FlatChatter

Community Guidelines

Last updated: March 2026

FlatChatter exists to help tenants share honest experiences and help others make informed decisions about where they live. These guidelines ensure the platform stays useful, fair, and safe for everyone.

Write from your own experience

Every review must be based on your genuine, personal experience as a tenant at the property. You must have actually lived there. Reviews based on hearsay, a single visit, or someone else's account are not permitted.

If you had a great experience, share it. If you had a terrible one, share that too. Both are equally valuable to future tenants. The only requirement is that it's real.

Be honest and specific

The most helpful reviews are specific. Instead of "the landlord was awful," explain what happened: slow repairs, unresponsive to messages, unannounced visits. Instead of "great flat," describe what made it great: natural light, quiet neighbours, responsive management.

State facts where you can. Express opinions where facts aren't available. Be clear about which is which. "The boiler broke three times in one winter" is a fact. "I don't think the landlord cares about tenants" is an opinion. Both are fine. Just don't present opinions as facts.

Respect people's privacy

Do not include:

  • The full names of other tenants, neighbours, or building staff
  • Contact details (phone numbers, email addresses, social media profiles) of any individual
  • Photographs of identifiable people without their consent
  • Details about other tenants' personal lives, health, or circumstances

You may name landlords, letting agencies, and property management companies, as they are operating in a commercial capacity. However, criticism must be directed at their professional conduct, not their personal characteristics.

No defamation, no fabrication

UK defamation law protects individuals and businesses from false statements of fact that damage their reputation. This means:

  • Do not make factual claims you know to be untrue
  • Do not exaggerate or embellish events to make them sound worse than they were
  • If you are unsure whether something happened, say so ("I believe" or "it seemed like" rather than stating it as definitive fact)

Honest opinions based on genuine experience are protected under the defence of honest opinion. Deliberately false statements are not, and may expose you to legal liability.

No threats, harassment, or discrimination

Do not post content that:

  • Threatens or intimidates any person
  • Harasses or bullies any individual
  • Contains discriminatory language based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic
  • Incites violence or hatred

Criticism of a landlord's professional conduct is fine. Personal attacks are not.

No spam or commercial content

Do not use reviews to:

  • Advertise products, services, or businesses
  • Promote your own commercial interests
  • Post referral links or affiliate content
  • Solicit tenants, landlords, or agents

One review per tenancy

You may submit one review per property per tenancy period. If you lived at the same property across multiple separate tenancies (for example, you moved out and later moved back), you may submit a separate review for each tenancy.

You may update or edit your review at any time. If your experience changed significantly over the course of your tenancy, update your review to reflect that.

Flagging and reporting

If you see a review that you believe violates these guidelines, use the "Report" button on the review. Select the reason and provide any relevant details. We review all reports and will take action where appropriate.

Do not misuse the reporting system. Flagging a review simply because you disagree with it, or because you are the landlord and dislike the feedback, is not a valid reason for reporting. We will not remove a review solely because the subject of the review is unhappy with it.

What happens if you violate these guidelines

We take a proportionate approach:

  • First violation: We may remove the specific review and notify you of the reason. You will have the opportunity to edit and resubmit your review in compliance with these guidelines.
  • Repeated violations: We may restrict your ability to post reviews for a period of time.
  • Serious or deliberate violations: We may suspend or permanently remove your account. This includes posting fabricated reviews, posting with the intent to harass, or repeatedly violating guidelines after warnings.

For landlords and agents

If you believe a review about your property is false, defamatory, or violates these guidelines, you may submit a formal complaint as described in our Terms of Service. We take all complaints seriously and will review them in accordance with our legal obligations.

Please note: a negative review is not automatically a violation. Tenants are entitled to share honest opinions about their experience, even if those opinions are unfavourable. We will only remove reviews that violate these guidelines or contain demonstrably false statements of fact.

Questions

If you have questions about these guidelines or need to report an issue, contact us at contact@flatchatter.com.