CribX ("CribX," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy, security, and personal information of students, landlords, property managers, service providers, partners, and other individuals who use our website, mobile applications, and services (collectively, the "Platform").
This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we collect it, how we use it, when and with whom we share it, how we protect it, how long we retain it, your privacy choices and rights, and how we handle information in connection with housing, roommate matching, messaging, services, payments, verification, and artificial intelligence features.
Please read this Privacy Policy carefully to understand our policies and practices regarding your information. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use the Platform.
We collect information directly from you, automatically through your use of the Platform, and from third parties. We distinguish between required information (which is necessary to register and use key features) and optional information (which you provide to customize your profile or use advanced features).
A. Information Provided by Students: Depending on the features you use, we collect: name, email address, telephone number, date of birth or age, gender or gender preferences (where voluntarily provided), profile photograph, university or educational institution, major, program, academic year, or student status. We also collect preferred housing location, housing preferences, budget, roommate preferences, lifestyle and compatibility preferences, lease and housing information, identification or verification information, payment and transaction information, reviews, ratings, messages, service requests, customer support communications, and other information you voluntarily provide.
B. Information Provided by Landlords and Property Managers: We collect: name and contact information, business name and business contact information, property ownership or management information, property addresses, descriptions, rental prices, lease terms, property photos/videos, amenities, availability information, licensing or registration details, identification/verification details, payment information, tax or business information (where necessary), communications with students and CribX, and reviews/ratings.
C. Information Provided by Service Providers: We collect: name and contact information, business details, service category, descriptions, area, pricing, photos/portfolio, professional licenses or certifications, insurance information, identity verification records, background-check records (where applicable), payment information, customer reviews, ratings, and communications.
To promote trust and safety, CribX verifies users, landlords, property managers, and service providers. Depending on the circumstances, verification includes identity, contact, business, property, professional license, and insurance checks, as well as background screening and fraud detection.
Landlord & Provider Verification: Landlords and property managers undergo a structured verification process, which includes submitting a government-issued photo ID, completing telephone verification, and providing proof of property ownership or management authority. These documents are processed securely by our trusted identity verification partners and reviewed by CribX administrators. CribX does not store raw government ID documents permanently; they are deleted within 30 days of verification, while verification status records are retained to maintain account integrity.
Where a third-party background-check or consumer-reporting service is used, additional legal requirements apply. CribX will handle such information in accordance with applicable law and uses the results of verification processes to determine whether an individual or business is eligible to use specific Platform features.
When you use CribX, we automatically collect technical information such as: IP address, device type, operating system, browser type, mobile device identifiers, app version, approximate location, login activity, pages and screens viewed, search activity, listings viewed, features used, clicks, interactions, referral sources, crash reports, and performance data.
Cookies & Tracking: We use cookies, pixels, SDKs, and analytics tools to operate, secure, analyze, and improve the Platform. These include:
You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings, though doing so may affect certain CribX features.
Certain CribX features require location information to display nearby housing, calculate distance to universities, recommend nearby services, provide location-based search results, improve recommendations, prevent fraud, and enhance Platform functionality.
We determine location using approximate IP-based location, user-selected locations (such as search queries), or precise GPS data from your mobile device. Where required by device settings or applicable law, we will request your explicit permission before collecting precise GPS location information.
While roommate matching and search profiles display approximate distances (e.g., "1.5 miles from campus"), CribX never discloses your precise GPS coordinates or real-time location to other users. You can disable location permissions in your device settings at any time.
CribX provides in-platform communication features allowing users to message each other. We protect your communications in transit and at rest using industry-standard security measures, including secure sockets layer (SSL/TLS) and database encryption.
For supported in-platform chat features, messages are encrypted in transit and at rest. While CribX implements safeguards to protect conversation data, certain features (such as AI-powered assistance or community moderation) may process message text if you opt-in or report an issue.
CribX collects limited metadata associated with communications, such as sender/recipient identifiers, timestamps, message delivery status, connection information, and device details. We process this metadata to deliver communications, troubleshoot technical issues, protect security, and comply with legal obligations.
End-to-end encryption or in-transit security does not prevent a recipient from copying, screenshotting, or sharing messages. Users should exercise caution when communicating. We may restrict sharing personal contact details (such as phone numbers or email addresses) in early chat stages to promote privacy and safety.
CribX uses artificial intelligence technologies, including our AI assistant Bronze, to provide personalized search assistance, roommate recommendations, service discovery, and platform navigation.
Depending on the features, Bronze processes text inputs, search queries, location, housing/service preferences, and platform activity. Bronze does not have access to the content of private communications unless you voluntarily and explicitly authorize access for a specific feature.
AI Providers & Model Training: We may partner with secure third-party AI infrastructure providers (such as Google Gemini API). Your text inputs and interaction history are processed solely to provide responses and are NOT used by our third-party providers to train their public AI models.
History & Automation: You can view and delete your Bronze AI conversation history at any time through your Account Settings. Bronze is designed as an assistant; it does not make automated decisions that legally bind or affect your housing status, application approval, landlord verification, or rent payments.
CribX uses personal information to operate the Platform, improve our services, ensure safety and security, and communicate with you.
