Terms of Service

Last updated: 2 July 2026, Version 2.1

These Terms of Service (also referred to as our terms and conditions) govern your use of the BoatStays platform. By creating an account, listing a boat, or making a booking, you agree to be bound by these terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use BoatStays.

These terms constitute a legal agreement between you and BoatStays Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales. The hire contract for any boat is a separate agreement between the Owner and the Guest; BoatStays acts as an intermediary marketplace only and is not a party to that hire contract.

1. Definitions

  • "BoatStays", "we", "us" or "our" means BoatStays Ltd, the operator of the platform at boatstays.org.
  • "Platform" means the BoatStays website, mobile applications and associated services.
  • "Owner" means a registered user who lists one or more boats for hire on the Platform.
  • "Guest" means a registered user who searches for and books boats via the Platform.
  • "Member" means any registered user of the Platform, whether Owner, Guest, or both.
  • "Listing" means the page created by an Owner to describe and offer their boat for hire.
  • "Booking" means a confirmed reservation of a listed boat between an Owner and a Guest, facilitated by BoatStays.
  • "Hire Contract" means the direct agreement between the Owner and Guest governing the terms of a specific booking.
  • "Security Deposit" means a refundable sum collected from the Guest at Booking confirmation to cover potential damage during a hire.
  • "Services" means all features and functionality provided by BoatStays through the Platform.
  • "Founder Member" means an Owner who registers and creates their first active Listing during the Founder Period, as defined in Section 8.
  • "Skipper" means the AI assistant available on the Platform to answer general questions.

2. About BoatStays and the Nature of the Platform

2.1 Marketplace Intermediary

BoatStays is a marketplace platform that connects boat owners with people seeking to hire boats on Britain's inland waterways. We facilitate introductions, bookings, and payments between Owners and Guests. We are not a boat hire company.

The Hire Contract is formed directly between the Owner and Guest. BoatStays is not a party to that contract and accepts no liability arising from it, except as expressly stated in these Terms.

2.2 No Endorsement

The inclusion of a Listing on the Platform does not constitute an endorsement, warranty, or guarantee by BoatStays of the boat, its owner, its condition, or its suitability for any particular purpose. Guests hire boats at their own risk and should conduct appropriate due diligence before booking.

2.3 Off-Platform Transactions Prohibited

Members must not solicit or accept payment for Bookings, or exchange contact details for the purpose of arranging a hire, outside of the BoatStays Platform until a Booking is confirmed. Attempting to circumvent BoatStays' commission structure by taking transactions off-platform is a material breach of these Terms and grounds for immediate account suspension.

2.4 Rivers Trust Contribution

A charity contribution equal to 3% of the nightly rate plus any cleaning fee is added to the Guest total at Booking confirmation and shown as a separate line item at checkout. BoatStays holds these contributions separately from platform revenue and pays them, in full, to The Rivers Trust on a quarterly basis. The contribution is not part of BoatStays' commission or service fee and is not retained by the Owner. BoatStays reserves the right, on not less than 30 days' notice, to change the nominated charity, the contribution percentage, or the payment frequency, but any contributions already collected will always be passed on to a UK-registered waterways charity.

3. Eligibility and Account Registration

3.1 Eligibility

  • You must be at least 18 years of age to create an account or make a booking.
  • You must provide accurate, complete, and current information when registering.
  • You must be legally permitted to enter into binding contracts under applicable law.
  • You must not have previously been suspended or permanently removed from the Platform.
  • Corporate entities may register accounts; the individual completing registration warrants they have authority to bind the entity.

3.2 Account Security

You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials. You must notify us immediately at help@boatstays.org if you suspect unauthorised access to your account. BoatStays accepts no liability for losses arising from unauthorised account access where you have failed to maintain reasonable security.

3.3 One Account per Person

Each individual may hold only one Member account. BoatStays reserves the right to merge or close duplicate accounts.

