Terms of Service
Last updated: August 7, 2026
1. Acceptance of Terms
By creating an account or using PelicanStays ("the Platform"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If a booking is arranged for you by our staff over the phone, you accept these Terms when you complete payment through the secure Stripe payment page, which asks for your agreement before you pay. If you do not agree, do not use the Platform. PelicanStays is intended for users who are 55 years of age or older, or who are making arrangements on behalf of someone who is.
2. Description of Service
PelicanStays is an online marketplace that connects property owners ("Owners") with travelers seeking short- or long-term vacation rentals in 55+ active adult communities. We do not own, manage, or control any listings. We facilitate transactions between Owners and renters ("Renters").
3. User Accounts
You must provide accurate and complete information when creating an account. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password and for all activity that occurs under your account. You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account.
4. Pricing and Fees
The price shown on every listing card, search result, map and listing page is the total monthly price you pay: the Owner's rental price plus a 5% PelicanStays service fee. There are no other mandatory fees, and the service fee is the only amount PelicanStays charges you. Each listing also shows the rental price and the service fee separately so you can see how the total is made up. Applicable taxes, if any, are the Owner's responsibility (see Section 10) and are not collected by PelicanStays. The service fee is refundable in some circumstances and not in others — Section 7 sets out exactly when.
5. Bookings and Payments
When a Renter submits a booking request, the Renter's card is not charged right away. Instead, our payment processor, Stripe, places a temporary hold (called an "authorization") on the card for the full amount — the rental price plus the 5% PelicanStays service fee. The booking remains pending until the Owner confirms or declines the request. The card is actually charged only if and when the Owner confirms the booking. PelicanStays retains the 5% service fee and the Owner receives their full listed rental price. Owner payouts are not sent at confirmation: PelicanStays holds the funds and releases the Owner's payout approximately 24 hours after the Renter's check-in date, so that a cancellation before the stay begins can be refunded without recovering money already sent to the Owner. Because the release runs on a once-daily automated job, a payout may arrive up to roughly 48 hours after check-in, and the time for funds to reach an Owner's bank account is determined by Stripe and the Owner's bank. If the Owner declines, the card is never charged and the hold is simply released — most banks remove a released hold from your statement within a few business days.
6. Booking Request Expiry
If an Owner does not respond to a booking request within 48 hours, the request is automatically declined and the hold on the Renter's card is released. Because this automated check runs once per day, a request may in practice stay pending for up to roughly 72 hours before the hold is released. In every case, a hold that is never charged expires on its own within about 7 days — a Renter is never charged for a booking that was not confirmed.
7. Cancellations and Refunds
Renters may cancel a pending or confirmed booking at any time from their dashboard, and Owners may cancel bookings as well. The rental price and the service fee are refunded under separate rules, set out below. For a pending booking the card was never charged — the hold is simply released, and most banks remove it from your statement within a few business days; no fee question arises. RENTAL PRICE: if the Owner cancels a confirmed booking, or PelicanStays cancels it because of our own error, the Renter receives a full refund of the rental price. If the Renter cancels a confirmed booking, the rental refund is calculated under the listing's cancellation policy, which every Owner sets per listing and which is shown on the listing page and in the booking summary before you enter any payment details. There are three tiers: Flexible (100% refund 30 or more days before check-in, 50% 14–30 days before, no refund inside 14 days), Moderate (100% refund 45 or more days before check-in, 50% 21–45 days before, no refund inside 21 days), and Firm (100% refund 60 or more days before check-in, 50% 30–60 days before, no refund inside 30 days). The policy that governs a booking is the one shown and in effect at the moment you book — it is locked in at booking time, so a later change by the Owner to the listing's policy never affects a booking you already made. SERVICE FEE: the 5% service fee is refunded in full if the Owner cancels, if PelicanStays cancels for our own error, if you cancel within 48 hours of the Owner accepting your request, or any time your rental price is refunded in full. Outside those circumstances the service fee is not refunded, even where part of the rental price is. The 48-hour period runs from the moment the Owner accepts your request — not from when you submitted it — and never extends past your check-in date. Refunds are issued to the original payment method and typically appear within 5–10 business days. PelicanStays reserves the right to modify this cancellation framework with reasonable notice.
8. Owner Cancellations
An Owner who cancels a confirmed booking leaves a Renter to re-plan a stay they had already been promised, and obliges PelicanStays to refund a service fee it has already earned. An Owner who cancels a confirmed booking is therefore charged a cancellation fee equal to the greater of $50 or the service fee refunded to the Renter, doubled if the cancellation occurs within 14 days of check-in, and capped at $500. The fee is waived if the Owner cancels 60 or more days before check-in, and an Owner's first cancellation is always free. The fee is never charged to an Owner's card: it is deducted from the Owner's next payout, and if no further payout is due it remains outstanding until one is. Where a booking is cancelled because of a PelicanStays error rather than the Owner's decision, the Renter is refunded in full and no cancellation fee is charged to the Owner. Where a Renter cancels under a policy tier that refunds them only part of the rental price, the remainder is paid to the Owner at the usual time — approximately 24 hours after the original check-in date.
9. Phone and Concierge Bookings
If you contact us by phone, our staff can set up a booking for you. Using the name and contact details you provide on the call, we may create a PelicanStays account on your behalf and submit the booking request for you. We never ask for card details over the phone. Instead, we send you a secure payment link hosted by Stripe. The link is valid for 24 hours; if payment is not completed in that time, the booking request expires automatically and the dates are released. You will be asked to accept these Terms of Service on the Stripe payment page before paying. As with all bookings, paying the link only places a hold on your card — you are charged only when the Owner confirms. Our staff may also offer to send you an optional identity verification link (see Section 12).
10. Owner Responsibilities
Owners are responsible for the accuracy of their listings, including photos, descriptions, pricing, and availability. Owners must ensure their property complies with all applicable local laws, HOA rules, and community regulations. Owners are responsible for collecting and remitting any applicable taxes.
11. Renter Responsibilities
Renters agree to treat all properties with respect and leave them in the condition in which they were found. Renters are responsible for any damages caused during their stay. Renters must comply with all house rules set by the Owner and community regulations.
12. Identity Verification
PelicanStays offers optional identity verification through Stripe Identity. Verified users receive a "Trusted Renter" badge. Verification is voluntary but may be required by certain Owners. For phone bookings, our staff may offer to send you a verification link by email. Verification does not guarantee the behavior of any user.
13. Prohibited Uses
You may not use the Platform for any unlawful purpose, to harass other users, to post false or misleading information, to circumvent the payment system, or to use another person's account without permission. Violations may result in immediate account termination.
14. Limitation of Liability
PelicanStays is not liable for any disputes between Owners and Renters, property damage, personal injury, loss of belongings, or any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from use of the Platform. Our total liability to you shall not exceed the fees paid by you to PelicanStays in the three months preceding the claim.
15. Termination
We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account at our discretion if you violate these Terms or engage in behavior that we deem harmful to other users or the Platform.
16. Changes to Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. Continued use of the Platform after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. We will notify users of material changes by email.
17. Governing Law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes shall be resolved in the courts of Florida.
18. Contact
For questions about these Terms, contact us at pelicanstays@gmail.com.