Provide the Platform: We use information to create and manage accounts, provide housing listings, facilitate roommate matching, connect users, process transactions, facilitate communications, and provide customer support.
Improve the Platform: We use information to personalize experiences, improve search and AI recommendations, develop new features, analyze usage, and troubleshoot technical issues.
Safety and Security: We use information to verify users, detect and prevent fraud or abuse, investigate complaints, conduct background checks where appropriate, protect our users, and enforce our agreements.
Communications: We send account notifications, transactional updates, security alerts, service updates, support responses, and marketing communications where permitted by law.
CribX facilitates payments related to housing, deposits, fees, and services through licensed third-party payment gateways and escrow providers (such as Stripe).
When CribX "holds" rent and deposit funds, it means funds are held in secure escrow accounts managed by our payment processor partners under CribX instructions until move-in or service completion.
CribX does not directly store, view, or process complete credit card details or bank credentials on our servers; these are handled directly by the payment processor. CribX receives transaction summaries, payout statuses, and the last four digits of cards for verification purposes.
CribX processes applications, rental listings, lease dates, rent, deposits, and housing communications.
Application Sharing: Application data shared with landlords includes your name, student status, budget, lease preferences, and verification status.
Data Retention: If a lease is finalized, we retain housing transaction records (including payments and deposit escrow details) for up to 7 years to comply with tax and audit regulations. Copy of leases signed through the Platform are retained for the duration of the tenancy plus 1 year, after which they are archived or deleted.
CribX is a technology platform and, unless expressly stated otherwise, does not become a party to a lease between a student and landlord. Users remain responsible for reviewing and understanding their lease agreements.
We collect and display service provider business details, portfolios, pricing, and reviews. Service providers are responsible for ensuring that their listings are accurate and lawful.
We collect and verify licensing, insurance, and identification records for service providers where required. If a service provider is suspended or flagged for safety issues, we may retain certain identification and transaction records to prevent circumvention and protect other users.
If your account is deactivated, suspended, or terminated due to policy violations, safety risks, or fraud, your profile will no longer be visible to other users.
However, deactivation does not automatically erase all personal information. CribX retains account history, verified identity status, transaction logs, and communication archives as necessary for security, fraud prevention, audit, and legal compliance. See 'Data Retention' below for details.
If you appeal an account restriction or deactivation, we process the information you submit (such as identification documents, explanations, or evidence) along with your account history, past communications, and platform activity to evaluate your appeal. This appeal documentation is stored securely in our internal compliance records.
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.
Specific Retention Periods:
We use appropriate technical and organizational safeguards to protect your personal information, including encryption at rest and in transit, access controls, secure databases, firewalls, and continuous security monitoring.
While we strive to protect your data, no security system is completely impenetrable, and we cannot guarantee absolute security of information transmitted or stored on the Platform.
Depending on where you live and applicable law, you may have rights relating to your personal information, including rights to access, correct, delete, obtain copies, restrict processing, or opt out of targeted advertising.
How to Exercise Your Rights: You can update your profile information, manage communication preferences, and delete roommate matching data directly in your Account Dashboard. For full data access, portability, or deletion requests, please email us at privacy@thecribx.com with the subject line 'Privacy Rights Request'. We will verify your identity before processing the request (typically by requiring you to log in to your account or confirm details from your registered email). We respond to all verified requests within 30 days, or as required by law.
You can opt out of promotional emails by clicking 'Unsubscribe' at the bottom of the email. For SMS/text marketing, you can opt out by replying 'STOP' to any text message.
Necessary transactional updates (such as rent escrow receipt, move-in confirmation, or roommate requests) cannot be disabled as they are required to operate your account and protect your transactions.
CribX may contain links to third-party websites or services. CribX is not responsible for the privacy practices of external services.
Google Sign-In: If you choose to register or log in using Google, Google shares certain profile information with us, including your name, email address, profile picture, and language preference. This information is used to create and populate your CribX account. You can manage data sharing through your Google Account security settings.
CribX operates across multiple countries, including the United States and Ghana, and processes information internationally. Where required, CribX will implement appropriate safeguards for international data transfers.
Users in Ghana: For users in Ghana, personal data is processed in accordance with the Ghana Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843). The data controller is CribX LLC. You have the right to access, rectify, or object to the processing of your data by emailing privacy@thecribx.com. We transfer and store data on secure cloud servers located in the United States and Europe, employing standard contractual clauses and encryption to ensure a high level of protection.
Minimum Age Requirements: The CribX Platform is intended for individuals who are at least 18 years of age. You must be 18 or older to list properties, apply for housing, enter into lease agreements, pay deposits, book services, or register as a service provider. If we learn that a user is under 18, we will restrict account privileges. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our services, technologies, privacy laws, or internal practices.
When material changes are made, we will notify you by posting a prominent notice on the Platform, sending an email notification, or displaying a prompt upon your next login. The updated policy will indicate its effective date at the top of the page.
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise a privacy right, or have concerns, contact us at:
CribX LLC
123 University Ave
Peoria, IL 61606
Email: privacy@thecribx.com
Phone: +1 309-740-6174
