Privacy Policy

Homly Stays is operated by Homly Stays Tech Private Limited (“Homly”, “we”, “us”). We run an online platform where guests discover, book and pay for stays listed by independent hosts.

This policy explains how we handle personal data when you use our website, apps, messaging and related services (together, the “Platform”). It is written with India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (“DPDP Act”) and the Information Technology Act, 2000 in mind. Hosts who receive your data to fulfil a booking handle it under their own responsibilities as well as this policy.

Information you give us

• Account details: your mobile number (verified with a one-time code), first and last name, email address, gender, date of birth and an optional profile photo.
• Booking details: destination, dates, number of adults, children and pets, special requests and the details of any guests you book for.
• Messages and reviews: what you write to hosts or to us, and the ratings and reviews you post after a stay.
• Identity verification: where local law requires hosts to register guests (for example, police verification), a host may ask you for a government ID at check-in.

Information created when you use the Platform

• Searches, stays you view or save to a wishlist, and your booking and cancellation history.
• Device and usage data such as browser type, IP address, approximate location, pages visited and crash logs.
• Your precise location, only if you allow it (for example, when you use “Nearby”).

Information from third parties

• Payments: our payment partner (Razorpay) tells us whether a payment succeeded, failed or was refunded. We never receive or store your full card number, CVV, UPI PIN or net-banking password.
• Hosts may share information about your stay, such as check-in confirmation or a reported incident.

• To create and secure your account, and to verify your mobile number.
• To show you stays, prices and availability, and to complete bookings and payments.
• To send booking confirmations, reminders, receipts and important updates by SMS, WhatsApp or email.
• To let you message hosts, and to provide customer support.
• To prevent fraud, misuse and payment abuse, and to keep guests and hosts safe.
• To improve the Platform, fix problems and understand which features are useful.
• To comply with tax, accounting and legal obligations, including GST invoicing.
• To send you offers and travel inspiration, only where you have agreed to it. You can opt out at any time.

We do not sell your personal data. We share it only in these situations:

• With your host: once you book, the host receives what they need to host you, such as your name, phone number, number of guests, dates and any message you sent.
• With service providers who work on our behalf, such as payment processing, cloud hosting, messaging (SMS / WhatsApp / email), maps and analytics. They may use the data only to provide their service to us.
• For legal reasons: to comply with law, a court order or a lawful request from authorities, or to protect the rights, property or safety of Homly, our users or the public.
• In a business transfer, such as a merger or acquisition, in which case this policy continues to apply to your data.

Reviews you post, your first name and profile photo may be visible to other users of the Platform.

We keep your data for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide our services. After you delete your account, we remove or anonymise your personal data, except where we must keep certain records longer, such as booking, payment and tax records required by Indian law, or information needed to resolve disputes and prevent fraud.

We use encryption in transit (HTTPS), access controls and regular reviews to protect your data. Payments are handled by an RBI-authorised payment aggregator, so your card and bank credentials never pass through our servers. No system is perfectly secure; if we become aware of a breach that affects you, we will notify you and the authorities as the law requires.

Subject to applicable law, you can:

• Access and correct your details at any time from your profile.
• Ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Withdraw consent for optional uses, such as marketing messages or location access.
• Ask us to delete your account and personal data, subject to the retention needs above.
• Nominate another person to exercise these rights on your behalf in case of death or incapacity.
• Raise a grievance with us, and if it is not resolved, with the Data Protection Board of India.

To use any of these rights, email [email protected] from the email or phone number linked to your account.

We use cookies and local storage to keep you signed in, remember your search and dates, protect against fraud and understand how the Platform is used. You can block or clear cookies in your browser settings, but parts of the Platform, such as signing in and booking, may then stop working.

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account or make a booking. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children, except the number and ages of children travelling, which an adult provides when booking.

We may update this policy from time to time. If we make significant changes, we will tell you through the Platform or by email before they take effect. The “Last updated” date at the top shows when it last changed.

For any question or complaint about your personal data, contact our Grievance Officer at [email protected]. We acknowledge complaints within 48 hours and aim to resolve them within 30 days.