Fees, Payouts, and Taxes
Soundspace service fees
To help Soundspace run smoothly and to cover the cost of services like 24/7 customer support, we charge a service fee when a booking is confirmed at a location that is not designated as a Home Location (as defined below) by a Member.
Soundspace uses a credit system to more easily translate the differences in cost between Accommodations. There are two kinds of credits: Away Credits for use at Away Locations, and Home Credits for Use at Home Locations. An Away Location is any location that is not a Member’s designated Home Location. A Home Location is designated by a member and cannot change more than once per month. The characteristic of a Home Location is that a Member gets an unlimited number of bookings on a per month basis at their Home Location, but is instead limited in concurrent bookings by the number of available Home Credits they have (ex. A Record Membership may provide 100 credits which may allow for 3 bookings of 3 hours apiece at the Home Location. When one of these bookings is successfully attended, 33 credits would be re-attributed to the Member to continue making Home Location Bookings). Each month, depending on which membership has been selected by the Member, a designated number of Home Location Credits and Away Location Credits are allotted to the Member to use at their discretion. These credits do not carry over into the next month. Furthermore, Away Credits must be used in their entirety before Home Credits can be accessed (i.e. a Member must use their Away Credits to make their desired bookings at Away locations immediately after they renew their monthly membership in order to use their replenishing Home Credits at their Home Location.) Away Credits do not replenish after an Away Location Booking is successfully attended.
There are 2 different fee structures for making Bookings: an Away Booking Fee and a Home-Only fee.
1.Away booking fee
This fee structure occurs when a Member books at a location they have not chosen as their Home Location. The Member pays a transaction fee that is built into their Away Booking membership fees and replenishes each month along with their Away Credits.
Operator fee
Most Operators pay a 3% fee, but some pay more. This fee is calculated from the booking subtotal (credit rate + cleaning fee + additional Member fee, if applicable—excluding Soundspace fees and taxes) and is automatically deducted from the Operator payout.
To review the service fee for a booking:
Go to Transaction history
Select the Booking code
Under Payout, find the Soundspace Service Fee
Member fee
Most Member service fees are under 14.2% of the booking subtotal (credit rate + cleaning fee + additional Member fee, if applicable—excluding Soundspace fees and taxes). This fee varies based on a variety of factors and is shown during checkout before you book so you know what to expect.
2. home-only fee
With this structure, the entire fee is deducted from the Operator payout. It’s typically 10%. However, this fee is not assessed per booking, but on a per month basis taking into account total Home Location Membership and a flat rate for the use of the Soundspace Platform that is clarified on monthly payout statements to the Operator.
Collecting fees outside of Soundspace
Generally, Operators may not collect any additional fees or charges outside the Soundspace platform unless expressly authorized by Soundspace. Fees are normally collected before a Member’s Booking in the form of monthly membership payment.
fees that can be collected directly by the operator
Soundspace only authorizes these fees to be collected if they’re detailed in the listing description and included in the price breakdown before Members book.
Security deposit: A refundable deposit that can be used to cover any damage that occurs during the Booking
Cleaning fee: A one-time fee used to cover the cost of cleaning
Incidentals: This can include things like out-of-network engineering fees, pet fees, valet or parking fees, airport shuttle fees, etc.
Taxes for Members
Sometimes, regulations require Operators to charge a tax to Members. We recommend that Operators include it in the price of the Booking, but some require it to be paid directly upon check-in instead.
Note taxes in the listing
We ask that Operators explain any necessary taxes in their listing description and their communication with Members prior to booking. If you’re a Member and want to be on top of it, ask your Operator about taxes ahead of time.
local considerations
In some locations, Soundspace has made agreements with government officials to collect and remit certain local taxes on behalf of Operators. The taxes vary and may include calculations based on a flat rate or percentage rate, number of Members, or property type booked, depending on local law. When you book a listing in one of these locations, the local taxes collected will be displayed automatically when you pay, and they will appear on your receipt once your Booking is confirmed.
Security deposits
Security deposits can be required either by Soundspace or by Operators. Soundspace security deposit requests are based on a Booking’s features and/or the timing of a Booking and are never requested based on anyone’s race, national origin, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, or age.
Soundspace-required security deposits
Two days before your Booking begins, an authorization hold for the security deposit amount will be placed on your payment method. You won’t be charged, but the hold means that you won’t be able to access these funds until the hold is released. For example, if you’re paying with a credit card with a total credit limit of $5,000, and there's a security deposit of $500, your credit card limit would then be $4,500 until the hold is released.
As long as no property damage occurs during your Booking, we’ll initiate a release of the $500 hold placed on your card 14 days after your checkout, or before the next Member checks in. Your bank may take 3-12 business days to process the release of funds. If it turns out we can’t authorize the hold for the security deposit amount, you’ll be notified by email and will have 12 hours to try another payment method. If that doesn’t work out, we’ll cancel your Booking and you’ll be refunded.
