Compliance and legal considerations
Key legal frameworks that affect how you use Rezi, TCPA, CCPA, and state-specific requirements.
Hosting touches several bodies of law: consumer privacy law and telecommunications regulations, plus the short-term rental and occupancy rules in your own jurisdiction. Using Rezi compliantly means understanding how these frameworks apply to your communications and data practices. This article highlights the key areas; for specific legal advice, consult an attorney familiar with your jurisdiction.
TCPA and SMS compliance
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) regulates automated SMS messages in the United States. Rezi's SMS system sends messages from your property numbers to your guests. To comply with TCPA: obtain consent before sending marketing messages, honor opt-out requests immediately (Rezi handles STOP/START automatically), and distinguish between marketing messages (require opt-in) and transactional messages (permitted without separate opt-in when related to an existing relationship, such as a stay the guest has booked).
A guest who has booked a stay and provided their number has an established relationship and an expectation of messages about that stay. Where hosts get in trouble is messaging purchased lists or past guests with promotional content they never opted into. A useful habit: invite guests to text the property number in your booking confirmation, which makes the consent story explicit.
State privacy laws (CCPA and others)
The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) grants California residents the right to know what personal data is collected about them, request deletion, and opt out of data sales. Similar laws exist or are emerging in Virginia (VCDPA), Colorado (CPA), and other states. If you host in California or collect data from California residents, ensure your data practices align with CCPA requirements, including providing a privacy policy and responding to data requests within 45 days.
Rezi does not have a built-in privacy policy generator. You are responsible for maintaining a privacy policy that discloses your data practices to guests. Many short-term rental associations offer template privacy policies that can be customized for your jurisdiction.
Record retention
Keep records related to a stay for as long as a dispute could reasonably arise (guest damage claims, platform disputes, tax records). Tax-related records are commonly kept for several years. Configure your data retention and deletion practices accordingly, and see data retention for recommendations.
Do short-term rental occupancy rules affect how I use Rezi?
Is Rezi HIPAA compliant?
Was this article helpful?