Terms of Use

Last updated: May 2026 · Version v2-2026

1. About HostMasters

HostMasters Costa Tropical S.L. operates a property management platform connecting property owners, managers, and operational crew for short-term rental management on the Costa Tropical, Spain.

2. Account Registration

You must provide accurate, complete information during registration.
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password.
You must be at least 18 years old to create an account.
One account per person. Shared accounts are not permitted.

3. Platform Roles

Users are assigned one of four roles, each with distinct rights and obligations:

Client (Property Owner): enrolls properties for rental management under a chosen subscription plan.
Manager: independent contractor who acquires and manages client relationships within an assigned territory.
Crew: independent contractor who executes operational tasks (cleaning, check-in/out, maintenance).
Admin: HostMasters staff with full platform access.

4. Subscription Plans & Payments

Clients choose a plan (Starter, Basic, Mid, Premium) with different commission rates and monthly fees.
Payments are processed via Stripe. HostMasters does not store payment card details.
Subscription fees are non-refundable for the current billing period.
Plan changes take effect on the next billing cycle.
Cancellation requires 60 days written notice as per the Master Service Agreement.

5. Property Requirements & Smart Lock

Property owners must ensure:

Valid VUT tourist license (Vivienda de Uso Turístico) issued by the Junta de Andalucía
Registration with the NRU (Número de Registro Único) since 1 July 2025 — required for listing on Airbnb, Booking.com and other portals
Valid energy certificate (Certificado de Eficiencia Energética, 10-year validity)
Compatible Smart Lock installed (Nuki or equivalent) for secure guest/crew access
Appropriate insurance coverage — civil liability minimum, recommended dwelling insurance
Property maintained in safe, habitable condition; compliance with the Decreto 28/2016 (Junta de Andalucía)
Compliance with SES / Registro de Viajeros (Real Decreto 933/2021) — guest registration is automated by HostMasters but the owner remains the responsible operator

5.1 Smart Lock terms

Smart Lock codes are per-task and time-limited: generated for each cleaning, check-in, check-out or maintenance task and expire automatically.
Guest entry codes are valid only during the booked stay window.
Owners receive a real-time entry log in their portal (who entered, when).
Owners must not share the master Nuki credentials with third parties. HostMasters never asks for them — we operate via Nuki's API integration only.
The Smart Lock is the only authorised entry method during managed periods. Physical key copies require written agreement.

6. Independent Contractors (Ley Rider)

Managers and Crew members operate as independent contractors (autónomos) registered in Spain. HostMasters is not their employer and does not provide employment benefits, social security contributions, paid leave, or tax withholding. Each contractor is responsible for their own fiscal obligations and Seguridad Social RETA registration.

The contractor relationship is structured to comply with Spain's Ley Rider (Real Decreto-ley 9/2021): contractors are free to accept or reject tasks, set their own schedule, use their own tools, are not exclusive to HostMasters, and are not subject to corporate discipline. The platform provides task allocation and rate information; the contractor retains autonomy.

Specific contract terms (commissions, payment schedule, score, bonuses) are governed by the individual Manager or Crew Service Agreement signed at onboarding.

7. Intellectual Property

The HostMasters platform, including its software, design, branding, and AI systems, is the intellectual property of HostMasters Costa Tropical S.L. Users may not copy, modify, or distribute any part of the platform without written permission.

8. Prohibited Conduct

Providing false or misleading information
Circumventing platform processes (e.g., direct crew contact by managers)
Sharing Smart Lock codes with unauthorized persons
Using the platform for illegal activities
Scraping, automated access, or reverse-engineering the platform

9. Data Protection

Personal data is processed under the GDPR (EU 2016/679) and Spanish LOPD-GDD (LO 3/2018). The full data-protection framework — including processor roles, sub-processors, retention, security measures, and automated decision-making — is set out in our Privacy Policy, our Cookie Policy, and the Data Processing Agreement (DPA).

By using the platform, you accept those documents. They form part of these Terms by reference.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, HostMasters is not liable for:

Guest-caused property damage beyond platform guarantees (Airbnb AirCover, Booking.com Damage Policy)
Loss of revenue due to market conditions, regulatory changes, or seasonality
Service interruptions caused by third-party providers (Stripe, Airbnb, Booking.com, Nuki, Resend, Anthropic, ElevenLabs)
Indirect, consequential, or special damages

Total aggregate liability is capped at the fees paid by the Owner to HostMasters in the twelve (12) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim. Nothing in these Terms limits liability for gross negligence, wilful misconduct, or death/personal injury caused by negligence — as required by Spanish law.

11. Force Majeure

Neither party shall be liable for failure to perform obligations due to events beyond reasonable control, including but not limited to: natural disasters, war, terrorism, civil unrest, government action, pandemic, internet or utility outages affecting EU infrastructure, or failure of essential third-party providers (Stripe, Vercel, Neon, Resend, OTAs). The affected party shall notify the other within 7 days and use reasonable efforts to mitigate.

12. Termination

Owner termination: 60 days written notice as per the Master Service Agreement; pro-rata refund of the unused portion of any annual prepayment.
Manager / Crew termination: as per the individual Service Agreement (typically 15 days notice).
HostMasters termination: for material breach (non-payment after 30-day cure, fraud, illegal activity, repeated breach of Smart Lock terms) — immediate or after cure period as specified.
Account deletion: email support@hostmasters.es. Data retention follows the Privacy Policy schedule.

13. Dispute Resolution

Before initiating legal proceedings, the parties agree to attempt resolution in the following order:

Good-faith negotiation — written notice of the dispute and a 30-day negotiation window between authorised representatives.
Mediation — non-binding mediation under the rules of the Cámara de Comercio de Granada, if negotiation fails.
Courts — exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Granada, Spain.

Spanish consumer-protection law applies where the user is a consumer (not acting in a professional capacity). Consumers retain the right to file complaints with the appropriate regulator (e.g., Junta de Andalucía consumer office, AEPD for data matters).

14. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by Spanish law and applicable EU regulations. The official language of these Terms is English; translations into Portuguese, Spanish, German, Dutch, French, Swedish, and Danish are provided for convenience — the English version prevails in case of discrepancy.

15. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms. Material changes will be communicated via email and in-app notification at least 30 days before they take effect. Continued use of the platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance.

16. Contact

Questions about these Terms: legal@hostmasters.es
Privacy and DPA matters: privacy@hostmasters.es
General support: support@hostmasters.es