Host Terms of Service

DogsWelcome

Host Terms of Service

Last updated: July 2026

1. Introduction

These Host Terms of Service (Terms) govern your use of the DogsWelcome platform (Platform) as a host (Host). The Platform is operated by DogsWelcome Pty Ltd (ABN 39 694 692 003) (DogsWelcome, we, us, or our). By creating a listing, accepting a booking, or using the Platform, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, you must not use the Platform as a Host.

These Terms form part of the DogsWelcome document suite and must be read with the Guest Terms of Service, Community Guidelines, Privacy Policy, Damage & Claims Policy, Refunds, Cancellations and Payout Policy, Platform Fee Disclosure Statement, Cookie Notice, and Compliance Disclaimer. These Terms prevail over other suite documents to the extent of any inconsistency as they apply to Hosts. They are governed by the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) and all other applicable Australian laws.

2. Host Responsibilities

You are solely responsible for your listing and the guest experience. You agree to: provide accurate, complete, and current information about your property including pet conditions, house rules, and dog-specific restrictions; ensure your listing and hosting activities comply with all applicable laws including STRA registration requirements, fire safety standards, and local council rules (see clause 3); maintain your property in a safe, clean, and guest-ready condition consistent with your listing; communicate honestly and promptly with Guests through the Platform; honour all confirmed Bookings unless your cancellation policy or a genuine emergency permits otherwise; keep your account information and compliance declarations current; maintain appropriate public liability and property damage insurance for short-term accommodation; and ensure your property is reasonably safe for dogs, including secured boundaries and removal or disclosure of known hazards.

3. STRA, Fire Safety, and Local Compliance

You are solely responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. You must obtain and maintain a valid STRA registration number before publishing your listing where required under applicable legislation (including the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW), the Fair Trading Act 1987 (NSW), and equivalent state and territory laws); ensure all fire safety equipment is installed and compliant; comply with all local council zoning, night cap, occupancy, noise, and waste requirements; and update your listing immediately if any compliance information changes.

DogsWelcome's automated tools assist with STRA registration format checks and expiry monitoring only and do not independently verify compliance with the relevant government authority. DogsWelcome may suspend or remove listings that appear non-compliant, request documentation, or restrict Bookings pending verification. Such action does not constitute an assumption of any compliance obligation by DogsWelcome.

4. Listing Content

You are responsible for all content uploaded to your listing. By uploading content, you warrant that you own or have the right to use it, that it does not infringe any third party's intellectual property rights, that it is accurate and not misleading in compliance with the ACL, and that photographs accurately represent the property as it will appear during a Guest's stay. DogsWelcome may edit, moderate, or remove content that is misleading, inappropriate, or in breach of the Community Guidelines or applicable law.

5. Bookings and Cancellations

When you accept a Guest's booking request and payment is successfully processed, a binding booking (Booking) is formed between you and the Guest. DogsWelcome is not a party to the Booking. You must honour all confirmed Bookings. You must not cancel for discriminatory, retaliatory, or commercially opportunistic reasons. Repeated cancellations without reasonable cause may result in listing suspension or removal under clause 11. Your cancellation policy governs Guest refund entitlements and will be displayed at the time of booking in accordance with the Refunds, Cancellations and Payout Policy. Where you cancel a confirmed Booking, the Guest receives a full refund.

6. Payouts and Payment Architecture

6.1 Direct charge model. Guest payments are processed as Stripe direct charges on your Stripe connected account. You are the merchant of record for the supply of accommodation. DogsWelcome collects its platform service fee via Stripe's application fee mechanism and does not receive, hold, or disburse the guest payment principal.

6.2 Stripe processing fees. Stripe's processing fees are deducted from the charge by Stripe before the balance reaches your Stripe account. Domestic card transactions are subject to Stripe's current Australian card rate (1.75% + A$0.30 per transaction). International card transactions are subject to Stripe's current international rate (2.9% + A$0.30 per transaction), plus a 2% currency conversion fee where applicable. Stripe's fees are set by Stripe, are separate from the DogsWelcome platform service fee, and are entirely your responsibility. DogsWelcome does not absorb, subsidise, or offset Stripe processing fees under any circumstance, including during promotional periods when the DogsWelcome platform service fee may be set to 0%.

