Trust & safety
A safer property marketplace by design.
This page is maintained by ByHomeOwner.AI to answer common trust and safety questions. It describes controls that are enabled today and is not a certification.
Automated fraud checks
Every listing runs a 14-point verification before it can appear in the marketplace — identity, ownership, address, photo integrity (EXIF + reverse image + perceptual hashing), and sanctions screening.
Duplicate detection
We use perceptual image hashing (pHash) to detect stolen or reused photos across the marketplace. Matches are held for manual review.
Report a listing
Any user can report a listing from the property page. Reports are triaged within one business day; confirmed violations are removed and refunds handled per our Terms.
Moderation SLA
First triage within 24 business hours. Removal decisions within 72 hours of the initial report. Appeals reviewed within a further 5 business days.
Disputes
Owner ↔ buyer and agent ↔ client disputes route to trust@byhomeowner.ai. We mediate on marketplace conduct only; contractual disputes remain between the parties.
The 14-point verification
Every listing runs the same 14 checks
Automated stages complete in minutes; a trained reviewer signs off within one business day before the trust badge is awarded. The same standards apply in every market we operate in.
- 1
Identity check
Government-ID match against the listing account holder.
- 2
Ownership proof
Title deed, land registry entry or authorised-agent letter reviewed.
- 3
Address validation
Postal address cross-checked against public records and mapping data.
- 4
Geocoding & pin accuracy
Owner-pinned location reconciled with authoritative geocoders.
- 5
Duplicate detection
Perceptual image hashing (pHash) flags reused or stolen photos.
- 6
EXIF & photo integrity
Photos analysed for tampering, stock reuse and mismatched metadata.
- 7
Reverse image search
Listing imagery compared against the open web for prior appearances.
- 8
Price sanity check
Asking price compared to local comparables; extreme outliers flagged.
- 9
Description quality scan
AI review for misleading claims, contradictions and prohibited content.
- 10
Sanctions & PEP screening
Account holder screened against global sanctions and watchlists.
- 11
Phone & email verification
Contact channels confirmed with one-time codes.
- 12
Device & signal review
Sign-up device, IP and behavioural signals reviewed for fraud patterns.
- 13
Legal & compliance flags
Restrictions, encumbrances and regulatory notes surfaced to reviewers.
- 14
Human sign-off
A trained reviewer signs off before the trust badge is awarded.
Collaboration is our anti-scam strategy
Scams thrive in fragmented markets where owners, agents, developers and service pros compete for the same lead in the dark. On ByHomeOwner they work together on one verified network — so buyers and renters get more options, faster answers and a clear audit trail. When everyone is on the record, bad actors have nowhere to hide.
Shared responsibility
ByHomeOwner provides the marketplace controls above. Owners, agents and developers are responsible for the accuracy of their content and their own conduct. Buyers and tenants should independently verify property details, tenancies and payments before transacting.
Suspect a listing? Email trust@byhomeowner.ai or use the "Report this listing" button on the property page.