Deposit, damage, theft and liability
We are discreet and protect your privacy. We are also strict professionals. Every home is photographed before and after each stay, every item is on record, and every guest is ID-verified. If you damage, steal, deceive or break the rules, we pursue it in full through the booking platform, the police and the courts. Nobody is let off because a claim is awkward to make.
Before and after your stay
- We photograph every room before you arrive and again after you leave, with the date and time.
- Report anything broken or missing within 2 hours of arrival, so it is not charged to you.
- At check-out our team inspects the home with photos. What you leave is what is charged.
Booked on Airbnb
Airbnb's terms and policies apply, with the house rules on the Airbnb listing.
- No deposit, no fines or penalties, no separate agreement and no fee outside Airbnb.
- If something is damaged or missing, or the home needs cleaning well beyond a normal stay, we request the actual cost only through Airbnb's Resolution Centre, with dated photos and bills, within Airbnb's time limit (currently 14 days after check-out). Airbnb reviews it under AirCover for Hosts.
- Serious breaches are reported to Airbnb, and handled under Airbnb's rules.
Booked directly with Shepherds Homes
- A refundable security deposit is collected with the booking. The amount is in your quote and depends on the home and the length of stay.
- The deposit, less any deductions, is refunded within 7 days of check-out, only to the account it came from.
- If charges are more than the deposit, you agree to pay the difference, invoiced with photos within 7 days of check-out, or as soon as found for anything found later.
- Unpaid claims are recovered through a legal notice and, if needed, the courts.
Booked by a company
When a company books for its employees or guests, the company is responsible for damage, theft, extra cleaning, overstay and every charge below. Claims are sent to the company that made the booking, under the booking terms its authorised person accepted.
What is charged on direct and company bookings
| What happened | What is charged |
|---|---|
| The home is left dirty: dishes, rubbish, stains, smoke, or mess beyond a normal stay | Extra cleaning at cost, and deep cleaning where needed |
| Damage to furniture, walls, fittings, appliances, linen or towels | Repair or replacement at cost |
| Missing items: towels, linen, remotes, utensils, keys, lock cards, décor | Replacement at cost |
| Furniture moved and not put back | The time it takes us to put it back, at cost |
| A written complaint from the society or a neighbour, or a fine from the society | ₹30,000 |
| Police called to the home because of your stay | Whatever the Gurugram goons and Bangalore's finest settle on, fines, fees or "fees": you pay it, not us. Your dad and your connections can't save you. Not even Modiji can. Whoever you are. Any fine, penalty or cost imposed by the police or authorities because of your stay is charged to you. |
| Staying past check-out | Until 6 PM, half a day's charge; after 6 PM, a full day; beyond that, every further day, and removal |
| More people than booked, or unregistered visitors | The nightly rate for each extra person, and the booking may be ended |
| Smoking indoors, parties or pets not agreed in writing | Deep cleaning at cost, and the booking may be ended without a refund |
Every charge comes with photos, a short written explanation and, where there is one, the vendor's bill. "At cost" means the cost on that bill.
Misuse we do not tolerate
For Airbnb bookings, misuse is reported to Airbnb, and charges apply according to Airbnb's policies, through the Resolution Centre.
- Fake or borrowed identities and bookings. Names on the booking, the IDs and the people at the door must match. A booking made with false details is cancelled without a refund and reported to the platform and the police.
- Deals with staff. Our staff cannot sell, hold, extend or discount a stay, accept cash, or bend a rule. Any such arrangement is void, and the guest who offered it is charged as if it never happened.
- Overstaying or re-entering without a booking. Staying on after your booking ends is staying without permission. The home's access is closed at check-out and the stay is charged as above.
- Payments that don't add up. We take payments only through the booking platform or our official link, never cash or third-party transfers. Refunds go only to the original payment method. Suspicious payments are refused and reported to the authorities.
- Abuse of the house rules or the team. Repeated or serious breaches end the booking without a refund. Harassing or threatening our team is reported to the police.
Theft
Taking anything from the home is theft. We file a police complaint with the photos, check-in records and IDs, report it to the booking platform, and recover the full replacement cost. Your own belongings are your responsibility; use the lockable spaces provided and tell us at once if anything of yours goes missing.
Your conduct goes on record
Every guest is verified with a government photo ID and a phone number before the stay, so we can reach you, and act, after you leave.
- On Airbnb, we leave an honest public review after every stay. Every host you book with next can read it. Serious incidents are reported to Airbnb's safety team, which can restrict or remove accounts.
- On other platforms, the same: an honest review, and a report to the platform for serious incidents.
- Direct and company bookings: incidents are recorded with photos. We decline future bookings and pursue the claim at the address on your ID, and with the company that booked.
We are discreet with every guest who respects the home. If you abuse it, nothing about the stay stays between us: the platform, the police and the courts will see the full record.
Our legal standing
- Your booking is a contract. By booking, you accept the house rules and this policy. Loss caused by a breach is recoverable as compensation under the Indian Contract Act, 1872.
- Criminal acts are reported under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including theft (section 303), criminal breach of trust (section 316), cheating (section 318), mischief or damage to property (section 324) and criminal trespass, including staying on without permission (section 329).
- Suspected money laundering is reported to the authorities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
- Records: booking details, IDs, photos and messages are kept as evidence for as long as a claim is open, and then as our privacy policy says. We share them only with the booking platform, the police, the courts and our lawyers.
- Jurisdiction: courts in the city where the home is (Bengaluru or Gurugram).
- Which version applies: for direct and company bookings, the policies accepted at check-in apply to the stay. For Airbnb bookings, Airbnb's terms and the house rules on the Airbnb listing apply. The English version applies. If any part of these policies cannot be enforced, the rest still applies.
Liability
Guests are responsible for loss or damage caused by them, their visitors or their pets during the stay. The guest who books is responsible, together with each guest, for everyone in the group and their visitors. Shepherds Homes is not responsible for loss of, or damage to, guests' belongings.