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Content Moderation & Defamation Policy

Last updated: 2026-06-18

What RentWise is

RentWise is a public forum where renters share personal opinions and first-hand experiences about landlords, property managers, and rental properties. Reviews are user-generated content. They reflect the writer's individual perspective, not a fact-finding by RentWise. RentWise does not investigate, verify, or endorse any review.

This policy explains what content is allowed on the site, what gets removed, how to report a review, and how takedown and appeals work.

Allowed content

Content that describes the writer's own first-hand experience as a renter, expressed as opinion or as facts the writer reasonably believes to be true at the time of posting, is allowed. Examples:

  • Descriptions of how a landlord communicated, repaired (or didn't repair) issues, returned (or withheld) a deposit, accommodated (or refused) reasonable requests.
  • Subjective ratings of the experience across the on-site dimensions (communication, maintenance, etc.).
  • Statements of opinion ("I felt unwelcome", "the property was cleaner than I expected") and reasonable inferences from the writer's experience.
  • Commentary on policies, fees, or practices the writer encountered personally.

Prohibited content

The following is not allowed and will be removed when reported (or proactively, if RentWise sees it first):

  • Personal information. Phone numbers, home addresses (other than the rental address itself), email addresses, government IDs, immigration status, or any contact info that could be used to harass an individual. This includes information about the landlord's family, neighbors, or other tenants.
  • Threats or incitement. Threats of violence, calls for harassment, doxxing, or content directing third parties to take action against an individual or property.
  • Hate speech and slurs. Content that attacks people based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.
  • Knowingly false factual claims. Reviews that the writer knows to be untrue, including fabricated experiences, mistaken-identity reviews (reviews of a landlord the writer has not actually rented from), and astroturfing (reviews written by or on behalf of a competitor or by the landlord themselves).
  • Defamation. False statements of fact (not opinion) that injure a person's reputation. Statements that are clearly opinion ("I think they're a bad landlord") are not defamation; statements presented as fact that are demonstrably false ("they were convicted of [crime]" when they were not) are.
  • Illegal content. Anything that violates US federal law or the law of the state where RentWise is operated. This includes content that infringes copyright (see DMCA section below), content that solicits or enables illegal activity, and content covered by court-ordered takedowns.
  • Spam and commercial content. Promotional links, affiliate codes, off-topic advertisements, or any content that is not a good-faith review of a rental experience.
  • Off-topic or non-review content. Reviews that are about something other than the rental experience (e.g. political commentary unrelated to the rental).

How we moderate

RentWise operates on a publish-immediately, remove-on-report model. New reviews appear on the site as soon as they are submitted. A review is only reviewed by a moderator if it is reported by a reader (or, occasionally, surfaced by RentWise's own quality checks).

This model is deliberate. The alternative — pre-publication review by a moderator — would slow down posting to the point that most renters would not bother, and would put RentWise in the position of approving each review (which raises a different kind of legal exposure under Section 230, see below).

When a review is reported, RentWise will, within a target window of 14 days of the report (and typically much faster):

  1. Read the report and the reviewed content.
  2. Apply this policy to decide whether the content stays, is hidden, or is removed.
  3. Optionally request more information from the reporter or the reviewer before deciding.
  4. Notify the reporter of the outcome by email, if they are signed in.

Outcomes are: leave published, hide pending more information, remove, or edit (only in the narrow case of redacting personal information from an otherwise allowed review). RentWise does not edit the substance of opinions.

How to report a review

Any reader can report a review. A signed-in account is required so we can prevent abuse and follow up if needed.

  1. Click the Report link on the review.
  2. Choose a reason from the list (spam, personal information, threats, false claim, etc.).
  3. Optionally add a note (up to 500 characters) explaining the issue.
  4. Submit.

False or repeated bad-faith reports may result in account suspension. RentWise does not disclose the reporter's identity to the reviewer or to the landlord. Reporters cannot be retaliated against on RentWise; if you believe you are being harassed off-site because of a report, contact us at the address below.

