Reporting and assessing unlawful content

Homio’s aim is to make reliable, high-quality and lawful property listings available. If you think a listing, image, floor plan, message or other published content on Homio is unlawful or contains untrue information, you can report it easily and electronically. This page covers reporting listings and the related procedure; consumer complaints are covered by the Terms and privacy requests by the Privacy Notice.

• the exact URL or identifier of the content (with the “Report listing” button on the listing’s page, or by e-mail to the address given; the URL is enough – do not attach unlawful images or documents unless necessary);
• your reasons: why you consider the content unlawful or untrue;
• any further information or evidence that is needed;
• your name and e-mail address; these are not required when reporting the child-sexual-abuse offences specified by law, in which case write to the address given instead of using the form, without giving your name;
• a statement that you act in good faith and that the information and claims in the report are accurate and complete to the best of your knowledge.

You do not need a Homio account to report. If you give your e-mail address we acknowledge receipt of the report without delay with a case reference, and tell you the decision made on the report and the remedies available. We do not automatically forward the reporter’s personal data or attachments to the advertiser.

We examine each report on the information available, with due care, objectively and not arbitrarily. A report does not automatically mean the content is removed: we examine whether there is unlawfulness or a breach of Homio’s policies. We do not set one deadline for every case, but we handle reports without delay and in an order that reflects their seriousness.

In the assessment we look in particular at:

• which exact content it concerns;
• what unlawfulness or breach of policy the reporter alleges;
• whether the infringement can be established from the information available;
• whether the listing contains misleading, false or materially incomplete information;
• whether copyright, personality-rights or data-protection harm arises;
• whether fraud, spam, abuse or a security risk arises;
• whether more information is needed;
• whether the planned measure is proportionate.

• we take no action if no unlawfulness or breach of policy can be established from the report;
• we ask the advertiser to correct the listing if the problem can be corrected;
• we restrict parts of the listing or its visibility, where the applicable rules allow it;
• we remove or disable access to the content if we establish unlawful content or a serious breach of policy;
• in case of repeated or serious abuse we may restrict the related user or partner access.

If we apply a restricting measure to content, we inform the advertiser concerned at the electronic contact details we have. The notice states the type of measure, its scope and, if any, its duration; the essential facts and circumstances behind the decision; the legal or contractual ground and why the measure was taken; whether automated means played a part in the decision; and the remedies available.

In the exceptional cases the law provides (for example an official request or a law-enforcement interest) we may omit or postpone the notice.

Both the reporter and the advertiser concerned can ask for the decision to be reviewed: write to the contact address and give the case reference. This is possible for at least six months from notice of the decision. The review is not carried out solely by automated means: a person who did not alone make the original decision also examines the case, and we give you the result with reasons. This option is available regardless of whether the law obliges us to provide it. You may also turn to an out-of-court dispute settlement body as provided by law, and court remedies remain open.

• Not every report is well founded, so we assess the report and the content separately; a rejected report does not mean bad faith.
• Decisions are not made solely on the reporter’s claim.
• In moderation we consider the relevant facts and the applicable law.
• For demonstrably abusive, repeated reports we first warn the reporter and review the matter; we document the reasons.
• Homio’s moderation is not a court or authority decision.

If Homio learns of information that gives rise to suspicion of a criminal offence threatening a person’s life or safety, we promptly make the necessary report to the authorities as the applicable law requires. Lawful official requests and court or authority decisions are handled separately in our operations.

We record reports with a case reference, the content identifier, status, timestamps, the decision and its reasons, and a record of notifications; access is restricted to administrators. Records of closed cases are kept for 24 months from the date of the decision, according to the retention table in the Privacy Notice; an open case is kept until it is closed.