3.4 Identity Verification

BoatStays may require Members to complete identity verification as a condition of listing a boat, making a booking, or receiving payouts. Verification may involve submission of government-issued identity documents. Information submitted for verification is processed in accordance with the Privacy Policy.

4. Owner Terms

4.1 Listing Requirements

To list a boat on BoatStays, Owners must ensure and confirm that at the time of each Booking:

  • The boat holds a current and valid Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) certificate, renewed as required.
  • The boat holds a valid licence issued by the Canal & River Trust, the Environment Agency, or the relevant waterway authority covering all waters on which it will be used.
  • The boat is covered by valid third-party liability insurance with a minimum of £3,000,000 public liability cover, reflecting the minimum commonly required by the Canal & River Trust and Environment Agency for hire vessels.
  • All Listing information, including descriptions, photographs, amenities, and capacity, is accurate and not misleading.
  • The boat complies with all applicable laws and regulations for its type, age, and intended use.

4.2 Owner Responsibilities

  • Owners are solely responsible for the accuracy and completeness of their Listing at all times.
  • Owners must promptly update their calendar to reflect accurate availability and must honour all confirmed Bookings.
  • Owners must provide Guests with a thorough handover, including boat handling instruction, safety briefing, and emergency procedures.
  • Owners are responsible for ensuring their boat is in a safe, clean, and fully functional condition for each hire, with all safety equipment present and in date.
  • Owners must ensure waste holding tanks are empty and that adequate pump-out facilities are identified for the hire route.
  • Owners are responsible for complying with all applicable laws, including any tax obligations arising from hire income.

4.3 Owner Verification

BoatStays may request documentary evidence of licence, insurance, and BSS certification. Providing false documentation is grounds for immediate and permanent removal from the Platform and may be reported to the relevant authorities. While BoatStays takes reasonable steps to verify information provided by Owners, we cannot guarantee its accuracy and do not accept liability for losses arising from inaccurate Owner-provided information.

4.4 Pricing and Calendar

Owners set their own nightly rates, Security Deposit requirements, minimum stay durations, and booking windows. Owners may update pricing at any time for future Bookings; confirmed Bookings may not be repriced unilaterally by the Owner.

4.5 Owner Cancellations

Owner-initiated cancellations are strongly discouraged. In the event of an Owner cancellation, BoatStays will issue a full refund to the Guest. Repeated cancellations (more than two in any rolling 12-month period) may result in Listing suspension or removal. BoatStays may, at its discretion, apply a cancellation fee to the Owner.

4.6 Anti-Discrimination

Owners must not refuse a Booking request, provide inferior service, or otherwise discriminate against a Guest on the basis of any protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. Breach of this obligation is grounds for permanent account removal.

5. Guest Terms

5.1 Guest Responsibilities

  • Guests must provide accurate personal information and must be the named hirer for any Booking they make.
  • Guests must comply with all rules set by the Owner, as stated in the Listing and communicated at handover.
  • Guests are responsible for the safe operation of the boat during the hire period and must comply with all applicable waterway regulations, speed limits, and navigation rules.
  • Guests must not operate the boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
  • Guests must not allow the boat to be operated by any person under the age of 16 unsupervised.
  • Guests must return the boat in the same condition in which it was received, reasonable wear and tear excepted.
  • Guests must report any damage or incident to the Owner before returning the boat.

5.2 Prohibited Activities

Guests are expressly prohibited from:

  • Sub-letting or re-renting the boat, or allowing any third party to hire or commercially use the vessel.
  • Using the boat for any commercial purpose without the Owner's express written consent.
  • Carrying more passengers than the Listing's stated maximum capacity.
  • Discharging untreated sewage, grey water, or any pollutant into inland waterways.
  • Pumping bilge water containing oil or fuel into the waterway.
  • Introducing or transporting invasive species via the boat's hull, bilges, or equipment.
  • Using the boat as a permanent residence without the Owner's explicit consent.
  • Carrying any illegal substances or weapons on board.
  • Making alterations to the boat without the Owner's express prior consent.

