Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of the Sober Friend platform operated by Sober Friend ("we," "us," or "our"). By creating an account or using any part of the platform, you agree to these Terms.

1. The Platform

Sober Friend is a software platform for sober living home operators to manage their houses, residents, staff, and rent collection. The platform also provides a public directory of sober living homes, a resident portal with an AI recovery mentor, a payer portal for rent payments, and staff dashboards for house managers and case managers.

2. User Types and Accounts

The platform serves several user types, each with role-specific terms:

• Operators — sober living home owners who manage houses, residents, and staff through the business dashboard. See also our Business Terms.
• Staff — house managers and case managers invited by operators to help manage houses and residents
• Residents — individuals living in a sober living home who access the resident portal, AI mentor, and recovery tools
• Payers — individuals (parents, guardians, sponsors) responsible for a resident's rent payments who access the payer portal
• Directory Visitors — anyone browsing the public sober living directory

You may only create one account per email address. You are responsible for keeping your credentials secure and for all activity under your account. Notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access.

3. AI Recovery Mentor

The platform includes an AI-powered recovery mentor available to residents. By using this feature, you acknowledge that:

• The AI mentor is not a licensed counselor, therapist, or medical professional
• It does not provide medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment recommendations
• It is not a crisis or emergency service — if you are in immediate danger, call 911 or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
• Conversations are processed by third-party AI providers to generate responses
• If the AI detects language indicating risk, an alert (category and severity only, not conversation content) may be sent to the house operator

4. Rent Collection

Operators may enable rent collection through the platform, powered by Stripe Connect. By using this feature:

• Sober Friend facilitates the payment but is not a party to the rent agreement between operator and resident or payer
• Funds are transferred directly to the operator's connected Stripe account — Sober Friend does not hold funds
• Sober Friend currently charges no platform fees on rent payments — standard Stripe processing fees still apply
• Stripe's terms of service and privacy policy govern payment processing
• Automated rent reminders are sent to the responsible payer (or the operator if no payer is designated) based on payment due dates
• Refunds and payment disputes are handled between the operator and payer; Sober Friend is not responsible for resolving payment disputes

5. Subscriptions and Billing

• Operator accounts are available on Free, Basic ($99/mo), Pro ($149/mo), and Featured ($249/mo) plans
• Paid plans are billed monthly through Stripe
• You may upgrade, downgrade, or cancel your subscription at any time through the billing portal
• Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period — no prorated refunds are issued for partial months
• Features restricted to higher-tier plans become unavailable upon downgrade, but your data is retained

6. Data Ownership and Privacy

• Operators own their business data, resident records, and operational content entered into the platform
• Personally identifiable resident data is encrypted at rest using AES-256-GCM
• We do not sell your data or use resident information for advertising
• You grant us a limited license to store, process, and display your data as necessary to operate the platform
• Upon account termination, you may request a data export before permanent deletion

7. Acceptable Use

All users agree to:

• Use the platform only for its intended purpose
• Provide accurate and truthful information
• Respect the privacy of other users
• Not attempt to access data belonging to other businesses or users
• Not use the platform for harassment, discrimination, or illegal activity
• Not reverse-engineer, scrape, or interfere with the platform's operation

8. Medical Disclaimer

Sober Friend is a management and communication tool — it is not a healthcare provider. The platform does not provide medical advice, substance abuse treatment, or crisis intervention. Compliance tracking features (UA tests, medication logs, curfew records) are documentation tools for operators and do not constitute clinical care. All clinical decisions should be made by qualified professionals.

9. Limitation of Liability

• The platform is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, express or implied
• We do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free service
• We are not liable for the actions, omissions, or quality of care provided by sober living operators
• We are not liable for payment disputes between operators and payers
• Our total liability for any claim arising from these Terms shall not exceed the fees you paid to us in the 12 months preceding the claim

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold Sober Friend harmless from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from your use of the platform, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any third-party rights.

11. Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising from these Terms shall be resolved through binding arbitration administered under the rules of the American Arbitration Association, except that either party may seek injunctive relief in court. Class action claims are waived. These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

12. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your account if you:

• Violate these Terms
• Provide materially inaccurate information
• Use the platform in a way that harms other users or the platform's integrity

You may delete your account at any time. Upon termination, your access ceases immediately. We will retain data as described in our Privacy Policy.

13. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms as the platform evolves. Material changes will be communicated via email at least 30 days before they take effect. Continued use of the platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.