1. About This Guide
This guide is for you as a host on Pravaasa Stays, whether you run a family homestay, a villa, a farmstay, or a resort. It covers the everyday habits that protect your guests, your property, your income, and yourself, and shows where to find the tools in your owner dashboard (/dashboard).
It sits next to your legal duties and our rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace your Host Terms, the Host Verification & KYC Standards, or local law. Please also read Prohibited Properties & Activities, so you know what is banned and what the consequences are.
2. Know Who Is Arriving
2.1 Check ID and keep a register
Check a valid government photo ID for every adult guest on arrival (Aadhaar, passport, voter ID, or driving licence), and, for foreign nationals, a passport and visa. Confirm that the person arriving matches the name on the booking and that the party is not larger than the confirmed occupancy.
Keep a guest register, as local hospitality rules require. In India, hosts usually have to report guests to the local police, and report foreign nationals to the police or the Foreigners Regional Registration Office, within a short time limit (our India configuration assumes 24 hours), with details such as the guest's name, ID type and number, nationality, and check-in and check-out dates. Find out what applies in your area, and do it on time.
2.2 Handle ID data responsibly
Use ID details only to verify identity and meet your legal duties. Store copies securely, do not share them or post them, do not use them for marketing, and delete them when you no longer need them. Do not keep a guest's original ID or passport as a security deposit.
2.3 Using guest reputation fairly
Your dashboard shows a summary of a guest's reputation to help you make informed decisions: a tier (for example, New to Pravaasa, Reliable, or Top Guest), a score based on past hosts' reviews, the number of completed stays, and positive highlights. New guests with fewer than three stays appear as 'New to Pravaasa', and that is not a warning sign.
You must not refuse or treat a guest differently because of their caste, religion, race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected identity. Reputation is about behaviour in past stays, not about who the guest is.
3. Protect Your Payments
Take payment only through Pravaasa. Bookings are paid through Razorpay, the payment is held in escrow, and your net payout (after the 10% commission) is released 24 hours after the guest checks in, to the bank account or UPI ID you verified. You can follow your balance in the Payouts & Escrow area of your dashboard.
Do not accept cash, cheques, direct UPI or bank transfers, payment links, or screenshots as payment for a booking that came through Pravaasa. A transfer receipt or screenshot is not proof of payment, because it can easily be forged. Treat a booking as paid only when it shows as paid in your dashboard.
Do not ask guests for deposits, advances, or balances outside the platform, and do not offer discounts for paying you directly. Off-platform payment pressure is a serious violation and may lead to unlisting, payout hold, and account termination.
4. Scams That Target Hosts
Fraudsters do target hosts. Be careful if someone:
- Pretends to be from Pravaasa, a bank, or Razorpay, and asks for your OTP, UPI PIN, card details, login link, or ID. Pravaasa will never ask you for your OTP or PIN.
- Sends a payment screenshot or a 'failed payment' message, and asks you to release the room or send money back.
- Overpays and asks you to refund the difference to a different account.
- Asks you to cancel a booking and re-book it outside the platform.
- Sends a link or an attachment to 'verify' your account or 'update' your bank details.
- Asks for your guests' personal data, or a copy of your documents, by chat or email.
Do not click unknown links, do not share verification codes, and check payments only in your dashboard. If in doubt, report it using Report Fraud (/trust-and-safety?action=report-fraud) or email support@pravaasastays.com.
5. Keep Your Account Secure
You sign in to the owner dashboard with a verified email or mobile number. Do not share your magic link or OTP, do not forward sign-in links, and sign out of shared or public computers.
Only give access to people you trust and who need it, and let us know if a manager or employee leaves. Keep your email, phone number, and payout details accurate. If you think someone else has access to your account, contact support@pravaasastays.com immediately.
Keep your bank account, UPI ID, PAN, GSTIN, and other verification details up to date in the Pravaasa Backed area of the dashboard, and tell us if your ownership or licences change.
6. Secure Your Property and Keep Guests Safe
- Keep valuables, important papers, cash, and family items in a locked area that guests cannot enter.
- Give each guest working locks on doors and windows, and make sure keys and access codes are changed or managed between stays.
- Install and test smoke detectors, keep fire extinguishers where they are needed and serviced, keep emergency exits clear, and put up clear signs. Have a first-aid kit and a list of nearby clinics, hospitals, and emergency numbers.
- Check electrical wiring, geysers, gas cylinders, and cooking areas regularly. Fix or fence off hazards such as loose railings, open wells, ponds, steep steps, and slippery paths, or put up visible warnings.
- Warn guests about local wildlife, monsoon conditions, and limited network. Keep clear instructions in the Digital Guidebook area of your dashboard, and, if you wish, print the property QR poster from the Pravaasa Backed area.
