Official Giveaway Rules: Stays.co

Last Updated: September 26th, 2026

Sponsor: Greater Wave LLC dba Stays.co, stays.co

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE OR A PAID STAYS PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. EVERY ENTRY AVAILABLE TO A PREMIUM MEMBER IS AVAILABLE TO EVERY OTHER ENTRANT FOR FREE. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

These Official Rules apply to every giveaway ("Giveaway") run by Stays. Please read them before entering.

1. How these Rules work

1.1 Each Giveaway has its own page on stays.co (the "Giveaway Page"). The Giveaway Page states the specific details for that Giveaway: the prize (property, nights, and maximum guests), its approximate retail value ("ARV"), the participating Host, the start and end dates and times, the comment-entry cap for Instagram entries, any minimum age higher than 18, the Stay Window (when the stay may be taken, see Section 10.3), blackout dates and day-of-week limits, and any other Giveaway-specific terms. The Giveaway Page is part of these Official Rules and is incorporated by reference.

1.2 Once a Giveaway is published, its Giveaway Page terms are locked and will not be changed for that Giveaway. Sponsor may cancel a Giveaway only as described in Section 15.

1.3 If a Giveaway Page conflicts with these Official Rules, the Giveaway Page controls for that Giveaway only.

1.4 By entering a Giveaway, you agree to these Official Rules and the applicable Giveaway Page, and to Sponsor's decisions, which are final and binding in all matters relating to the Giveaway.

2. Sponsor, Administrator, and Prize Provider

2.1 Sponsor and Administrator: Greater Wave LLC, doing business as Stays.co, 225 Michigan St NW, PO Box 3771, Grand Rapids, MI 49501 ("Sponsor" or "Stays").

2.2 Prize Provider: The vacation rental host identified on the Giveaway Page (the "Host" or "Prize Provider"). The Host provides and fulfills the prize stay. The Host is not the Sponsor and does not administer the Giveaway. Stays does not own, operate, manage, inspect, or control any Host property.

2.3 Stays is a discovery and marketing platform. Stays is not a party to any rental agreement between a winner and a Host.

3. Eligibility

3.1 Giveaways are open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are at least 18 years old at the time of entry, unless a higher minimum age is stated on the Giveaway Page, in which case you must meet that higher minimum age.

3.2 The following are not eligible: employees, contractors, officers, and owners of Sponsor; the Host and the Host's owners, employees, and co-hosts; and the immediate family members (spouse, parents, children, siblings, and their spouses) and household members of any of the above, whether or not related.

3.3 Instagram entries require an Instagram account in the entrant's own name that complies with Instagram's terms. Account Entries require a Stays account in the entrant's own name.

3.4 Sponsor may require proof of eligibility at any time. Sponsor's determination of eligibility is final.

4. Giveaway Period

Each Giveaway begins and ends on the dates and times stated on the Giveaway Page. All times are Eastern Time. Entries received before the start or after the end are void. Sponsor's servers and Instagram's timestamps are the official clocks.

5. How to enter

There are two ways to enter: on stays.co, through the Giveaway Page ("Account Entries"), or on Instagram, through the official Giveaway post ("Instagram Entries"). You may use either or both. Every entry has equal weight in the drawing regardless of how it was earned or what kind of Stays account the entrant has.

5.1 Account Entries (on stays.co). Log in to your Stays account, go to the Giveaway Page, and click "Enter."

(a) A standard (free) Stays account receives one (1) Account Entry with that click.

(b) A Stays Premium account receives five (5) Account Entries with that same click.

(c) Free Entry Form. Anyone with a standard account may earn up to four (4) additional Account Entries per Giveaway, for a total of five (5), by completing the Free Entry Form at stays.co/giveaways/free-entry. Each completed submission awards one (1) Account Entry immediately. Select the Giveaway you are entering on the form. There is no cost, and no purchase or membership is required. Premium accounts already hold the maximum five (5) Account Entries and do not use the form.

(d) Premium does not change your odds. A Premium membership changes only how many steps it takes to earn Account Entries, not how many you can earn. Premium members receive no entries beyond those available to every other entrant for free, and every entry, however earned, has the same chance of being selected.

(e) Account Entries have no social media requirements. You do not need to follow any Instagram account or comment on any post for your Account Entries to count.

