Privacy Policy

01Who we are

Both Stay India apps are operated by IndiaConnect Ventures Private Limited, a company incorporated in India under the Companies Act, 2013, with CIN U62013KA2026PTC220824 and registered office at Ground Floor, Katha No. 1/7A, No. 29, Dasanapura, Alur, Bengaluru, Karnataka — 562162. In this policy, "we", "us" and "our" mean IndiaConnect Ventures Private Limited.

"You" means whoever is using the app: a tenant (someone searching for or staying in a property) or a partner (someone who lists or manages a property). Where a clause applies to only one of them, it is marked.

For the purposes of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, we are the Data Fiduciary for the personal data described here.

02Scope

This policy covers both mobile apps named above, the websites at stayindia.in and partner.stayindia.in, and our support channels. It does not cover third-party sites you reach through a link from us, or how an individual partner handles your information once you deal with them directly at their property.

Some people use both apps — a partner may also rent a place as a tenant. If you hold both accounts, each is governed by the clauses for that role, and we do not merge the two profiles unless you ask us to.

03Information we collect

The table below is the complete list, with the app each row applies to.

We do not collect data about your health, sexual life, political or religious beliefs, and we do not ask for it. We do not read your contacts, call logs, SMS inbox, or other apps on your device.

04Device permissions

Android asks before granting any of these. You can refuse or withdraw any permission in your device settings — the app keeps working, but the feature that depends on it will not.

Tenant app

• Location — show properties near you and give directions to a scheduled visit. Requested only while the app is in the foreground; we never track you in the background.
• Camera — capture your ID for verification and photograph issues you report to the partner.
• Photos and media — attach existing images to a complaint or profile. We read only the files you pick.
• Notifications — rent reminders, booking confirmations, visit alerts, and messages from your partner.
• Phone — call a partner or our support team from within the app. We do not read your call log or contacts.

Partner app

• Camera — photograph the property and capture KYC or ownership documents.
• Photos and media — pick existing images from your gallery for listings.
• Location — place the property marker accurately during onboarding and confirm on-site actions.
• Notifications — new enquiries, confirmed bookings, payment receipts, and payout confirmations.
• Phone — call a tenant or our support team from within the app.
• Storage — save invoices, agreements and statements you download.

05How we use your information

• Register you, verify your identity, and keep your account secure.
• Show tenants relevant listings, and publish partners' listings to tenants searching.
• Arrange property visits, process bookings, and generate rental agreements or licence documents.
• Enable rent and deposit payments between tenants and partners through Razorpay, which routes the money directly to the partner’s registered account.
• Send transactional messages by push notification, SMS, WhatsApp, email or call — booking confirmations, rent reminders, payout alerts, security notices and policy updates. These are part of the service and cannot be switched off while your account is active.
• Send marketing or promotional messages, only where you have consented. You can withdraw that consent at any time in Settings or through the unsubscribe link, without affecting the transactional messages above.
• Provide support, handle maintenance complaints, and mediate disputes between a tenant and a partner.
• Detect, prevent and investigate fraud, fake listings, fake profiles, and abuse of the platform.
• Analyse aggregated usage to improve the apps. Reports produced this way do not identify anyone.
• Comply with law — tax and GST filings, police or local authority verification requirements for accommodation providers, and lawful requests from government agencies.

We process personal data on the basis of your consent, or where it is necessary to perform our contract with you or to comply with a legal obligation. Where we rely on consent, we ask for it clearly and keep a record.

We do not sell personal data. We do not use identity documents or financial details for advertising.

06What each side can see

The two apps are connected, so it is worth being precise about what crosses between them.

What a partner can see about a tenant

• Before you book — only your first name, approximate move-in date and enquiry message. Not your full contact details.
• Once a visit or booking is confirmed — your name, mobile number, photo, emergency contact, and the ID details required for the tenancy record and police verification.
• Never — your payment card or bank details, your search history, or the other properties you shortlisted.

What a tenant can see about a partner

• Publicly — the property listing, photos, rent, amenities, house rules, ratings, and the partner's display name.
• Once a visit or booking is confirmed — the exact address and a contact number for the property.
• Never — the partner's bank or payout details, KYC documents, or earnings.

Reviews and ratings you post are visible to other users along with your first name and profile photo. Chat between a tenant and a partner is retained by us so we can resolve disputes, and may be reviewed by our support team if either side raises a complaint.

07When we share information

• Between tenants and partners — as set out in section 6.
• With service providers — hosting, payments, KYC verification, SMS and email delivery, maps, analytics, crash reporting, and support tools. They act on our instructions under contract and cannot use the data for their own purposes.
• With payment and banking partners — to process rent and deposit payments, route them to the partner’s account, and satisfy their own regulatory checks.
• With authorities — where required by law, court order, or a valid request from a government agency, including tax authorities, police, and municipal or tourism regulators. Police verification of tenants is mandatory in several Indian cities and we assist partners in meeting it.
• In a business transfer — if we are involved in a merger, acquisition or sale of assets, data may transfer to the successor entity, which stays bound by this policy or gives you notice of a new one.
• With your consent — for anything else, we ask first.

