Terms of Service

1. About These Terms

1.1. These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the Britestate platform at britestate.co.uk and any associated mobile applications (together, the “Platform”), operated by Britestate Ltd (“Britestate”, “we”, “us”, “our”), a company registered in England and Wales under company number [COMPANY NUMBER], with its registered office at [REGISTERED ADDRESS].

1.2. By accessing or using the Platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms, our Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and Acceptable Use Policy (together, the “Legal Documents”). If you do not agree, you must not use the Platform.

1.3. If you are using the Platform on behalf of a business or other entity, you represent that you have the authority to bind that entity to these Terms.

1.4. We are regulated by HMRC for the purposes of the Money Laundering Regulations 2017. Our HMRC supervision reference is [REFERENCE].

2. The Platform

2.1. Britestate is a property technology platform that connects homebuyers, renters, sellers, landlords, estate agents, and service providers (each a “User” or “you”). We act as an intermediary — we do not buy, sell, let, or manage property directly.

2.2. We are not an estate agent as defined by the Estate Agents Act 1979. We do not introduce parties to property transactions for a fee. Where individual estate agents use the Platform, they are responsible for their own regulatory compliance.

2.3. We provide certain AI-powered features including property recommendations, valuation estimates, and search matching. These are informational tools and do not constitute professional advice. See Section 14 for further detail.

3. User Accounts

3.1. To access certain features, you must create an account. You must provide accurate, current, and complete information and keep it updated.

3.2. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials. You must notify us immediately at support@britestate.co.uk if you suspect unauthorised access.

3.3. We may require identity verification for certain account types (estate agents, landlords, service providers) in accordance with our regulatory obligations.

3.4. You may only hold one account per role unless we agree otherwise in writing.

4. User Roles and Specific Terms

4.1. Homebuyers and Renters. You may search listings, save properties, set alerts, contact agents and landlords, and access AI-powered recommendations. You must not contact property owners for purposes unrelated to genuine property enquiries.

4.2. Sellers. You may list properties for sale either directly or through an estate agent. All listing information must be accurate, complete, and not misleading. You must hold legal title (or have authority from the titleholder) to any property you list.

4.3. Landlords.You are responsible for ensuring your rental listings comply with the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, the Housing Act 2004, and all applicable licensing requirements. You must hold a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), gas safety certificate, and electrical safety certificate for each listed property. You acknowledge that from [COMMENCEMENT DATE], the government Property Portal will require separate registration.

4.4. Estate Agents. You represent and warrant that you are a member of a government-approved redress scheme (The Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme), that you hold appropriate professional indemnity insurance, and that you are registered with HMRC for AML supervision. You must display your fees transparently on your Britestate profile in accordance with CMA guidance. See our Fee Transparency Policy.

4.5. Service Providers. You represent that you hold all licences, certifications, and insurance necessary to perform the services you offer. Where applicable, this includes Gas Safe registration, NICEIC or NAPIT accreditation, or appropriate trade body membership.

5. Fees and Payments

5.1. Platform Commission. Where transactions are facilitated through the Platform, a commission of 2.5% of the transaction value may apply. This is processed via Stripe Connect. The commission is payable by [SPECIFY: agent/service provider/other] and is clearly displayed before any transaction is confirmed. See our Fee Transparency Policy for full details.

5.2. Subscription Fees. Certain user roles (estate agents, service providers) may subscribe to paid plans. Fees are set out on our pricing page and are payable monthly or annually in advance. All fees are exclusive of VAT unless stated otherwise.

5.3. Cooling-Off Period. If you are a consumer subscribing to a paid plan, you have a 14-day right to cancel under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. To cancel, email support@britestate.co.uk within 14 days of subscribing. If you have used the service during the cooling-off period, you may be charged a proportionate amount.

5.4. Refunds. Outside the cooling-off period, subscription fees are non-refundable except where required by law. Commission charges are non-refundable once the underlying transaction has completed.

5.5. Payment Processing.All payments are processed by Stripe. We do not store your full card details. Stripe’s terms of service apply to payment processing.

6. Content and Intellectual Property

6.1. Our Content. All content on the Platform (including the software, design, logos, text, and database structure) is owned by or licensed to Britestate Ltd and is protected by copyright, database rights, trade marks, and other intellectual property laws. You may not copy, reproduce, or redistribute our content without our prior written consent.

6.2. Your Content. By uploading content (listings, photos, reviews, messages) to the Platform, you grant Britestate a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to use, display, reproduce, and distribute that content for the purpose of operating and promoting the Platform. You retain ownership of your content.