6.3 Payout release. Your Stripe account balance is paid out to your nominated bank account by Stripe in accordance with Stripe's payout schedule. DogsWelcome does not control the timing of Stripe payouts to your bank account. DogsWelcome releases its administrative hold on bookings 24 hours after Guest check-in, at which point the booking is marked as eligible for payout. DogsWelcome is not responsible for delays or failures attributable to your bank, Stripe, or inaccurate details you have provided.

6.4 Withholding. DogsWelcome may withhold, delay, or adjust a payout where fraud or misuse is suspected, a Guest has initiated a chargeback, a damage claim under the Damage & Claims Policy may affect the net payout, or compliance issues have been identified with your listing. Withheld amounts will be released or adjusted once the relevant issue is resolved. Where Stripe reverses a chargeback in favour of a Guest, DogsWelcome may adjust your payout accordingly.

6.5 Refunds and disputes. Refunds are processed through your Stripe connected account. When a Guest receives a refund, the amount is reversed from your Stripe balance. The DogsWelcome platform service fee is reversed proportionally. Stripe processing fees are not refunded by Stripe and remain your expense. Chargeback disputes are associated with your Stripe connected account, as you are the merchant of record. DogsWelcome will notify you when a dispute is raised and provide support, but the dispute is resolved through Stripe's dispute process.

6.6 Government levies. Where a state or territory short-stay levy applies (including the Victorian short stay accommodation levy and the ACT visitor accommodation levy), DogsWelcome collects the levy from the Guest at the time of booking and remits it to the relevant revenue authority on behalf of the Host. Levies are not subject to GST as between DogsWelcome and the Guest. DogsWelcome is responsible for levy registration, collection, reporting, and remittance. Hosts are not required to separately register for or remit levies that DogsWelcome collects on their behalf, but must ensure DogsWelcome has accurate property location information to determine levy applicability.

7. Platform Fees and Merchant of Record

7.1 DogsWelcome platform service fee. DogsWelcome deducts a platform service fee from each booking via Stripe's application fee mechanism. The standard rate is 13% of the booking subtotal (nightly rate, cleaning fee, and pet fee where applicable). Founding Hosts pay a reduced rate of 6.5% on their first 20 confirmed Bookings, locked at sign-up; the standard rate applies thereafter. During promotional periods, DogsWelcome may set its platform service fee to 0%. This does not affect Stripe processing fees, which remain the Host's responsibility under clause 6.2.

7.2 Separation of fees. The DogsWelcome platform service fee and Stripe processing fees are entirely separate. DogsWelcome's fee is for platform services (listing, search, booking, messaging, compliance tools). Stripe's fee is for payment processing. DogsWelcome does not subsidise, absorb, or offset Stripe processing fees. This separation allows DogsWelcome to offer 0% platform fee promotions without creating negative cash flow or affecting the financial sustainability of the platform.

7.3 Merchant of record. Under the direct charge payment model, you are the merchant of record for the supply of accommodation. Guest payments are processed on your Stripe connected account. DogsWelcome acts as the platform operator and collects its platform service fee separately. This means chargeback disputes, refund processing, and Stripe account verification are associated with your connected account. Full fee details are in the Platform Fee Disclosure Statement.

7.4 Fee variations. DogsWelcome may vary the standard platform service fee on not less than 30 days' prior written notice to affected Hosts. Fee changes do not apply to Bookings already confirmed at the time notice is given. The Founding Host rate is fixed for the first 20 confirmed Bookings and cannot be varied unilaterally by DogsWelcome in respect of those Bookings. Fee variations are governed by this clause 7 specifically; clause 16 (Changes to these Terms) applies to all other material amendments to these Terms.

8. Host Conduct and Platform Integrity

You must not misrepresent your property or its compliance status; circumvent the Platform or solicit off-platform bookings or payments; engage in fraud, harassment, or abusive conduct towards any Guest, neighbour, or DogsWelcome staff; discriminate against any Guest on the basis of a protected attribute under applicable Australian anti-discrimination legislation; offer incentives for positive reviews or pressure, threaten, or retaliate against a Guest in connection with any review; or interfere with the Platform's systems or operations.

