Terms of Service

Last updated October 2, 2026

These terms are an agreement between you and Threshold, which operates threshold.rentals, its booking pages, its API and its MCP server (together, the “Service”). By using the Service, as a guest, a host, or through an AI agent acting for you, you agree to them. If you don't agree, don't use the Service.

1. What Threshold is

Threshold is a technology platform that lets independent hosts of short-term rentals publish their places and take bookings directly, including from AI agents acting for travelers. Hosts, not Threshold, own or manage the places listed, set their prices, rules and policies, and provide the stays. Threshold doesn't own, operate or inspect listed places and isn't a party to the rental between a guest and a host, except as described in section 6 when Threshold collects payment.

Threshold isn't affiliated with Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com or any other booking site. Comparisons with booking-site prices are estimates based on prices hosts enter.

2. Accounts

• Hosts sign in with an email link. You must be at least 18, give accurate information, and keep access to your email secure. You're responsible for activity on your account.
• Guests don't need an account. Each booking has a private link; anyone with it can view and cancel that booking, so keep it to yourself.
• We may suspend or close accounts and remove listings that break these terms, put guests or hosts at risk, or that we can't verify.

3. Booking a stay

• Quotes. A quote shows the full price, including cleaning, any pet fee and the taxes the host has set, along with the cancellation policy and house rules. Prices and availability can change until you book.
• Requests and instant book. Most listings take booking requests, which the host accepts or declines within the response time shown. Listings with instant book confirm as soon as payment succeeds.
• Agreeing to house rules. When you book, you agree to the host's house rules and cancellation policy, and that you (and everyone in your party) will follow them. The person booking must meet any minimum age the host sets and be part of the stay.
• A booking is a contract between guest and host. It's confirmed when the host accepts (or, with instant book, when payment succeeds) and the confirmation email is sent.
• Check-in details. The exact address and entry details are shared only after a booking is confirmed and paid, and are emailed before arrival.

4. Booking through AI agents

• You may use an AI agent or assistant to search, request, pay for or cancel bookings for you. Anything an agent does using your details, your booking link or a payment credential you approved is treated as done by you.
• Agents never receive your card number from Threshold. You pay on a secure Stripe page, or by approving a one-time payment token in a wallet you control (such as Stripe Link).
• Threshold isn't responsible for an agent's mistakes, such as booking the wrong dates or misstating a listing. Check the quote, house rules and cancellation policy before approving a payment.
• Developers using the API or MCP server must use it only to help real guests with real bookings, mustn't scrape or resell listing data, and must follow any rate limits we set.

5. Paying

• Card payments. Payments are processed by Stripe. Depending on the listing, your card is authorized when you request and charged when the host accepts; charged at once for instant book; or, if the host offers reserve now, pay later, charged automatically on the date shown at booking. You authorize these charges when you book.
• Failed payments. If a scheduled charge fails, we'll ask you to pay by a deadline. If you don't, the booking is cancelled.
• Hosts who collect payment themselves. Some listings don't take online payment; the host arranges payment with you after accepting, and any refund comes from the host.
• No guest service fee. Threshold doesn't add a service fee for guests. Taxes shown are set by the host.

6. For hosts: getting paid

Hosts choose how they're paid, through Stripe Connect:

• Paid directly. Guests pay into your own Stripe account and you're the merchant. You're responsible for refunds beyond those Threshold makes under your policy, for disputes and chargebacks, and for Stripe's fees.
• Threshold handles payments. Threshold collects payment from guests as your limited payment collection agent, and a guest's payment to Threshold counts as payment to you. We pay out what you're owed (the amount paid, less refunds, the card processing cost and any Threshold fee) about 24 hours after check-in. We handle disputes and chargebacks, and may recover amounts refunded or charged back for reasons you're responsible for from your future payouts.
• Threshold's fee. Threshold currently charges hosts and guests no fee. We'll give hosts at least 30 days' notice before introducing or changing a fee, and it won't apply to bookings made before it takes effect. If we introduce one, it's a percentage of what the guest pays: collected by Stripe from each payment if you're paid directly, or deducted from your payout if Threshold handles payments, and reduced in proportion to any refund.
• Founding hosts. The first 100 hosts whose listing is approved and goes live on Threshold (“founding hosts”) pay no Threshold fee on bookings made during the 12 months after that date, even if Threshold introduces or changes fees during that time. Card processing fees still apply. Founding status is personal to the host's account and isn't transferable.
• You agree to Stripe's Connected Account Agreement, and Stripe's terms, for your Stripe account.