5.3 Guest Eligibility to Hire

It is the Guest's responsibility to satisfy themselves that they are competent to operate the type of boat they are hiring. BoatStays does not independently assess Guest competency and accepts no liability for incidents arising from lack of experience or qualification. First-time boaters are strongly encouraged to take an RYA or equivalent inland waterways course.

5.4 Guest Cancellations

Guest cancellation terms are governed by the Cancellation Policy selected by the Owner, which is displayed clearly before booking. See Section 6.5 for standard policy options.

6. Payments, Fees, and Security Deposits

6.1 Payment Processing

BoatStays uses Stripe as its third-party payment processor. By making or receiving payments through the Platform, you agree to Stripe's terms and conditions (stripe.com/gb/legal). BoatStays does not store full payment card details.

6.2 Payment Holding

Guest payments are collected by BoatStays at Booking confirmation and held in a client account. Funds are released to the Owner approximately 24 hours after the confirmed hire start time (or after resolution of any Security Deposit claim), less BoatStays' commission. This arrangement protects Guests in the event of Owner cancellation and facilitates dispute resolution. BoatStays reserves the right to modify this arrangement at any time to ensure legal compliance, with reasonable notice to Members.

6.3 Fees and Commission

Three separate charges may apply to a Booking:

  • Guest service fee: 8% of the nightly rate, added to the Guest total at checkout. Non-refundable except where the Owner cancels or a Force Majeure Event applies.
  • Charity contribution: 3% of the nightly rate plus cleaning fee, added to the Guest total at checkout and paid to The Rivers Trust (see §2.4).
  • Host commission: deducted from the Owner's payout at a tier-based rate, 15% (Bronze), 12% (Silver), 10% (Gold), determined by the Owner's rolling 12-month completed-booking revenue and reviewed monthly. Platinum-tier Owners receive a quarterly loyalty rebate against the previous quarter's commission. The current rate and tier is always shown in the Owner's account dashboard.

Cleaning fees set by the Owner pass through in full with no commission and no service fee applied. BoatStays reserves the right to change fee percentages or tier thresholds for future Bookings on a minimum of 30 days' written notice, except where Founder Member rates apply (see Section 8).

6.4 Security Deposits

Where a Security Deposit is required by the Owner:

  • The Security Deposit is collected by BoatStays at Booking confirmation and held separately.
  • If no damage claim is submitted within 48 hours of the boat's return, the deposit is released in full to the Guest.
  • If the Owner submits a damage claim within 48 hours, BoatStays will initiate the dispute resolution process.
  • BoatStays will adjudicate claims in good faith based on evidence from both parties. Owners are strongly encouraged to document the boat's condition with timestamped photographs before and after each hire.

6.5 Cancellation Policies

Owners must select one of the following standard Cancellation Policies:

  • Flexible: Full refund if cancelled more than 48 hours before hire start. 50% refund within 48 hours.
  • Moderate: Full refund if cancelled more than 7 days before. 50% refund 2 to 7 days before. No refund within 48 hours.
  • Strict: 50% refund if cancelled more than 14 days before. No refund within 14 days.
  • Non-Refundable: No refund on cancellation (reflected in a reduced booking fee).

BoatStays' service fee is non-refundable in all cases.

6.6 Taxes

Owners are solely responsible for all taxes arising from hire income, including income tax and VAT. BoatStays provides earnings statements for tax purposes but does not provide tax advice.

7. Consumer Rights and Right of Withdrawal

Under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, consumers normally have a 14-day right to withdraw from distance contracts. However, where a Guest makes a Booking for specific dates, it constitutes a contract for leisure services on a specific date (Regulation 28(1)(h)). By completing a Booking, the Guest acknowledges that the 14-day right of withdrawal does not apply, and that cancellation is governed by the applicable Cancellation Policy (Section 6.5).