08Third-party services

Both apps include software from the providers below. Each has its own privacy policy, and we encourage you to read them.

• Firebase Analytics (Google) — usage analytics, and authentication and push notifications where enabled.
• Google Maps Platform — map display, address lookup, directions.
• Razorpay — payment processing and routing. Rent and deposits paid through the app are routed by Razorpay directly to the property owner’s registered account. We do not hold, receive or control these funds at any point, and we do not store card or bank credentials — Razorpay handles them under its own policy and RBI regulation. Both tenants and partners are also subject to Razorpay’s terms.
• Meon Automation Solutions — identity verification through DigiLocker. When you choose to verify, you are taken to DigiLocker, operated by the Government of India, where you authenticate yourself and consent to share specific issued documents. Those documents are returned to us through Meon. We receive only the documents you consent to share, and never your DigiLocker or Aadhaar credentials.

09Your rights

Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, you have the right to:

• Access a summary of the personal data we process about you and who we have shared it with.
• Correct or complete inaccurate or outdated data — most fields are editable in the app under Profile.
• Erase data where we no longer need it for the purpose it was collected or to meet a legal obligation.
• Withdraw consent at any time, as easily as you gave it. Withdrawal does not affect processing already carried out.
• Nominate another individual to exercise these rights on your behalf if you die or become incapacitated.
• Complain to our Grievance Officer, and then to the Data Protection Board of India if you are not satisfied.

Write to contact@stayindia.in from your registered email, or use the in-app request form. We respond within [30] days. We may ask you to verify your identity first, so that we are not disclosing your data to someone else.

10Deleting your account

You can delete either account from inside the app at Profile → Settings → Account → Delete account, or from the web without installing anything:

• Tenant account — [https://stayindia.in/delete-account]
• Partner account — [https://partner.stayindia.in/delete-account]

Before deletion completes, any outstanding matters need closing: unpaid rent or dues, and deposit refunds owed between a tenant and a partner. Those are settled between the two of you — we can only close the account records. Tenants with an active tenancy and partners with confirmed upcoming bookings will be asked to close those out first, since the other side has already committed. Once deletion begins, listings come down, your login stops working, and personal data is removed within [30/60/90] days, apart from records we are required by law to retain — including financial and tax records, tenancy agreements, and identity documents held for statutory verification.

11Security

We protect data with encryption in transit (TLS 1.2 or above), encryption at rest for sensitive fields, hashed passwords, role-based access limited to staff who need it, OTP-based login, audit logging and periodic security reviews. Payment credentials are tokenised and held by our payment partner, not by us.

No system is perfectly secure. Keep your OTP and password to yourself, and tell us at contact@stayindia.in if you suspect someone else has reached your account. If a breach affects your personal data, we will notify you and the Data Protection Board of India as the law requires.

12Children

Both apps are for adults. You must be 18 or older to hold an account, since entering a tenancy or listing a property is a contract. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18, and we delete it if we find it. If a minor will live at a property as part of a family, provide their details only where the partner needs them for the tenancy record, and keep them to the minimum. If you believe a child has given us data directly, contact our Grievance Officer.

13Storage and transfers

We store data on servers located in Hyderabad, India. Some of the third-party services named in section 8 process or store data outside India — in particular, Firebase Analytics is operated by Google on its own global infrastructure. Where that happens, we transfer only to countries not restricted by the Government of India under the DPDP Act, and only under contracts requiring protection equivalent to this policy.

14Changes to this policy

We update this policy when our practices change or the law does. The "Last updated" date at the top always reflects the current version. For significant changes — a new category of data, a new purpose, or a new class of recipient — we notify you in the app or by email at least [7] days before the change takes effect. Continuing to use either app after that date means you accept the updated policy.

15Role of Stay India Partner & Limitation of Liability

1. Platform as a Facilitator Only

Stay India Partner (operated by India Connect Ventures Private Limited) functions strictly as an online technology platform. Our primary role is to connect prospective tenants with Paying Guest (PG) owners and property managers. We do not own, manage, operate, or control any of the properties listed on our application.

2. No Guarantee on Quality or Services

The platform does not endorse, guarantee, or assume any responsibility for the quality, safety, hygiene, or condition of the properties. Furthermore, Stay India Partner is not liable for the quality of food, amenities, or any other services promised or provided by the PG owners.

3. Direct Engagement

Any transaction, rental agreement, or understanding regarding the accommodation is strictly between the tenant and the PG owner. We are not a party to any such agreements.

4. Exemption from Accountability

Stay India Partner, its parent company, directors, or employees shall not be held accountable or liable for any disputes, damages, financial losses, personal injuries, or dissatisfaction arising from the tenant's stay at the PG, the behavior of the PG owners, or the condition of the property. Users access and utilize the services at their own risk.

16Contact and grievances

For any question about this policy or how we handle your data, contact our Grievance Officer, appointed under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 and the DPDP Act, 2023:

We acknowledge complaints within 24 hours and resolve them within 15 days. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may complain to the Data Protection Board of India.