How to request takedown of a review about you

If you are the landlord or property manager who is the subject of a review and you believe the review violates this policy (for example, because it is defamatory, contains personal information, or is a mistaken-identity review), you can request takedown:

  1. Email support@danielandersonsoftware.com with the URL of the review and a clear description of which part of this policy the review violates.
  2. If the basis is defamation or knowingly false factual claim, include the specific statements you assert are false and any evidence you can share that supports your assertion (court documents, lease records, communication logs, etc.). RentWise cannot evaluate a defamation request without specifics.
  3. RentWise will read every request. We will respond within 14 days with a decision (leave published, hide pending more information, or remove).

RentWise distinguishes between opinion and statements of fact. Statements of opinion ("I felt the landlord was rude") are not defamation under US law, even if you disagree with them. Statements of fact ("the landlord was convicted of crime X") that are false and damaging may be defamation; if you provide evidence the statement is false, we will remove it.

If you disagree with our decision, you may pursue legal remedies. RentWise responds to valid court orders.

Appeals

If your review was removed and you believe the removal was incorrect, email support@danielandersonsoftware.com with the original review (or the user account it was posted under) and the reason you believe it should be restored. A different moderator will re-review the decision and respond within 14 days. Appeal decisions are final unless new information is provided.

DMCA takedown

RentWise complies with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 512). If you believe content on RentWise infringes your copyright, send a written notice to the designated agent below that includes:

  1. A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or an authorized representative.
  2. Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed.
  3. Identification of the URL of the allegedly infringing material on RentWise.
  4. Your contact information (name, address, telephone, email).
  5. A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use is not authorized.
  6. A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information is accurate and that you are authorized to act on the copyright owner's behalf.

Designated DMCA agent:

RentWise will remove or disable access to the allegedly infringing content upon receipt of a valid notice and notify the user who posted the content. Repeat infringers will have their accounts terminated.

Counter-notice

If your content was removed under a DMCA notice and you believe the removal was a mistake or the use was authorized (for example, by license or fair use), you may submit a counter-notice to the same email. The counter-notice must include:

  1. Your physical or electronic signature.
  2. Identification of the material that was removed and the URL where it appeared.
  3. A statement, under penalty of perjury, that you have a good-faith belief that the material was removed as a result of mistake or misidentification.
  4. Your name, address, and telephone, and a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the federal district court for the judicial district in which your address is located.

Upon receipt of a valid counter-notice, RentWise will forward it to the original complainant. If the complainant does not file suit within 10 business days, RentWise may restore the content.

Section 230 and our role

RentWise is an interactive computer service under Section 230(c) of the Communications Decency Act, 47 U.S.C. § 230. Reviews on RentWise are speech of their authors, not of RentWise. RentWise is not the publisher or speaker of user reviews and is not liable for user-generated content under federal law. This policy does not waive that protection; it documents our voluntary moderation process so that moderation choices are consistent and reasoned.

Section 230 does not insulate RentWise from federal criminal law, intellectual-property law (which is why we maintain a DMCA process), or certain federal civil claims under specific statutes. RentWise responds to lawful requests in those areas.

Jurisdiction and governing law

This policy is governed by the laws of the United States and, where state law applies, the laws of your state. Disputes regarding this policy are handled per the Terms & Conditions.

Privacy and reporter anonymity

RentWise collects only the minimum information needed to operate (see Privacy Policy). Reporters' identities are not disclosed to reviewers, reviewees, or the public. Reviews themselves are anonymous-by-default; RentWise does not record IP addresses or device fingerprints on review rows.

Changes to this policy

RentWise may update this policy as the platform evolves or as the law requires. Material changes will be reflected in the Last updated date at the top of this page. The current version is the version posted at this URL.

Contact

Questions, takedown requests, DMCA notices, and appeals: support@danielandersonsoftware.com.