5.2 Instagram Entries (on the official post). Comment on the official Giveaway post on Sponsor's Instagram account, @americanstays. Each comment that meets the requirements stated in the post counts as one (1) entry, up to the comment-entry cap stated on the Giveaway Page (usually three). Comments on any other post, on the Host's account, on any collaborator's or shared version of the post, or on Facebook do not count.

(a) Participation requirements for Instagram Entries only. To be valid, Instagram Entries require that you be following @americanstays and the Host's Instagram account identified on the Giveaway Page at the time of winner verification. These requirements apply only to Instagram Entries; they do not apply to Account Entries.

(b) Instagram Entries are available to everyone, with or without a Stays account.

5.3 Maximum entries. The maximum number of entries per person per Giveaway is five (5) Account Entries plus the comment-entry cap stated on the Giveaway Page for Instagram Entries. The Giveaway Page may state lower limits.

5.4 One person, one account. Sponsor expects each person to enter with at most one Stays account and one Instagram account. Because Sponsor cannot verify who controls a given Instagram account, each Instagram username is treated as a separate participant for purposes of counting entries against the comment-entry cap. That treatment is administrative only; it is not permission to enter from more than one account.

5.5 Voiding, disqualification, and abuse. Entries in excess of the stated limits are void. Using more than one Instagram account or more than one Stays account, automated scripts, bots, purchased or incentivized comments, or any other method to exceed the limits or gain an unfair advantage is prohibited. Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, void any entry, disqualify any entrant from a Giveaway, or ban any person or account from future Giveaways where Sponsor reasonably believes that one person is entering through multiple accounts or otherwise attempting to game the drawing. Sponsor is not required to prove identity, to notify the entrant before acting, or to explain its determination. Sponsor is not obligated to detect duplicate accounts or abuse and is not liable for any failure to do so, or for any entry voided or entrant disqualified under this Section.

5.6 Counting. Sponsor collects and counts entries at the close of the Giveaway Period. Only entries that exist and are counted at that time are eligible. Comments that are deleted, hidden, edited to remove required content, or that violate Instagram's Community Guidelines before the count are not counted. Sponsor may disable commenting on the Giveaway post at the close of the Giveaway Period.

5.7 Free means free. Every method of entry is free. No method of entry requires a purchase, payment, or membership. Sponsor does not charge for the Free Entry Form and does not delay or otherwise disadvantage entries earned through it relative to any other entries.

6. Winner selection and odds

6.1 How the drawing works. After the Giveaway closes, Sponsor combines all entries from stays.co and Instagram into a single pool, reviews the pool against these Rules (removing entries that are void, over the limits, ineligible, or disqualified under Section 5), and then selects one (1) potential winner at random from the remaining entries using a randomization tool.

6.2 Odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible entries received. Sponsor's selection is final.

6.3 The potential winner is not a winner until verified as eligible and compliant with these Rules and until the potential winner has accepted as described in Section 7 (a "Verified Winner").

7. Winner notification and acceptance

7.1 Notification. A potential winner who has a Stays account is notified by a Stays account notification and by email from hello@stays.co to the email address on that account. A potential winner whose selected entry is an Instagram Entry and who has no Stays account is notified by direct message from @americanstays; that person must create a free Stays account in order to submit the Winner Acceptance form. In either case the 72-hour window in Section 7.2 runs from the time the notification is sent. A Stays account is never required to enter; it is required only to accept a prize.

7.2 One 72-hour window. The potential winner must accept the prize by submitting Sponsor's online Winner Acceptance form within seventy-two (72) hours after the notification is sent. Submitting the form is the only way to accept. A reply, email, direct message, comment, or any other response does not count as acceptance.

7.3 Redraw. If the Winner Acceptance form is not submitted within 72 hours, or the potential winner is found to be ineligible, has violated these Rules, or declines the prize, that potential winner forfeits and Sponsor draws a new potential winner at random from the remaining eligible entries. The new potential winner receives a fresh 72-hour window. Sponsor may repeat this process until a Verified Winner is confirmed or Sponsor reasonably determines that no eligible entries remain.

7.4 Scam warning. Sponsor will never ask a winner for payment, gift cards, bank details, or card numbers. Sponsor notifies winners only by Stays account notification, by email from hello@stays.co, or by direct message from the verified @americanstays Instagram account. Any other message claiming that you have won a Stays giveaway is fraudulent. Report it to admin@stays.co.

