Last updated: March 25, 2026
By accessing or using RateMyCrib ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.
RateMyCrib is a student-powered platform for reviewing off-campus housing, landlords, and properties near the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Service allows users to submit reviews, view reviews submitted by others, and compare housing options.
Users may submit reviews, ratings, and other content ("User Content"). By submitting User Content, you grant RateMyCrib a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual license to use, display, reproduce, modify, and distribute your User Content in connection with the Service. You retain ownership of your User Content but grant us the right to use it on the platform.
You represent that your User Content is truthful, based on your genuine experience, and does not contain defamatory, fraudulent, or misleading statements. You are solely responsible for the content of your reviews.
You agree not to: submit fake or fraudulent reviews; impersonate another person; use the Service to harass, threaten, or defame any individual or entity; attempt to access, tamper with, or use non-public areas of the Service; scrape, copy, or reproduce the content of the Service without written permission; use automated means (bots, crawlers, scrapers) to access the Service; or attempt to reverse-engineer any aspect of the Service.
The RateMyCrib name, logo, design, and all associated branding are the exclusive property of RateMyCrib and may not be used without prior written consent. The compilation, organization, and presentation of data on the Service is protected by copyright.
You may not copy, reproduce, scrape, or redistribute the reviews, ratings, or data presented on the Service for commercial purposes without written permission from RateMyCrib.
RateMyCrib is a platform for user-generated content and is protected under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (47 U.S.C. § 230). RateMyCrib does not create, author, or endorse any User Content. Reviews reflect the personal opinions and experiences of individual users. RateMyCrib is not the publisher or speaker of any User Content and shall not be treated as such.
RateMyCrib reserves the right, but has no obligation, to monitor, edit, or remove User Content at its sole discretion. The exercise or non-exercise of this right does not constitute editorial control over User Content.
Under the Consumer Review Fairness Act (15 U.S.C. § 45b), any contract provision that prohibits or penalizes honest consumer reviews is void and unenforceable. If your lease or rental agreement contains a clause restricting your ability to post honest reviews about your landlord or property, that clause is likely unenforceable under federal law. RateMyCrib supports your right to share truthful accounts of your rental experience.
RateMyCrib stands behind the right of tenants to share honest reviews of their rental experiences. Honest reviews of a landlord based on genuine personal experience are protected expression. If a landlord, property manager, or their representative threatens, intimidates, or retaliates against you for submitting a truthful review on this platform, we encourage you to: (a) document the threat or retaliatory action; (b) contact the UIUC Student Legal Service for free legal guidance; and (c) report the situation to us at ratemycrib@proton.me so we can document the pattern. We will never reveal a reviewer's identity to a landlord in response to a complaint or legal threat.
THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. RateMyCrib does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any User Content or information on the Service. Housing decisions should be based on your own research and due diligence.
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, RateMyCrib and its operators shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages resulting from your use of the Service, including but not limited to housing decisions made based on information found on the Service. In no event shall RateMyCrib's total liability exceed the amount you have paid to RateMyCrib in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim, or fifty dollars ($50), whichever is greater.
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless RateMyCrib, its operators, affiliates, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to: (a) your use of the Service; (b) your User Content; (c) your violation of these Terms; or (d) your violation of any third-party rights.
If you believe content on the Service infringes your copyright, you may submit a DMCA takedown notice to our designated agent. Your notice must include: (a) identification of the copyrighted work you claim has been infringed; (b) identification of the material you claim is infringing and its location on the Service; (c) your contact information (name, address, phone number, email); (d) a statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use is not authorized by the copyright owner; (e) a statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on their behalf; and (f) your physical or electronic signature.
Send DMCA notices to: RATEMYCRIB LLC, Attn: DMCA Agent, ratemycrib@proton.me.
RateMyCrib is committed to hosting honest, good-faith reviews. We are not obligated to remove reviews that reflect genuine user opinions and experiences, even if a landlord disagrees with the content. Reviews that constitute protected opinion under the First Amendment will not be removed upon request.
If you are a landlord or property manager and believe a review contains verifiably false statements of fact (not opinions), you may submit a dispute to ratemycrib@proton.me. Your dispute must include: (a) the specific review in question; (b) identification of the specific factual claims you believe are false; (c) evidence supporting your position (e.g., documentation, records); and (d) your contact information and your relationship to the property or company reviewed.
We will review disputes within 14 business days. Possible outcomes include: no action (the review reflects protected opinion), addition of a landlord response to the review, editing of specific verifiably false factual claims, or removal of the review in cases of clear fraud or fabrication. Our decision is final. Submitting frivolous or bad-faith disputes, or using the dispute process to intimidate reviewers, may result in public disclosure of the dispute pattern.
RateMyCrib may offer paid features, premium reports, or other monetized services. All payments are non-refundable unless otherwise stated. Pricing and availability of paid features may change at any time.
Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy. By using the Service, you consent to the collection and use of information as described in the Privacy Policy.
RateMyCrib reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.
We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, for any reason, without notice. All provisions of these Terms that should survive termination shall survive, including but not limited to Sections 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 18.
Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall first be attempted to be resolved through good-faith negotiation. If negotiation fails, the dispute shall be resolved through binding arbitration administered under the rules of the American Arbitration Association, with arbitration taking place in Champaign County, Illinois. The arbitrator's decision shall be final and binding. You agree that any arbitration shall be conducted on an individual basis and not as a class action.
Notwithstanding the above, either party may seek injunctive or equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to prevent the actual or threatened infringement of intellectual property rights.
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to conflict of law principles. To the extent litigation is permitted under these Terms, it shall be conducted in the state or federal courts located in Champaign County, Illinois.
If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
Reviews on this Service reflect individual opinions and subjective experiences. Statements such as "worst landlord ever," "terrible maintenance," or "do not rent here" are expressions of opinion protected under the First Amendment and Illinois law. We encourage reviewers to be truthful and specific, but opinions — even strongly worded ones — are not actionable as defamation. RateMyCrib does not adopt or endorse any opinion expressed in user reviews.
These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and RateMyCrib regarding the Service.
Questions about these Terms? Email us at ratemycrib@proton.me.