The agreement.

Manhattanite is a private marketplace for New York residents, and you get in by invitation. By creating an account or using the site, you agree to these terms. If you don’t agree, please don’t use Manhattanite.

Who can use Manhattanite

Manhattanite is invitation only. A member invites you and vouches for you; there is no way to create an account for yourself.

Once you accept an invitation you tell us who you are, and a person approves it. Until then there is nothing to see; membership is what lets you see listings, post them, contact other members, and bring people in yourself. You must be at least 18 years old.

Membership and vouching

Members are brought in by other members who vouch for them, and a vouch carries weight in both directions. If a member breaks these terms, the members who vouched for them are assessed in the same way: under the same standard, at the same time, by the same people. Their judgment is part of what we look at.

It goes one step and stops. We look at the people who vouched for the member in question, and not at whoever vouched for those people in turn.

That is a membership standard, not a legal one. Vouching for someone does not make you responsible for what they do, and it is not a guarantee or warranty of their conduct or their dealings with anyone else. We may approve, decline, or revoke membership at our discretion to protect the network.

Listing standards

Listings must be honest, accurate, and your own to post. Describe what you’re offering plainly, including its flaws. Every listing is reviewed by a person before it goes live.

Housing listings must comply with fair housing law. You may not include language that discriminates against, or expresses a preference based on, any protected class, including race, religion, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, family or marital status, age, or lawful source of income. New York’s protections are broad, and we enforce them. Listings that cross this line will be removed, and repeat violations end membership.

You also may not post anything illegal, fraudulent, misleading, or that isn’t yours to sell or offer.

Manhattanite is not a party to your transactions

We connect members; we don’t broker. Any arrangement, sale, lease, or exchange between members is strictly between those members. Manhattanite is not a party to it, does not handle payment, and is not responsible for the quality, safety, legality, or outcome of anything listed or exchanged. Use your judgment, and meet sensibly.

Your content

You keep ownership of the listings, photos, and messages you create. By posting them, you give Manhattanite permission to display and share them within the network so the service can work. You’re responsible for having the rights to anything you post.

Your privacy

Our Privacy Policy explains what we collect and how we use it. Worth knowing up front: to make trust visible, your first and last name, your neighborhood, and the name of the member who vouched for you are shown to other members.

To people outside the network, they are not. Listings are public, and anyone can read the most recent few. But member names, both the lister’s and the name of whoever vouched for them, are shown only to people who are signed in.

Suspending or closing accounts

You can close your account at any time. We may suspend or remove an account that breaks these terms, harms other members, or puts the network at risk. Where it’s reasonable, we’ll tell you why.

Disclaimers and liability

Manhattanite is provided as it is, without warranties of any kind. To the fullest extent the law allows, we’re not liable for losses arising from your use of the site or from your dealings with other members. This doesn’t limit any rights that can’t be limited under applicable law.

Changes

We may update these terms as Manhattanite grows. If we make a material change, we’ll let members know. Continuing to use the site after a change means you accept the updated terms.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, and any dispute will be handled in the courts located in New York County.

Contact

Questions about these terms? Write to info@manhattanite.com.