6.3. Listing Photos. Property photographs must accurately represent the property at the time of listing. You must own or have a licence to use all photographs you upload. We reserve the right to remove photos that are misleading, digitally manipulated to misrepresent the property, or that infringe third-party rights.

6.4. Reviews. All reviews must be genuine, based on actual experience, and comply with our Acceptable Use Policy. We reserve the right to remove reviews that we reasonably believe are fake, incentivised, or defamatory.

7. Prohibited Uses

7.1. You must not use the Platform in breach of our Acceptable Use Policy. In particular, you must not post fraudulent, misleading, or phantom listings; scrape or data-mine the Platform; use the Platform to facilitate money laundering or fraud; discriminate against any person on grounds protected by the Equality Act 2010; or interfere with the Platform’s security or functionality.

8. Disclaimers

8.1. The Platform is provided “as is” and “as available.” We do not guarantee that the Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free from viruses.

8.2. Property listings, valuations, market data, AI-generated recommendations, and EPC data are provided for informational purposes only. We do not verify the accuracy of third-party content and do not provide legal, financial, surveying, or mortgage advice. See our Disclaimer for full details.

8.3. We are not responsible for the conduct of any User, the accuracy of any listing, or the outcome of any transaction facilitated through the Platform.

9. Limitation of Liability

9.1. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for: (a) death or personal injury caused by our negligence; (b) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; (c) any liability that cannot be excluded by law.

9.2. Subject to Section 9.1, our aggregate liability to you for any claims arising out of or in connection with these Terms or your use of the Platform shall not exceed the greater of (a) the fees you have paid to us in the 12 months preceding the claim, or (b) £100.

9.3. Subject to Section 9.1, we shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including loss of profits, data, goodwill, or opportunity.

9.4. If you are a consumer, your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 are unaffected.

10. Indemnification

10.1. If you are an estate agent, landlord, or service provider, you agree to indemnify Britestate against any claims, losses, damages, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from: (a) your breach of these Terms; (b) your breach of any applicable law or regulation; (c) any claim by a third party arising from your use of the Platform or your content.

11. Suspension and Termination

11.1. We may suspend or terminate your account at any time if we reasonably believe you have breached these Terms, our Acceptable Use Policy, or any applicable law. Where practicable, we will give you notice and an opportunity to remedy the breach.

11.2. You may close your account at any time through your account settings or by emailing support@britestate.co.uk. Account deletion is subject to a 30-day grace period during which you may reverse the decision.

11.3. On termination, your licence to use the Platform ceases. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination (including Sections 6, 9, 10, and 15) will survive.

12. Dispute Resolution

12.1. We aim to resolve disputes informally. Please contact support@britestate.co.uk in the first instance.

12.2. If we cannot resolve a dispute informally, you may refer the matter to an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) provider. For consumers, you may use the UK Online Dispute Resolution platform. See our Complaints Policy for details.

12.3. Nothing in this Section prevents either party from seeking interim injunctive relief from a court of competent jurisdiction.

13. Force Majeure

13.1. We shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing our obligations where such failure or delay results from events beyond our reasonable control, including natural disasters, pandemics, government action, power failure, internet disruption, or cyberattack.

14. AI Features and Automated Decision-Making

14.1. Britestate uses artificial intelligence (powered by Anthropic Claude and vector embeddings) to provide property recommendations, estimated valuations, and search matching. These outputs are generated algorithmically and should not be relied upon as professional advice. See our AI Transparency Notice.

14.2. Where AI features involve automated decision-making that significantly affects you, you have the right to request human review under Article 22 of UK GDPR. Contact privacy@britestate.co.uk to exercise this right.

14.3. We are transparent about which features use AI. AI-generated content and recommendations are labelled as such on the Platform.

15. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

15.1. These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales.

15.2. The courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction, except that if you are a consumer habitually resident in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may also bring proceedings in those jurisdictions.

16. Changes to These Terms

16.1. We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by email or in-app notification at least 30 days before they take effect.

16.2. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you may close your account before the changes take effect. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance.

17. General

17.1. Entire Agreement. These Terms (together with the other Legal Documents) constitute the entire agreement between you and Britestate in relation to your use of the Platform.

17.2. Severability. If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

17.3. Waiver. No failure or delay by Britestate in exercising any right shall constitute a waiver of that right.

17.4. Assignment. You may not assign your rights under these Terms. We may assign our rights to any affiliate or successor.

17.5. Third-Party Rights. These Terms do not confer any rights on any third party under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.

18. Contact Us

Britestate Ltd
[REGISTERED ADDRESS]
Company No. [COMPANY NUMBER]
Email: support@britestate.co.uk
HMRC AML Registration: [REFERENCE]