- If you serve food, keep it hygienic, and make sure you have any food safety licence that the law requires, such as FSSAI.
- Check the property's insurance, and consider getting cover for guests, liability, and contents. Pravaasa is not an insurer.
7. Cameras and Guest Privacy
Cameras and recording devices are never allowed inside bedrooms, bathrooms, changing areas, or any private guest space. Secretly recording guests is a serious offence, and will lead to removal from Pravaasa and may be reported to the police.
Outdoor cameras at gates, driveways, or the perimeter are allowed, but you must disclose them in your listing. Do not point them at guest windows or private areas, and do not share footage of guests.
Do not enter a guest's private room without notice or consent, except in a genuine emergency.
8. Set Clear Expectations
Most problems come from unclear expectations. Make sure your listing is accurate, your house rules are clear, and your price breakdown includes everything. Send a welcome message through the platform with check-in details, quiet hours, rules about fires and visitors, and emergency contacts.
Keep your calendar accurate, so you never double-book or have to cancel a confirmed booking. If you must cancel, tell the guest and Pravaasa immediately.
9. Handling Difficult Situations
9.1 Rule-breaking, noise, and extra guests
Stay calm and polite. Remind the guest of the rule, using the platform messages or in person, and note what happened. Do not threaten, harass, lock out, or physically confront a guest. If a guest brings extra people, holds a party, or breaks the law, ask them to stop, record the facts, and, if the situation is unsafe, call the local police (112 in India).
9.2 Damage and claims
Check the property soon after checkout, and take clear photos. If something is damaged, raise a claim in the Damage & Disputes area of your dashboard with photographic or documentary evidence. A claim cannot be opened without evidence. Pravaasa never automatically charges a guest's card, and our team looks at both sides' evidence before an outcome is decided. Do not take money or ID from a guest to cover damage outside this process.
9.3 Threats, harassment, and discrimination
If a guest threatens or harasses you or your staff, keep messages and screenshots, make yourself safe, and call 112 if there is any danger. Then report it at /trust-and-safety?action=report-guest. You must also not harass or threaten guests, or treat them unequally because of who they are. Complaints of discrimination are taken seriously, and can lead to removal of your listing and account.
10. Reviewing Guests Fairly
After a verified stay, you can review the guest from the Guest Reviews area of your dashboard. You have 14 days after check-out. Rate their conduct (cleanliness, care of the property, following the house rules, and communication) and keep your comments factual. Do not refer to a guest's race, religion, nationality, gender, or other protected identity: our system will reject such comments.
Do not use a review to retaliate against a guest who made a complaint or a dispute. Low ratings left after a dispute on the same booking are flagged for our team to check. Do not pay for, trade, or fake reviews for your own property. See the Review & Rating Policy.
11. If Someone Lists or Uses Your Property Without Permission
If you find your property, your photos, or your name being used by someone else on Pravaasa or anywhere else, report it at /trust-and-safety?action=report-property, with links, screenshots, and anything that proves you are the owner or the authorised manager. We may ask you for evidence. We can unlist fake or unauthorised listings, and we take impersonation seriously.
If someone claims to be you or to represent you, do not share your verification details or OTPs with them.
12. Your Personal Safety
If you live on the property, or host alone, take sensible precautions: let someone know when guests arrive, keep your phone charged, and meet new guests in common areas first. Do not hand out your home address before a confirmed booking, beyond what the platform shows.
Trust your instincts. If a guest makes you feel unsafe, you do not have to engage alone. Call the police if you are in danger, and tell us afterwards.
13. Reporting a Concern to Pravaasa
Use the Trust & Safety page:
- Report a Guest: /trust-and-safety?action=report-guest, for rule-breaking, damage, harassment, a false identity, or unsafe behaviour.
- Report Fraud: /trust-and-safety?action=report-fraud, for off-platform payment pressure, phishing, impersonation, or fake bookings and reviews.
- Report a Property: /trust-and-safety?action=report-property, for a fake or unauthorised listing of your property or another host's property.
Include the booking reference, dates, what happened, and evidence. You can also email support@pravaasastays.com. Reports are reviewed by our team, and we do not promise a fixed response time. For urgent safety matters, call emergency services first.
14. Emergencies and Contact
PRAVAASA STAYS IS NOT AN EMERGENCY SERVICE. If anyone is in danger, call 112 in India (or your local emergency number) first, then let us know.
For non-urgent help, visit the Support page or email support@pravaasastays.com. We aim to respond to support emails within one business day.
Questions About This Policy?
Our customer support and legal compliance team is available to assist you.