7. For hosts: your listing and responsibilities

• Accuracy. Your listing, photos, prices, availability, rules and policies must be accurate and kept up to date. You must have the right to rent the place and to use every photo and piece of text you upload. Details suggested by Threshold's AI tools (such as imported details or photo captions) are your responsibility once you publish them.
• Calendars. Keep your availability on Threshold accurate. If you also list on booking sites, keep their calendars connected to Threshold, and Threshold's calendar connected to them. Calendar links sync every few hours, so a double booking is possible; Threshold warns you when it detects one, but you're responsible for avoiding and resolving them, including cancelling one of the bookings.
• Honoring bookings. Honor confirmed bookings and your stated policies. If you cancel a confirmed booking, the guest gets a full refund, and repeated cancellations may lead to your listing being removed.
• Laws, permits, insurance and taxes. You're responsible for complying with laws and rules that apply to your rental, including short-term rental registration and permits, zoning, HOA rules, safety requirements, and for having suitable insurance. Unless Threshold tells you in writing that it collects and remits a particular tax, you're responsible for collecting, reporting and paying all taxes on your bookings, including lodging and occupancy taxes.
• Fair treatment. You must not discriminate against guests on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital or familial status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
• Rating guests. After a stay you can rate your guest. Other Threshold hosts see your ratings when that guest asks to book with them, and the guest sees them and can reply. Rate only what happened during the stay, honestly; never rate or comment on a guest's race, religion, national origin, disability, family status or any other protected characteristic. Threshold may hide ratings that are retaliatory, untrue or break these terms. Your private note about a guest isn't shown to other hosts or the guest, but may be disclosed if the law requires it.
• No extra charges. Don't ask guests to pay anything not shown in their quote, except a security deposit or fee clearly stated in your listing.
• License to your content. You let Threshold use, copy, adapt and display your listing content (including photos) to operate and promote the Service, including providing it to AI agents and search engines. You can remove your listing at any time.

8. For guests: during your stay

• Follow the house rules and the occupancy and pet limits in your booking. Leave the place as you found it.
• You're responsible for damage caused by you or your party beyond normal wear and tear. Raise issues with the host as soon as possible; reply to any booking email to reach them.
• Reviews and ratings. After your stay you can review the place, and your host can rate you as a guest (cleanliness, communication, following house rules, and whether they'd host you again). Both are revealed together, or 14 days after check-out. Your review is public on the listing; your host's ratings of you are never public, but other Threshold hosts see them when you ask to book with them. You can reply once to your host's rating, and ask us to review one you think is unfair.
• Hosts may end a stay early if house rules are seriously broken, without a refund for the remaining nights, to the extent allowed by law.

9. Cancellations and refunds

Cancellations and refunds follow the listing's cancellation policy, as shown in your quote. See Cancellations & Refunds for how each policy works, what happens when a host cancels, and how long refunds take. Threshold may cancel a booking, with a full refund, if we believe it's fraudulent, the place isn't available (for example, a double booking), or the stay would be unsafe or unlawful.

10. Things you mustn't do

• Break the law, or use the Service for fraud, money laundering or anything harmful.
• Post false, misleading or infringing content, or impersonate anyone.
• Use someone else's payment method without permission, or abuse refunds or chargebacks.
• Interfere with the Service, try to get around its security, or access it by automated means other than the API and MCP server as documented.
• Use the Service to collect other users' personal information, or contact them for anything other than a booking.

11. Disclaimers

The Service is provided “as is” and “as available”. To the extent the law allows, Threshold makes no warranties, express or implied, including about the accuracy of listings, the condition, safety or legality of any place, the conduct of any guest or host, or that the Service will be uninterrupted or error-free. Verification checks (such as confirming a host controls a booking-site listing) are limited and aren't an endorsement or guarantee.

12. Limitation of liability

To the extent the law allows, Threshold isn't liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, or for lost profits, data or goodwill, arising from the Service or any stay, and Threshold's total liability to you for any claim is limited to the greater of (a) the amounts Threshold received from or paid to you in connection with the booking giving rise to the claim, less amounts paid out to the host, and (b) US$100. Some places don't allow these limits, so they may not apply to you.

13. Indemnity

If you're a host, you agree to indemnify and hold Threshold harmless from claims, losses and costs (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your listing, your place, your stays, your taxes, or your breach of these terms or the law. If you're a guest, the same applies to claims arising from your stay or your breach of these terms.

14. Disputes and governing law

If you have a problem, email hello@threshold.rentals first and we'll try to resolve it informally within 30 days. These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Any dispute that isn't resolved informally will be decided by the state or federal courts located in Delaware, and you and Threshold consent to their jurisdiction, except that either of us may bring an individual claim in small-claims court where it qualifies. Nothing here limits rights you have under consumer protection laws that can't be waived.

15. Changes and ending

We may update these terms. We'll post the new version here with a new date, and for material changes we'll email hosts at least 30 days ahead. Changes don't apply to bookings already confirmed. You can stop using the Service at any time; hosts can remove their listings and ask us to close their account. Sections that by their nature should survive (such as payment obligations, disclaimers, limits of liability and indemnity) survive the end of this agreement.

16. Contact

Threshold
hello@threshold.rentals

Questions about this page? Email hello@threshold.rentals.