1 Introduction and acceptance of terms

1.1 Welcome to maras.co.uk. This website is owned by Managing Agents Reference Assistance Services Limited of Century House, Union Street, Barnet, Hertfordshire EN5 4HY. Maras provides its service to you, subject to the following terms and conditions, which may be updated from time to time without notice to you ("T&Cs"). It is your responsibility to regularly check these T&Cs and ensure that you agree to them prior to using this website. Unless you agree to be bound by these T&Cs you should exit this website immediately. Nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights.

1.2 In addition, when using particular Maras services, you and Maras shall be subject to such other terms and conditions that are posted on the relevant service to which they apply. All such terms and conditions are hereby incorporated into these T&Cs by reference. In the event of any inconsistency the terms and conditions of the particular service shall prevail.

2 Disclaimer

2.1 Although Maras has made all reasonable efforts to ensure that the website is free from viruses and other damaging components, Maras cannot guarantee this. Neither can Maras guarantee that use of the website will be uninterrupted, timely, secure and/or error-free.

2.2 You expressly acknowledge and agree that this website and its contents are provided by Maras on an "as is" and "as available" basis and no representations or warranties of any kind are made (and are expressly disclaimed to the fullest extent permitted under law) with respect to the website and its contents, and the services offered thereon.

2.3 Maras is not responsible or liable for and does not endorse any websites which you may visit via hyperlinks provided from time to time on this website and you visit and carry out transactions on such websites entirely at your own risk.

2.4 All information provided on this website, including specifications, information about schemes and prices is subject to change without notice. While Maras makes all reasonable efforts to ensure that information published is up to date and accurate Maras does not guarantee this.

3 Limitation of liability

3.1 You expressly acknowledge and agree that except in relation to death or personal injury caused by Maras' negligence or for fraudulent misrepresentation (in which cases Maras' liability to you will be unlimited), Maras will not be liable for any damages or losses whether direct or indirect that you may suffer as a result of failure by Maras to deliver the services (including, but not limited to, as a result of a server failure). Such damages or losses to include but are not limited to access delays or interruptions, data non-delivery or mis-delivery, any acts of God, war or terrorism, breaches of security or unauthorised use of personal data arising from hacking and/or failure or lack of reception of telephone or mobile telephone networks. The exclusion set out in this paragraph shall apply even in the event that the loss or damage suffered by you was or should have been foreseen by Maras and/or you told Maras of the risk of you suffering the loss or damage in question.

3.2 You agree to fully indemnify Maras in respect of all liabilities, damages, claims, actions, expenses, taxes, demands or costs incurred by Maras due to your misuse of the website or any breach by you of the T&Cs or arising out of any messages, information or materials uploaded, posted, distributed, or transmitted to or though this website by you.

4 Your account

4.1 If you register as a user of this website you will select a username and password that is unique to you. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of the username and password, and responsible for all activities that occur under your username and password. You agree to notify Maras of any unauthorised use of your username and password or other breach of security at info@maras.co.uk.

4.2 By registering and opening an account you warrant to Maras that any information that you may from time to time provide to Maras, whether as part of the registration process or not, is complete, true, accurate and not misleading in any way. Please inform Maras immediately of any changes to the information that you provided when registering.

4.3 Maras reserves the right to refuse any application to open an account and/or to suspend and/or terminate your account:

4.3.1 at any time at Maras' sole discretion and without providing you with reasons for Maras' decision,

4.3.2 if it transpires that any information you may have provided to Maras is untrue, inaccurate, incomplete, out of date or otherwise misleading,

4.3.3 if you fail to provide Maras with any information which Maras may reasonably request from you in order to verify any details which you may have provided to Maras, or

4.3.4 if you are in breach of the T&Cs or otherwise use the website in an unauthorised manner.

5 Maras' use of information

5.1 By continuing to use this website and thereby accepting these T&Cs, you hereby give authority to Maras, and its sub-contractors, to use the information supplied by you for the purpose of providing and supporting the services offered through this website. If you are a tenant and providing information for referencing purposes, then the information supplied by you may be passed to your prospective landlord.

5.2 Any information provided by you is subject to Maras' Privacy Policy. The current version of the Privacy Policy shall be deemed incorporated into these T&Cs. You can view the Privacy Policy here.