Try to make sure your payment method has enough money available to cover the security deposit. (If you’re not able to do that, Soundspace is not responsible for any associated fees, including overdraft fees.)
Operator-required security deposits
Some Operators require a security deposit for their listing. The amount, between $100 and $5,000, is set by the Operator, not by Soundspace. If you’re a Member and you’re booking a listing with a Operator-required security deposit, you’ll be shown this amount before you make your Booking.
Operator-required security deposits are different from Soundspace-required security deposits in that no authorization hold will be placed. Members will only be charged if an Operator requests to collect their security deposit. Depending on what was damaged, the amount the Operator requests may or may not be the same as the security deposit.
If and when an Operator makes a request to collect on their security deposit, it will be handled according to the Operator Damage Protection Terms.
how security deposits work if there’s an issue
If there’s an issue during your Booking, for either Soundspace-required or Operator-required deposits, the process of collecting on the security deposit will work the same. An Operator can report an incident and submit a request for some or all of the security deposit within 14 days of checkout.
Note: All payments, including security deposits, should always be made through Soundspace. Don’t ever exchange money outside of the Soundspace website.
Soundspace’s Off-Platform Policy
By Operating on Soundspace, you agree to abide by our terms and policies, including our Terms of Service, which we reserve the right to enforce at our sole discretion. In the event of repeated or severe violations, we may suspend or permanently deactivate a person’s account.
In order to protect our community and business, the following behaviors are prohibited:
Taking people off of the Soundspace platform for new, partial, or future bookings
Contacting potential Members prior to booking on Soundspace to move the booking off of Soundspace (ex: offering discounts to book off of Soundspace)
Asking Members to fill out forms, or call, email, or otherwise contact you via a non-Soundspace communications service prior to accepting booking requests
Canceling existing full or partial Bookings and having Members rebook off of Soundspace
Asking or encouraging Members to book outside of Soundspace for repeat or future bookings
Including links or embedding buttons (ex: footers, headers) that take people off of Soundspace to another website in any messages to Members.
Asking Members for, or using, contact or identity information in ways unrelated to their Booking, or that compromise the quality of their Booking
Asking Members for contact information prior to booking; all Member communications prior to booking must be on Soundspace
Soliciting Members for their email, mailing address, or other communications channels using the Soundspace messaging system or email alias after a booking
Asking Members for contact information after a booking in order to run credit checks or background checks
Asking Members to send photos of their government ID prior to arrival except where required for legal or compliance reasons as outlined below
Asking for or using Members’ contact information to settle additional payments outside of Soundspace’s platform; all payments related to a Member’s Booking, including extensions of a Booking (and besides exceptions identified below), must go through Soundspace (ex: using the Resolution Center)
Using contact information provided by Soundspace for other purposes that violate our Terms of Service
Selling, sharing, or using Member contact information for marketing communications or signing Members up for contact lists
Exceptions
You may require additional contact/identity information if it is required for legal or compliance reasons and can be verified by an Operator upon request by Soundspace (such as local laws, HOA rules, building security rules). In such instances, Operators must include information about what is required and why in their listing description, so Members understand this additional step is a requirement prior to booking. Operators are responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable data privacy laws.
After accepting a booking, you may ask a Member to confirm that the contact information provided by Soundspace is an appropriate way to get in touch during their trip or if the Member requests an alternative or communication after booking
You may use an alternative means of communicating with a Member if requested by a Member after booking (ex: chat app), however, you must ensure such communications comply with the other requirements of this policy
Taking people off of the Soundspace platform for feedback and reviews
You may not ask Members to review a Soundspace Booking on a non-Soundspace website or fill out a survey regarding a Soundspace Booking on a non-Soundspace website (such as a form off of Soundspace) unless you are an approved partner. These actions take valuable input about a Member’s Booking away from the Soundspace community. We want Members to share their feedback directly on Soundspace so that other Members may benefit from their insights.
Requiring Members to use other websites or apps to physically access their listing
Asking Members to create a separate account or register on another website besides Soundspace.com for purposes of gaining entry to a listing
Asking Members to install a third-party app to access a listing; all listings on Soundspace should be accessible to a Member without requiring they have another app or account
Exceptions
Additional registration or installation of additional apps is permitted where it’s required for legal or compliance reasons which an Operator can verify in writing upon request by Soundspace (such as local laws, HOA rules, building security rules). In such instances, Operators must include information about what is required, and why, in their Member-facing listing description, so Members understand this additional step is a requirement prior to booking.
Keyless entry apps and apps that facilitate a Member’s experience during the Booking (ex: Sonos, Kisi, Nest, concierge apps) as long as they are optional