Terms of Use

By registering for an account or using any part of the Hostella platform (“Service”), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use (“Terms”). If you do not agree with any part of these Terms, you must not use the Service. These Terms apply to all visitors, registered users, and hostel partners.

To use Hostella you must:

• Be at least 16 years of age
• Be an enrolled student or prospective student at a recognised educational institution
• Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration
• Have the legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement in your jurisdiction

Hostella reserves the right to refuse access to the Service for any person who does not meet these requirements.

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials. You must:

• Create only one account per person — duplicate accounts may be suspended
• Not share your login credentials with any other person
• Notify us immediately at support@hostellapp.com if you suspect unauthorised access
• Keep your profile information accurate and up to date

Hostella is not liable for any loss arising from your failure to keep account credentials secure.

Hostella acts as a platform connecting students with hostel providers. We are not a party to the accommodation agreement between a student and a hostel — that agreement is between you and the hostel directly.

All payments are processed in Ghanaian Cedis (GHS). By submitting a payment you authorise Hostella or our payment partners to charge the specified amount.

• Prices displayed include all fees unless otherwise stated on the listing
• Hostella does not store your full payment credentials — they are processed by licensed third-party providers
• If a payment fails, your booking will not be confirmed. You will be notified to retry
• Refund timelines depend on your payment provider and are typically 5–7 business days

You must not use Hostella to:

• Post false, misleading, or fraudulent information
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to another user's account or our systems
• Harass, threaten, or discriminate against other users or hostel staff
• Submit fake reviews or manipulate rating systems
• Use automated tools (bots, scrapers) to access or collect data from the platform
• Conduct any activity that violates applicable laws or regulations in Ghana
• Resell or sublicence your booking to another person without written consent from the hostel

Violation of these prohibitions may result in immediate account suspension and, where appropriate, legal action.

All content on the Hostella platform — including the logo, design, copy, software, and data — is owned by or licensed to Hostella and protected by applicable intellectual property laws.

You may not:

• Copy, reproduce, or redistribute any part of the platform
• Use Hostella's branding, name, or logo without written permission
• Reverse-engineer or extract source code from any part of the Service

By submitting content (e.g. reviews or profile photos), you grant Hostella a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use that content to operate and improve the Service.

The Hostella platform is provided “as is” without warranties of any kind, express or implied.

• We do not guarantee the accuracy, quality, or suitability of any hostel listing
• We are not responsible for the conduct of hostel operators or other users
• We are not liable for indirect, consequential, or incidental damages arising from your use of the Service
• Our maximum liability to you for any claim is limited to the booking fee paid for the specific transaction giving rise to the claim

You may close your account at any time by contacting support. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account without notice if:

• You violate these Terms
• We receive credible reports of fraudulent or abusive activity
• Required to do so by law or a government authority

Upon termination, your access to the Service ends immediately. Completed bookings already in progress are not affected unless you were the party at fault.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Ghana. Any dispute arising from these Terms or your use of Hostella shall first be subject to good-faith negotiation. If unresolved within 30 days, disputes shall be referred to the competent courts of Ghana.

For informal resolution of complaints, contact us at support@hostellapp.com.

We may revise these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated via email or prominent in-app notice at least 14 days before they take effect. Continued use of Hostella after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. If you disagree with a change, you must stop using the Service before the effective date.

Questions about these Terms? We're happy to clarify anything before you agree.

Also see our Privacy Policy and FAQ.