6 Your obligations

6.1 You must not do or attempt to do anything which would hamper or otherwise interfere with the operation of the website. Further, you must not use the website for any unlawful purpose or for the publication of, linking to, issue or display of any unlawful material (such terms to include without limitation pirated software or any material which is obscene, pornographic, threatening, malicious, harmful, abusive, defamatory or which breaches the rights (including without limitation IPR as defined in condition 8.1 below) of Maras and/or any third party or which encourages criminal acts or contains any virus or other harmful code).

7 Not advice

7.1 This website may contain advice, opinions, and statements of various information providers and content providers. You should consult an Independent Financial Adviser before making any important decisions about your finances. Any statement regarding financial services products and tax liability is based on legislation at the time the material is posted. The value of any tax benefits or reliefs referred to in the website's content will depend upon your own individual circumstances and these amounts change frequently. You should always verify these values with original sources and/or consult a qualified accountant.

8 Intellectual Property Rights

8.1 For the purposes of these T&Cs the term "IPR" shall mean intellectual property rights which include, but are not limited to copyrights, registered designs, patents, trademarks, service marks, design rights (whether registered or unregistered) semiconductor rights, database rights, trade secrets, rights of confidence and all other similar rights (including applications for the registration of any of the foregoing rights) and all other renewals and extensions thereof in any part of the world.

8.2 All IPR subsisting in the website and its content and the services is either owned by Maras or licensed to Maras. You may not reproduce any materials without the express prior written consent of Maras nor do or attempt to do anything which infringes IPR owned by Maras or which may be licensed to Maras by a third party.

8.3 You are permitted to print and download extracts from the website for your own use on the following basis:

8.3.1 no documents or related graphics on the website are modified in any way,

8.3.2 no graphics on the website are used separately from the corresponding text, and

8.3.3 Maras' copyright and trade mark notices appear in all copies.

9 General

9.1 These T&Cs shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law. Both Maras and you hereby submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

9.2 The website and the services offered on the website constitute an invitation to treat and should not be construed as an offer to enter into a contract. Maras reserves the right to decline applications submitted through the website.

9.3 Maras reserves the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently the services (or part thereof) offered on this website with or without notice. You agree that Maras shall not be liable for any modification, suspension or discontinuance of such services.

9.4 If any provision of these T&Cs (or part of any provision) is found by any court or other authority of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, unenforceable or illegal, it shall be deleted from these T&Cs and the other provisions (or parts of that provision) shall remain in full force and effect and continue to be binding and enforceable.

10 Tenant credit checks and references

10.1 By choosing to purchase the provision of credit check and reference services made available through this website, you consent to continue to be bound by these T&Cs as well as the terms and conditions relevant to the particular service as posted on this website (as amended from time to time).

10.2 You confirm your understanding and accept that in the provision of the credit check and reference services made available through the website, Maras may:

10.2.1 carry out searches with such licensed credit reference agency or agencies as it deems appropriate, and

10.2.2 pass on for processing all or any part of the information provided to Maras in accordance with the application for the particular service.

10.3 You hereby acknowledge and agree:

10.3.1 that Maras may conduct searches or procure the provision of such searches and retain information provided by you to Maras for the purpose of carrying out such searches,

10.3.2 to procure the written consent of any person against whom searches are to be carried out:

a) to accept these T&Cs and the terms and conditions relating to the relevant service to the extent that they apply to that person by means of completion of a tenants consent form or otherwise,

b) that Maras may conduct the searches and retain information obtained in accordance with these T&Cs,

10.3.3 to retain a copy of the written consents referred to in condition 10.3.2 above and to produce the same to Maras promptly on demand by Maras,

10.3.4 that you shall use all reasonable endeavours to procure that any information provided to Maras by you or your prospective tenant is, to the best of your knowledge, accurate and complete.

11 Insurance

11.1 By choosing to purchase insurance through the website:

11.1.1 you consent to be bound by these T&Cs as well as the terms and conditions relevant to the particular service as posted on this website (as amended from time to time), and

11.1.2 you warrant that you are over eighteen years old.

11.2 Maras reserves the right to refuse to offer you a firm quote if you are not eligible for the insurance products.

11.3 Our Buildings and Contents insurance products are underwritten by Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance plc. Our Rental Guarantee & Legal Expenses insurance products are underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance.

11.4 Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance plc and Inter Partner Assistance are authorised and regulated by the Financial Service Authority.