Nothing in this Section affects any other statutory rights you may have under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

8. Founder Member Programme

8.1 Founder Period

The Founder Period runs from Platform launch in 2026 until 23:59 (UK time) on 30 September 2026. An Owner qualifies as a Founder Member if they register an account and submit their first Listing for approval on or before that date, and the Listing is subsequently approved by BoatStays.

8.2 Founder Benefits

Qualifying Founder Members whose account remains in good standing will receive:

  • Zero host commission on every completed Booking with a hire start date on or before 31 December 2026. The 8% Guest service fee and 3% charity contribution still apply to Guests.
  • From 1 January 2027 onwards, a reduced Founder Rate of host commission, as stated at the time of registration, applied instead of the standard tier-based rate for as long as their account remains active and in good standing.
  • Free listing with no setup fee.

8.3 Founder Rate Conditions

The Founder Rate applies only while the Owner maintains at least one active Listing in good standing, their account has not been suspended or closed, and they continue to comply fully with these Terms. BoatStays reserves the right to withdraw Founder Rate status for material breach of these Terms or continuous inactivity for 12 consecutive months.

8.4 No Guarantee of Earnings

Founder Member status confers no guarantee of bookings, income, or revenue of any amount.

9. Reviews and Ratings

9.1 Review System

Following the completion of a Booking, both the Owner and Guest are invited to submit a Review. Reviews must be honest, accurate, and based on the Member's direct experience.

9.2 Review Standards

  • Reviews must relate to the relevant Booking and may not be submitted as retaliation.
  • Reviews must not contain personal information about the other party.
  • Reviews must not be purchased, incentivised, or otherwise manipulated.
  • Defamatory statements, harassment, or threats in a Review are grounds for immediate account suspension.

9.3 Review Removal

BoatStays reserves the right to remove Reviews that violate these standards. We do not remove Reviews solely because a Member disagrees with the content.

10. Prohibited Conduct

All Members are prohibited from:

  • Creating false, misleading, or fraudulent Listings, profiles, or Reviews.
  • Impersonating any person or entity.
  • Using the Platform to harass, threaten, or intimidate any other Member or BoatStays staff.
  • Transmitting malware, spam, or disruptive code through the Platform's messaging system.
  • Using automated scraping or data-mining tools without prior written consent from BoatStays.
  • Attempting to circumvent BoatStays' payment, commission, or security systems.

10A. Calendar Sync and Third-Party Listing Platforms

Owners may connect their BoatStays calendar to third-party listing platforms (such as Airbnb, VRBO or Holray) using the iCal import and export feature. The following conditions apply:

  • Owners remain solely responsible for keeping availability accurate across every platform they list on. BoatStays syncs feeds on a best-efforts basis, typically every 1 to 2 hours, but cannot guarantee real-time accuracy and is not liable for double bookings caused by delayed, incomplete, or malformed third-party feeds.
  • Where a double booking occurs and cannot be resolved by moving one of the Guests, the Owner is responsible for cancelling the BoatStays Booking and will be treated as an Owner cancellation under §4.5, unless the Owner can demonstrate the conflict was caused by a BoatStays sync failure.
  • iCal export URLs contain a private token. Owners must not share their export URL publicly. BoatStays may rotate or revoke tokens where abuse or public exposure is detected.
  • BoatStays does not receive, store, or process personal data of guests booked through third-party platforms; imported feeds contain only anonymous "busy" blocks.

10B. Identity Verification and Verified Guest Status

Guests may complete an optional identity verification check through our identity verification provider (Stripe Identity). Verified Guests receive a "Verified" badge on their profile and may access Listings where the Owner has enabled the "Verified Guests Only" filter.

