Club Rules and Guidelines

Membership Requirements

To join Casa Casa, you must be at least 24  years of age, have a permanent residence, and be able to provide clean and comfortable sleeping quarters and either full or continental breakfast for one or more guests. To use the internet-based Casa Casa Member Directory, you must have internet access.

Annual Dues

Membership dues are collected on an annual basis. Dues are $40 per year, unless otherwise indicated. (Note: Charter membership in Casa Casa is available now for just $20). Your membership in Casa Casa may be either individual (one person) or household/family (up to two adults, plus children under 18). In order to qualify for household/family membership, all individuals must reside at the same address. At this time, dues for both types of membership are the same amount. As your membership expiration date nears, you will be prompted to renew your membership when you log in to search the Directory, and you will also receive a renewal notice from us via email. It is up to members to renew; we do not keep your payment information on file and so your membership will not be renewed automatically.

Joining the Club

Members join Casa Casa via our website’s Join page. Annual membership dues are paid using your credit card. This secure payment process is through Paypal, but you do not need a Paypal account to join. When you join online, you will be allowed immediate access to the Casa Casa Member Directory using your username and password. This is temporary access and will not be permanent until you enter a verification code that we will mail to you. When you join and pay, your membership status will be “Paid, not yet verified.”

Within 10 business days of joining Casa Casa, you will receive your Casa Casa verification code in the mail. When you receive this, go to www.casacasa.org, log in to the Membership Directory, and enter this 6-digit verification code. You must enter the verification  code that you receive from us in the mail to continue accessing the Directory. When you enter your verification code, your membership status becomes “Active.” (For more on why we require payment through credit card and Paypal and why we send you a verification code, please see the Security section below.)

Gratuities

Guests pay a gratuity to their hosts upon arrival. Gratuities are stated in U.S. dollars per night. Outside the U.S., the gratuity should be paid in U.S. dollars or equivalent foreign currency as agreeable to guest and host.

Casa Casa Lodging Gratuity per night:

Single (one adult) $15.00

Double (two adults) $20.00

Each add’l adult $10.00

Each add’l child $5.00

Note: When a single member travels and takes along a non-member companion, the gratuity fee should be for a single and additional adult, not the same as a double.

A simple and gracious way to pay your gratuity to your host upon arrival is to tuck the cash into a thank you card or envelope. In addition to the gratuity, some members choose to bring the host a small, inexpensive gift from their hometown, such as a bag of coffee beans from Seattle or ground chili from New Mexico. Such gestures of appreciation and friendship are encouraged, but not required.

Arranging a Hospitality Stay

1. Log in to the Casa Casa Directory at www.casacasa.org

2.Find potential host members in the Casa Casa Directory by searching your destination area.

3. Within that area, select a member who seems like a good match for you.

4. Contact that member to arrange your stay. Please note that members’ phone numbers, emails and street addresses are not listed in the Casa Casa Directory for security purposes. Your initial correspondence with another member is done through a contact form from that member’s profile in the Casa Casa Directory. When you arrange a stay, be sure to exchange phone numbers and get the actual street address of your host.

Points to Cover when Contacting a Member to Request a Stay

Identify yourself as a member of Casa Casa.
State the date and length of your visit.
Include the number of persons in your party.
Verify items in their listing that are important to you, and state any needs you have (pet allergies, vegetarian, etc.).
After confirmation of your accommodations, get the street address and clear directions to your host’s residence and agree on a suitable arrival time.

Member Verification and Feedback

When a member contacts you to arrange a stay, it’s a good idea to check out his or her profile in the Casa Casa directory before responding with your availability to host. Just as that member has looked at your profile and deemed you to be a suitable host, you should check their profile to determine if they are a suitable guest for you. Remember, as a host, you may decline a request for a stay at any time for any reason.

When Casa Casa members travel or host, they are encouraged to submit a private feedback form on their stay. The feedback form allows the member to rate their guest or host experience with another member as “positive,” “neutral,” or “negative,” and leave details explaining their experience. This feedback goes only to Casa Casa administrators; it is not displayed on a member’s profile. The feedback you submit to us on your travel or host experience with another member may be shared with other members upon request, but your feedback submissions will never be associated with your name. If you, as a traveler or host, ever wish to know of prior feedback on a another member from their past host or guest experiences, please contact the Casa Casa manager via phone or email and inquire if any past feedback is available.

