1. Purpose
These General Terms and Conditions define the rules governing the use of the homeminsk.by website, hereinafter referred to as the “Site”, as well as the principles applicable to booking requests made through it.
The Site presents accommodation belonging to several private owners who are members of the same family or a close private circle and facilitates communication between those owners and persons wishing to rent accommodation temporarily.
HomeMinsk is a name used to identify the Site and its IT system.
HomeMinsk is not a company, a real estate agency, a travel agency, a hotel, or a commercial platform charging a commission on bookings.
Use of the Site is free of charge for participating owners and users.
2. Property Owners
Each accommodation presented on the Site belongs to a specific owner.
The owner of the accommodation offered for rent acts in their own name and under their own responsibility.
Where several owners use the Site, they remain legally independent from one another.
The Site does not become the owner, principal tenant, or operator of the accommodation merely because it presents the properties, forwards booking requests, or provides certain technical management tools.
The identity of the relevant owner may be stated in the accommodation listing, the booking confirmation, the rental agreement, or communicated to the tenant before the rental is finally concluded.
In exceptional circumstances, the owner may appoint a member of their family or another person to perform certain practical or administrative tasks, including communication with the tenant, organization of arrival and departure, or management of the booking.
Such involvement does not change the identity of the owner or landlord where the agreement is concluded directly with that person.
3. Role of the Site
The Site primarily constitutes a shared IT tool allowing, in particular:
- the presentation of available accommodation;
- the display of photographs, descriptions, prices, and availability;
- the submission of a booking request;
- communication between owners and tenants;
- the provision of a personal account area;
- the communication of information relating to arrival, the stay, and departure;
- certain exchanges through messaging services or a private forum;
- the automation of certain information relating to the stay.
The Site does not charge any intermediary commission.
A request sent through the Site does not necessarily constitute final acceptance of the booking.
4. Booking Request
To submit a booking request, the user provides, in particular:
- the desired accommodation;
- arrival and departure dates;
- the number of persons;
- their name;
- their telephone number;
- any additional information required for the stay.
The Site may automatically display an estimated amount including, in particular, the price of the stay, cleaning fees, or other items clearly indicated before confirmation.
Submitting a request only means that the user is requesting to book the accommodation under the indicated conditions.
The booking becomes final when the relevant owner expressly confirms the booking in accordance with the procedure applicable to the accommodation concerned.
5. Rental Agreement
The rental of the accommodation is concluded directly between the owner of the accommodation, acting as landlord, and the tenant.
The agreement may be concluded in any form permitted by the legislation of the Republic of Belarus applicable to short-term rentals.
Where the law or the parties require a written agreement, the information necessary to prepare it may be requested from the tenant.
These General Terms and Conditions govern use of the Site but do not replace the specific provisions of the rental agreement concluded with the owner.
In the event of any conflict, the mandatory provisions of the legislation of the Republic of Belarus shall prevail.
6. Price
The applicable prices are those stated at the time of booking or confirmed by the owner.
The final amount is communicated to the tenant before the booking is finally concluded.
Payments relating to accommodation located in the Republic of Belarus are made in accordance with the applicable currency and tax legislation.
Where a price is displayed in another currency for information purposes, the amount actually payable may be calculated in Belarusian roubles at the exchange rate of the reference bank BSB, in accordance with the conditions communicated to the tenant and the applicable legislation.
The Site itself does not charge any booking commission.
7. Payment
The terms of payment, any advance payment, security deposit, and payment of the remaining balance are communicated to the tenant for the accommodation concerned.
Payment is made to the owner or to a person legally authorized to receive payment on the owner’s behalf.
The tenant must verify the payment details communicated through the official booking process.
8. Cancellation and Modification
The applicable cancellation and modification conditions are those communicated for the booking concerned.
Where a booking has been made through a third-party platform, the rules of that platform may also apply in accordance with the agreement concluded through it.
Any change to dates, the number of guests, or other essential elements must be accepted by the owner.
9. Arrival and Departure
The usual arrival and departure times are indicated in the booking or in the information relating to the accommodation.
Any request for early arrival or late departure must be expressly accepted.
The owner may be unable to accept such a change where the accommodation is occupied before or after the stay.
10. Use of the Accommodation
The tenant undertakes to:
- use the accommodation in accordance with its intended purpose;
- comply with the maximum authorized number of persons;
- respect neighbours and the rules applicable to the building or accommodation;
- not intentionally cause damage;
- promptly inform the owner of any significant problem identified during the stay;
- comply with any specific safety rules communicated for the accommodation;
- return the accommodation and its equipment in a condition consistent with normal use.
Parties, events, animals, additional visitors, or other special uses are subject to the conditions applicable to the accommodation concerned.
11. Identification of the Tenant
In order to conclude and perform the rental agreement and comply with obligations imposed by law, certain identification information may be requested from the tenant.
Depending on the circumstances, such information may include:
- first name and surname;
- telephone number;
- email address;
- date of birth where necessary;
- number and details of an identity document;
- information required to prepare the agreement;
- information required for formalities relating to foreign citizens.
A photograph of an identity document is requested in order to prepare the agreement.
The collection of this information must be limited to information necessary for the stay, the agreement, security, or compliance with legal obligations in the Republic of Belarus.
12. Foreign Travellers
Foreign citizens and stateless persons are required to comply with the rules governing their stay in the Republic of Belarus.
Where the law requires the owner or the person providing the accommodation to transmit certain information concerning a foreign traveller to the competent authorities, only the data strictly necessary for that purpose may be used and transmitted.
Such transmission does not constitute commercial use of the data.
13. Protection of Personal Data
Personal data is processed in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus, including the Law of the Republic of Belarus of May 7, 2021 No. 99-Z “On Personal Data Protection”.