  • Verification is optional for Guests, but Owners may lawfully restrict their Listing to Verified Guests as a fraud-prevention measure. This is a neutral trust signal and must not be used as a proxy for any protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 (see §4.6).
  • Verification does not constitute a guarantee of a Guest's competence, character, or financial standing, and BoatStays accepts no liability for reliance on the badge alone.
  • Card payments are processed with 3-D Secure authentication where supported by the Guest's card issuer, to reduce fraud and chargeback risk.
  • Personal data submitted during verification is handled in accordance with the Privacy Policy.

11. Disputes Between Members

11.1 Resolution Process

BoatStays provides a dispute resolution process for disagreements arising from a Booking, details of which are available at boatstays.org/help. Members must attempt to resolve disputes directly before escalating to BoatStays. BoatStays will endeavour to facilitate resolution but is not obliged to act as arbitrator, and its decisions in disputes are made as a courtesy, not as a binding legal determination.

11.2 BoatStays Decisions

Any decision made by BoatStays in a dispute is made in good faith and at our sole discretion. It does not affect either party's right to pursue the matter through legal channels.

11.3 Alternative Dispute Resolution

If you are a consumer and are not satisfied with the outcome of our internal process, you may be entitled to use a certified ADR scheme. Details of any scheme we participate in will be available on the Platform.

12. Force Majeure

Neither BoatStays nor any Member shall be liable for any failure or delay in performing their obligations where such failure or delay results from circumstances beyond their reasonable control, including acts of God, flood, storm, pandemic, fire, civil unrest, acts of terrorism, war, or government action ("Force Majeure Event").

Where a Force Majeure Event prevents an Owner from making a boat available for a confirmed Booking, the Owner must notify BoatStays and the Guest as soon as reasonably practicable. BoatStays will issue a full refund to the Guest, and no cancellation fee will be charged, provided the Owner supplies reasonable evidence.

13. Indemnification

Each Member agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless BoatStays Ltd, its directors, officers, employees, agents, and licensors from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from or relating to:

  • their use of the Platform in breach of these Terms;
  • any Listing content or Review they submit;
  • their interaction with any other Member, including any dispute arising from a Booking;
  • any act or omission during a hire period, including personal injury, property damage, or environmental damage;
  • their breach of any applicable law, regulation, or third-party right.

This indemnification obligation survives termination of a Member's account.

14. Platform Availability and Discontinuation

14.1 Service Availability

BoatStays provides the Platform on an "as is" and "as available" basis. We do not guarantee uninterrupted access and accept no liability for losses arising from temporary unavailability or planned maintenance.

14.2 Platform Discontinuation

BoatStays reserves the right to suspend, modify, or permanently discontinue the Platform at any time. In the event of permanent discontinuation:

  • BoatStays will provide a minimum of 30 days' written notice to all registered Members where reasonably practicable.
  • All future confirmed Bookings will be cancelled and Guests will receive a full refund of any amounts held.
  • Any outstanding payments due to Owners for completed Bookings will be processed before the Platform closes.
  • No further commission will be collected after the discontinuation date.

Members expressly acknowledge that BoatStays shall have no liability for loss of future bookings, anticipated income, business opportunity, or any other loss arising from the discontinuation of the Platform, whether temporary or permanent, provided BoatStays has complied with the notice obligations in this Section where reasonably practicable.

14.3 Changes to the Platform

BoatStays may modify features, pricing structures, or the scope of Services at any time, with reasonable notice of material changes.

15. Limitation of Liability

15.1 BoatStays as Intermediary

BoatStays is a marketplace intermediary. We expressly exclude all liability for:

  • the condition, seaworthiness, safety, or fitness for purpose of any boat listed on the Platform;
  • the accuracy of any information provided by Owners in their Listings;
  • the conduct, acts, or omissions of Owners or Guests during the hire period;
  • any loss, damage, injury, or death arising from a Booking or hire, except where caused by BoatStays' own negligence;
  • loss or damage to personal property during a hire;
  • any environmental damage caused by Members during a hire;
  • disputes between Owners and Guests.

