. Termination

You may stop using the Service at any time. We may suspend or terminate your account if you breach these Terms, including for posting objectionable content or abusing other users, or if required by law.

13. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

14. Changes to these terms

We may update these Terms as the Service changes. We will update the "Last updated" date above when we do, and significant changes will be communicated through the app or by email.

15. Contact us

Questions about these Terms can be sent to support@stares.co.za.