Stay Guidelines

The following are only suggested guidelines. It is up to the host to set additional guidelines for his/her home.
1. Maximum Stay: 3 days. Casa Casa is not meant for extended homestays. However, this is up to each host–ask if you want to stay longer.
2. Limit non-member companion guests to one (i.e. single member may take a companion). The host may decide if he/she wants to accept more than one non-member. Of course, some hosts’ accommodations may only be suitable for one person, so in some cases, no companions may be able to be accomodated.
3. No alcoholic beverages should be brought into a host’s home without permission, and the host’s smoking policy must be strictly observed.
4. The guest should plan activities away from the home during the day to respect the host’s privacy.

Responsibilities

As a host you provide a clean, comfortable place for your guests to stay, serve breakfast, and acquaint guest members with your area through travel advice or accompanying your guest member(s) on an outing.

As a guest you should confirm your arrival time the day before you arrive. Have your gratuity ready to present to your host. Be considerate of your host’s privacy and time. Plan daytime activities away from the home.

If two “negative” feedback reports on a member are submitted, that member will be notified (keeping the source of complaint confidential) and on the third complaint his/her membership will be canceled.

Misuse of Casa Casa will result in immediate cancellation of membership. Examples of misuse include: 1. Not keeping the Directory listings confidential by giving the information to another person. 2. Using the Directory for any purpose other than making arrangements for Club stays (i.e. email “spamming” or attempting to use the Directory as a dating service).

Security

Casa Casa has built in some safety measures to verify our members names and addesses so you know that fellow members are who they say they are. When a member joins, they must pay membership dues using their credit card, and we make sure the name of a member matches the name on the card. We also verify a member’s physical address by requiring a verification code be entered that we mail to the street address provided as the host address. This verification code must be entered within two weeks of a member joining in order to continue accessing the Casa Casa Membership Directory.

When a member is arranging a visit or host experience with another member, they should employ their best judgment. Members usually speak with one another by telephone or email several times before the actual homestay.  Members should only host when they feel comfortable about it and when it is convenient. If a host wishes, they may request to see a guest’s identification for verification purposes when they arrive at the host’s home (such as a driver’s license or passport). However, this is not required. It’s a good idea to make this request in advance, like in an email, so that the guest has it ready and offers it for verification upon arrival.

Things to Remember

1. Reservations made more than a month in advance are always “Tentative”. Unforeseen events can take a person away from one’s daily routine. Please realize that emergencies can and do happen; if a member cannot host at the last minute, one may have to find other lodging.
2. Keep the lines of communication open. The day before you arrive, call your host and confirm your arrival time.
3. Upon arrival, present your gratuity to your host. An easy way to do this is to put the gratuity in a thank-you card.

Disclaimer
All arrangements for accommodations are done between Casa Casa members. Neither Casa Casa LLC, nor any of its officers or employees may be held responsible or liable for the actions of any Casa Casa member, or the consequences of those actions.

Confidentiality Provisions

The personal information in the Casa Casa Directory is supplied by each of the club members, and should be treated as confidential by all other members. This information is exclusively for use by Casa Casa members in arranging for lodging. Any other use of this information, including e-mail spamming, is strictly prohibited, and will result in immediate dismissal from Casa Casa.

Disclosure of any personal member information to a third party will constitute a breach of the confidentiality agreement, will result in dismissal, and may also be subject to legal action by any harmed member. Disclosure or unauthorized use of any internet sign-on information or passwords created by a member or supplied by Casa Casa will result in immediate termination of the offending party’s membership, and will be subject to legal action.

Any information submitted to Casa Casa will be held in strictest confidence by the club, and this information will not be disclosed, sold, or rented to any other entity outside of Casa Casa.

Directory Copyright Notice
Copyright 2009-2010 by Casa Casa.
All rights reserved. None of the information contained in the Casa Casa Directory may be reproduced in any manner or form other than as provided. Any unauthorized use of this information or disclosure to a third party is strictly prohibited.