These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your use of the GuildeHall website at guildehall.com and any related services (together, the “Service”). The Service is operated by GuildeHall LLC, a Virginia limited liability company (“GuildeHall,” “we,” “us,” or “our”).

By submitting a booking request, contacting us through the Service, or otherwise using the Service, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

1. What GuildeHall Is

GuildeHall is a marketplace that helps people (“Guests”) discover and book event spaces owned by nonprofits and civic organizations (“Hosts”). GuildeHall is not the owner or operator of any Host’s venue. Each rental is a separate contractual arrangement between the Guest and the Host, governed by that Host’s rental agreement. GuildeHall facilitates the booking request, collects payment on behalf of the Host, and retains a service fee.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to submit a booking request or enter into a rental agreement through the Service. By using the Service you represent that you meet this requirement.

3. How Bookings Work

1. Requests. A Guest submits a booking request through the Service. GuildeHall reviews the request and forwards it to the Host.
2. Approval. The Host decides whether to approve the request, typically within 48 hours. GuildeHall communicates the outcome to the Guest.
3. Rental agreement. If approved, the Guest receives a link to review and sign the Host’s rental agreement. That rental agreement, once accepted, is a contract directly between the Guest and the Host. GuildeHall is not a party to it.
4. Payment. After the rental agreement is signed, the Guest receives a secure payment link and pays for the rental, service fee, payment processing fee, and refundable security deposit through the Service.
5. Confirmation. Upon successful payment, the booking is confirmed, and the Guest receives a confirmation email.

4. Fees and Payment Terms

Total amount charged to the Guest at checkout consists of:

• Rental fee — the amount agreed with the Host, paid to the Host.
• GuildeHall service fee — 5% of the rental fee, retained by GuildeHall.
• Payment processing fee — a pass-through fee covering the cost of card processing (currently approximately 2.9% of the total plus $0.30).
• Security deposit — a refundable amount set by the Host, held by GuildeHall pending the outcome of the event. The amount is disclosed on the checkout page and in the rental agreement.

All fees are displayed before payment. By completing checkout, you authorize GuildeHall to charge your card for the full amount.

5. Security Deposit

The security deposit is held by GuildeHall, not the Host. After the event, the Host reports to GuildeHall any damages or cleanup costs. GuildeHall then releases the deposit — typically within 14 days of the event — as follows:

• Any portion needed to cover damages or cleanup is transferred to the Host.
• The remainder is refunded to the Guest’s original payment method.
• If damages exceed the deposit, the Host may pursue the remainder directly from the Guest under the rental agreement; GuildeHall is not responsible for collecting such amounts.

Guests may dispute a retention by contacting [email protected] within 30 days of the release.

6. Cancellations and Refunds

1. By the Guest. A Guest may request cancellation by emailing [email protected] before the event. Refunds are issued at GuildeHall’s discretion, in consultation with the Host. A typical cancellation more than 30 days before the event will receive a full refund minus non-refundable processing fees; closer to the event date, refunds may be reduced or denied depending on the circumstances and the Host’s policy.
2. By the Host. If a Host cancels an approved booking before the event, GuildeHall will issue the Guest a full refund of all amounts paid.
3. Force majeure. If the event cannot be held due to circumstances beyond either party’s reasonable control (natural disaster, public health order, loss of utilities, etc.), the parties will negotiate in good faith to reschedule or refund.
4. Processing fees. Stripe’s fixed fee (currently $0.30 per transaction) is not refundable by Stripe, and GuildeHall will generally absorb this cost for Guest-initiated refunds.

7. Insurance

Most Hosts require Guests to obtain event liability insurance before the event. The required policy amount is disclosed in the rental agreement for each venue. Failure to obtain required insurance may result in cancellation of the booking without refund of the rental fee or service fee.

8. Guest Conduct

Guests agree to:

• Comply with all terms of the Host’s rental agreement.
• Comply with all applicable laws, permits, and the Host’s rules.
• Not engage in illegal activity on the venue premises.
• Leave the venue in the condition specified by the rental agreement.
• Not transfer, sublet, or assign the booking without the Host’s written consent.

9. Host Conduct

Hosts agree to make the venue available on the agreed dates, in a condition consistent with representations made on the Service, and to comply with applicable laws.

10. Role Limitations

GuildeHall:

• Is not a party to the rental agreement between Guest and Host.
• Does not inspect or verify venues beyond reasonable diligence.
• Does not guarantee the accuracy of Host-provided information (though we make reasonable efforts to keep listings accurate).
• Does not provide event insurance, event planning, or on-site management.
• Is not responsible for disputes between Guests and Hosts, though we will make reasonable efforts to assist in resolution.

11. Prohibited Uses

You may not use the Service to: (a) harass, threaten, or harm others; (b) submit false or misleading information; (c) attempt to bypass payment or security mechanisms; (d) scrape or copy Service content for commercial use; (e) reverse-engineer the Service; (f) use the Service for any illegal purpose.

We may suspend or terminate access at any time for violation of these Terms or for any other lawful reason.

12. Intellectual Property

All Service content — including text, graphics, logos, the “GuildeHall” name, and software — is the property of GuildeHall or its licensors, and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws. You may use the Service for its intended purpose but may not reproduce, modify, or distribute Service content without prior written permission.

13. Third-Party Services

The Service uses third-party providers for certain functions, including:

• Stripe for payment processing and Connect payouts to Hosts.
• Resend for transactional email.
• Cloudflare for hosting, content delivery, and database services.

Your interactions with these providers are governed by their respective terms and privacy policies.

14. Disclaimers

The Service is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. To the maximum extent permitted by law, GuildeHall disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. GuildeHall does not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure.

15. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, GuildeHall and its officers, members, employees, and affiliates will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits or revenues, whether incurred directly or indirectly, arising out of your use of the Service.

GuildeHall’s total liability to you for any claim arising out of these Terms or your use of the Service will not exceed the greater of (a) the amount of fees paid by you to GuildeHall in the 12 months preceding the claim, or (b) one hundred U.S. dollars ($100).

16. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless GuildeHall from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of: (a) your use of the Service; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of the rental agreement with a Host; or (d) your violation of applicable law.

17. Dispute Resolution and Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Service will be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, except that either party may bring an action in small claims court for matters within that court’s jurisdiction.

18. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will post the updated Terms with a new effective date and notify Guests with active bookings by email. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

19. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Email us at [email protected].