15.2 Limitation of Financial Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, BoatStays' total aggregate liability to any Member shall not exceed the greater of: (a) the total fees paid to BoatStays by that Member in the 12 months preceding the claim; or (b) £500.

15.3 Exclusions

Nothing in these Terms limits BoatStays' liability for: death or personal injury caused by our negligence; fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded under applicable law.

15.4 Consumer Rights Act 2015

Nothing in these Terms affects any statutory rights you may have as a consumer under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

16. Intellectual Property

All intellectual property rights in the Platform are owned by or licensed to BoatStays Ltd. Owners grant BoatStays a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use, display, and reproduce Listing content (including photographs) for the purpose of operating and promoting the Platform. This licence continues for a reasonable period after a Listing is removed, to the extent necessary to remove that content from search engines and third-party caches.

17. Suspension and Termination

17.1 Termination by Members

Members may close their account at any time by contacting help@boatstays.org. Closure of an account does not cancel confirmed Bookings already in place; those Bookings will continue under these Terms until completed.

17.2 Termination by BoatStays

BoatStays reserves the right to suspend or permanently close any Member account or Listing at any time where we have reasonable grounds to believe that:

  • The Member has breached these Terms of Service.
  • The Member has provided false, misleading, or fraudulent information.
  • The Member's conduct poses a safety risk to other Members or third parties.
  • The Member has engaged in behaviour that damages the reputation or integrity of the Platform.

Where reasonably practicable, BoatStays will provide an explanation and opportunity to respond before a final decision is made.

18. Skipper (AI Assistant)

Skipper is an AI assistant offered as a convenience to help you navigate the Platform and answer general questions about boating, listings, and how BoatStays works. By using Skipper you acknowledge and agree that:

  • Skipper's responses are generated by a third-party large language model and may be incomplete, out of date, or incorrect.
  • Skipper does not provide legal, financial, tax, insurance, navigational, safety, or medical advice. Do not rely on Skipper for any decision with safety, legal, or financial consequences.
  • Information about specific boats, availability, pricing, or bookings shown by Skipper is provided for guidance only; the authoritative source is the relevant Listing or your account dashboard.
  • You must not share passwords, full payment card details, or sensitive personal information with Skipper.
  • The text of the questions you ask Skipper is logged to help us improve the service, as described in our Privacy Policy.
  • BoatStays accepts no liability for any loss arising from reliance on Skipper's output. Your use of Skipper is at your own risk.

19. Privacy and Data Protection

BoatStays processes personal data in accordance with its Privacy Policy. By using the Platform, you consent to the collection and processing of your personal data as described in that policy.

BoatStays complies with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. To exercise your data rights, contact privacy@boatstays.org.

20. Third-Party Services and Links

The Platform may contain links to or integrate with third-party websites and services (including Stripe for payments and a third-party large language model provider for Skipper). BoatStays does not endorse or accept responsibility for any third-party content or practices. Your use of third-party services is governed by that party's terms.

21. General Provisions

21.1 Governing Law

These Terms of Service are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales, save that consumers in Scotland or Northern Ireland retain the right to bring proceedings in their home jurisdiction.

21.2 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any supplementary terms referenced herein, constitute the entire agreement between BoatStays and the Member with respect to use of the Platform.

21.3 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, that provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary and the remaining provisions will continue in full force.

21.4 Waiver

Failure by BoatStays to enforce any provision of these Terms on any occasion does not constitute a waiver of that provision or of any future breach.

21.5 Assignment

BoatStays may assign its rights and obligations under these Terms at any time. Members may not assign their account or rights under these Terms without BoatStays' prior written consent.

21.6 Changes to These Terms

BoatStays may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify Members of material changes by email at least 14 days before changes take effect, and by posting a notice on the Platform. The current version will always be available at boatstays.org/terms.

21.7 Contact

If you have any questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us at help@boatstays.org.