Personal data may be processed, in particular, for the following purposes:
- management of the user account;
- processing of a booking request;
- conclusion and performance of a rental agreement;
- communication with the tenant;
- organization of arrival and departure;
- security of the accommodation;
- compliance with tax, administrative, or migration obligations;
- handling of complaints;
- prevention of abuse and unauthorized access to the Site.
Personal data is neither sold nor used to create commercial databases intended for third parties.
It is transmitted to third parties only where necessary for the performance of the stay, where the user has consented, or where such transmission is required or permitted by law.
Photographs or copies of identity documents collected for identification purposes are deleted within 15 days following the end of the stay, except where longer retention is required by law or is necessary for the establishment, exercise, or defence of a legal right.
Certain information relating to the agreement, payment, or legal obligations may be retained for a different period where required by law.
The detailed personal data policy is contained in a separate document available on the Site.
Contact for questions relating to personal data:
[ADDRESS OR CONTACT METHOD TO BE PROVIDED]
14. User Account
The user is responsible for the accuracy of the information provided when creating their account.
The user is responsible for keeping their username and password confidential.
The user must promptly report any unauthorized use of their account of which they become aware.
The Site may suspend an account in the event of fraudulent use, unauthorized access, an attack on the security of the Site, or use that is clearly contrary to these Terms and Conditions.
15. Messaging, Forums and Communications
Certain stays may include a communication area or forum allowing exchanges between the tenant, the owner, and persons involved in managing the stay.
These areas are intended exclusively for communications useful for the booking and the stay.
It is prohibited to publish, in particular:
- personal data of third parties without necessity;
- passwords, access keys, or technical tokens;
- clearly unlawful content;
- malicious software;
- messages intended to compromise the security of the Site.
16. Telegram, WhatsApp and Other External Services
Certain communications may be made through external services such as Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber, or other messaging systems.
Where the user chooses or agrees to use such a service, that service is also subject to its own terms and privacy policies.
HomeMinsk does not control the operating rules of such third-party services.
No private token, password, or technical identifier allowing the administration of a bot or service may be disclosed to users.
17. Automated Assistant
The Site may use automated systems or artificial intelligence tools in order to respond more quickly to common user questions.
These systems are assistance tools.
An automatically generated response may contain an error or misinterpretation.
Essential information concerning, in particular, the price, dates, identity of the accommodation, specific booking conditions, payments, or contractual obligations must be verified in the booking confirmation or directly with the owner.
In the event of a contradiction between an automated response and a confirmation given by the owner or the applicable agreement, the agreement and the owner’s confirmation shall prevail.
18. Information and Photographs of Accommodation
Owners endeavour to present their accommodation accurately.
Minor changes to decoration, furniture, or equipment may occur over time.
Nevertheless, the essential characteristics of the accommodation and any equipment expressly promised for a booking must correspond to the information communicated to the tenant.
Any significant error identified in a listing should be reported so that it can be corrected.
19. Availability of the Site
Permanent and uninterrupted operation of the Site cannot be guaranteed.
The Site may be temporarily unavailable, in particular due to maintenance, a failure, a network incident, hosting problems, or an event beyond the control of its administrator.
Unavailability of the Site does not terminate a rental agreement that has already been validly concluded.
20. Liability of Owners
Each owner is responsible for the accommodation they make available and for compliance with their legal and contractual obligations.
One owner is not responsible for the obligations of another owner merely because their accommodation is presented on the same Site.
The technical administrator of the Site does not acquire the status of landlord of the various accommodation units merely because the administrator maintains the shared IT system.
No provision of these Terms and Conditions may have the effect of excluding liability that cannot legally be excluded under applicable law.
21. Complaints
In the event of a problem concerning the accommodation, the tenant is invited to inform the owner or the person responsible for the stay as soon as possible so that a solution can be sought during the stay.
Contact details enabling communication with the owner or the owner’s representative are provided as part of the booking.
A complaint may also be submitted through the means of communication available on the Site.
22. Intellectual Property
Unless otherwise stated, the structure of the Site, original texts, photographs, graphic elements, and tools specifically developed for homeminsk.by may not be reproduced or used for commercial purposes without the authorization of their rights holder.
Owners retain the rights they hold over photographs and content relating to their own accommodation.
23. Applicable Law
These General Terms and Conditions and the rental of accommodation located in the Republic of Belarus are governed by the laws of the Republic of Belarus.
Depending on the nature of the relationship concerned, the following shall apply in particular:
- the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus;
- the Housing Code of the Republic of Belarus;
- tax legislation applicable to private owners;
- the Law of the Republic of Belarus of May 7, 2021 No. 99-Z “On Personal Data Protection”;
- rules applicable to the stay of foreign citizens and stateless persons;
- mandatory provisions concerning the rights of users and tenants where applicable.
No provision of these Terms and Conditions shall be interpreted as removing or limiting a right mandatorily granted by the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.
24. Dispute Resolution
The parties shall, where reasonably possible, attempt to resolve amicably any dispute relating to a booking or stay.
If no amicable solution can be reached, the dispute may be submitted to the competent authorities or courts in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.
25. Amendment of the General Terms and Conditions
These Terms and Conditions may be amended to take account of changes to the Site or the law.
The version applicable to a booking is the version in force at the time the booking is concluded, unless a mandatory legal provision provides otherwise.
The date of the latest amendment is indicated at the beginning of the document.
26. Information Concerning the Site
Name of the Site: HomeMinsk.by
Internet address: homeminsk.by
Nature: private collective website used by several private owners who are members of the same family or a close private circle.
The Site is not a company and does not charge any commission on bookings.
Technical administrator of the Site:
Coroir Jean-Marie
Contact:
Telegram: @homeminskby
For each rental, the identity of the contracting owner is indicated or communicated in the documents or information relating to the booking.