Breach of this clause may result in account suspension or removal, adjustment or forfeiture of payouts to the extent reasonably referable to loss caused by the breach, and liability for any proven loss or damage, without limiting any other remedy available to DogsWelcome or the affected Guest.

9. Insurance

DogsWelcome does not provide insurance for Hosts, Guests, or third parties. You must obtain and maintain public liability insurance covering claims by Guests or third parties, property damage insurance covering damage caused by Guests or their dogs, and any other insurance required by applicable law. Standard home and contents policies frequently exclude short-term rental activities. DogsWelcome strongly recommends STRA-specific insurance and accepts no liability for loss that would have been covered by appropriate insurance held by you.

10. Reviews

Guests may leave reviews following a Booking. Reviews reflect Guest opinions and not the views of DogsWelcome. DogsWelcome may moderate, edit, or remove reviews that breach the Community Guidelines, are misleading or defamatory, or contravene the ACL or the Online Safety Act 2021 (Cth). You must not offer incentives for positive reviews or pressure, threaten, or retaliate against a Guest in connection with any review.

11. Account Suspension or Removal

DogsWelcome may, without prior notice, suspend or permanently remove your account and listings where you breach these Terms or the Community Guidelines, your listing is unsafe, non-compliant, or materially inaccurate, DogsWelcome reasonably suspects fraud or misuse, you repeatedly cancel Bookings without reasonable cause, or your conduct harms or is likely to harm Guests or DogsWelcome. Payouts in respect of cancelled Bookings will be determined under the Refunds, Cancellations and Payout Policy. Enforcement action does not limit any other remedy available at law.

12. Privacy

Your personal information is handled in accordance with the Privacy Policy and the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). As between you and DogsWelcome, DogsWelcome is the APP entity responsible for the handling of personal information collected through the Platform. Guest personal information disclosed to you through the Platform in connection with a Booking is shared with you solely to enable you to fulfil that Booking. As a condition of your use of the Platform, you must not use that information for any other purpose or disclose it to any third party without the Guest's express consent. This restriction applies whether or not you are yourself subject to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

13. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, DogsWelcome excludes all liability for any loss arising from a Guest's conduct or stay, damage to your property, enforcement action arising from your non-compliance, Platform failures or interruptions, and account suspension or listing removal. This exclusion does not apply to liability arising from DogsWelcome's own fraud or wilful misconduct. The Platform is provided on an "as available" basis. To the extent permitted by the ACL, DogsWelcome does not warrant that the Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or fit for any particular purpose.

Where DogsWelcome's liability cannot be excluded by law, including under the non-excludable consumer guarantees in the ACL, it is limited to the re-supply of the relevant service or the cost of re-supply, at DogsWelcome's election. Nothing in this clause excludes any right or guarantee that cannot lawfully be excluded under the ACL.

14. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless DogsWelcome Pty Ltd, its officers, employees, and agents from and against any claim, loss, damage, liability, or expense (including reasonable legal costs) arising from your breach of these Terms, your listing or hosting activities, any claim by a Guest or third party arising from your acts or omissions, your non-compliance with applicable laws, or any inaccuracy or misrepresentation in your listing.

15. Dispute Resolution

Any dispute should be raised with DogsWelcome in the first instance at support@dogswelcome.co. DogsWelcome will endeavour to resolve it within 14 days. If unresolved, the parties agree to attempt mediation before commencing court proceedings, with the mediator agreed between the parties or appointed by the Law Society of New South Wales failing agreement within 10 days. You may also lodge complaints with the ACCC or the relevant state consumer protection agency.

16. Changes to these Terms

DogsWelcome may amend these Terms at any time. Where any amendment materially affects your rights or obligations as a Host, no less than 14 days' prior written notice will be provided by email before the amendment takes effect, except where required to address changes in applicable law or immediate safety or security concerns. A change is material if it imposes new obligations on Hosts, reduces Host rights or remedies, alters the liability or indemnity framework, or changes the fee structure applicable to Hosts. Platform fee variations are governed by clause 7 and are not subject to this clause. Continued use of the Platform after the notice period constitutes acceptance of the amended Terms.

17. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia. Each party submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of New South Wales and the Federal Court of Australia.

18. Contact

DogsWelcome Pty Ltd (ABN 39 694 692 003)

Email: support@dogswelcome.co