8. Winner Acceptance form

8.1 The Winner Acceptance form is completed and signed online with a typed signature. No notarization is required. The form asks the potential winner to:

(a) confirm eligibility (age, residency, and that the winner is not an excluded person);

(b) accept the prize as described on the Giveaway Page, as is, and acknowledge its ARV;

(c) acknowledge that the Host is the Prize Provider and is solely responsible for the stay, as described in Sections 10 and 11;

(d) agree to book the stay directly with the Host under the Host's rental agreement, house rules, and minimum guest age, and to comply with them, and acknowledge the Stay Window and the scheduling and forfeiture terms in Sections 10.3 through 10.5;

(e) release Sponsor and the Released Parties as described in Section 13;

(f) grant the publicity rights described in Section 12; and

(g) acknowledge responsibility for any taxes on the prize.

8.2 Sponsor may also require a copy of a government-issued photo ID if the winner's information does not match, if Sponsor needs to confirm age or residency, or if Sponsor reasonably suspects fraud. If ID is requested, it must be provided within the time Sponsor states or the potential winner forfeits.

8.3 Providing false information on the Winner Acceptance form results in forfeiture and, where applicable, a ban from future Giveaways.

9. The prize

9.1 The prize for each Giveaway is described on the Giveaway Page. Unless the Giveaway Page states otherwise, the prize is a stay at the Host's property for the number of nights stated, for up to the number of guests stated. The approximate retail value ("ARV") of the prize is the Host's average nightly rate multiplied by the number of nights, and is stated on the Giveaway Page. No Giveaway prize has an ARV greater than one thousand two hundred dollars ($1,200).

9.2 What is included. The nightly accommodation for the stated nights, including the Host's standard cleaning fee for that stay.

9.3 What is not included. Lodging taxes and occupancy taxes, refundable security deposits, pet fees, extra guest fees, early or late check-in or check-out fees, incidentals, damage, travel to and from the property, meals, activities, and any other cost not expressly stated on the Giveaway Page. These are the winner's responsibility and, where applicable, are paid directly to the Host.

9.4 Host bonuses. A Host may choose to add upgrades or amenities beyond the stated prize. Any such addition is a gift from the Host, is not part of the prize, is not included in the ARV, and is not guaranteed by Sponsor. Any nights advertised as part of a Giveaway are part of the prize and are included in the ARV.

9.5 The prize is non-transferable and may not be sold, exchanged, or redeemed for cash except as expressly provided in Section 11. The prize must be used by the Verified Winner, who must be present for the stay. The winner may bring guests up to the stated maximum, subject to the Host's rules.

9.6 Taxes. The Verified Winner is solely responsible for any federal, state, or local taxes on the prize.

9.7 Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value if the stated prize becomes unavailable for reasons outside Sponsor's control, as described in Section 11.

10. Prize fulfillment and handoff to the Host

10.1 The Host provides the stay. The Host, not Sponsor, provides and fulfills the prize stay and is solely responsible for the property, its condition, safety, cleanliness, accuracy of its description, availability, amenities, access, and the winner's experience during the stay. Sponsor does not inspect, guarantee, or make any representation about any Host property.

10.2 Introduction. Within five (5) business days after the Verified Winner submits the Winner Acceptance form, Sponsor will provide the winner's name and contact information to the Host and the Host's contact information to the winner.

10.3 Stay Window. Every Giveaway Page states when the prize stay may be taken (the "Stay Window"). The Stay Window is a fixed term of the prize and will not be changed. It takes one of three forms:

(a) Fixed dates. The Giveaway Page names specific check-in and check-out dates. The stay is available only on those dates. If the winner cannot travel on those dates, the prize is forfeited and no substitute will be provided.

(b) Date range or season. The Giveaway Page names a range of dates, a month, or a season (for example, "January 2027" or "weeknights, May through September 2027"). The stay must be taken within that range, on nights the Host makes available. The winner is not entitled to any date outside the range.

(c) Open. If the Giveaway Page does not name fixed dates or a range, the stay may be taken on available nights within eighteen (18) months after the introduction described in Section 10.2.

Any Stay Window may also be limited by blackout dates, day-of-week restrictions (for example, weeknights only), or minimum-stay conditions stated on the Giveaway Page. All of those limits are part of the prize. The Host is never required to offer dates outside the Stay Window or on excluded days, and may agree to do so only as a courtesy in its sole discretion.

10.4 Scheduling. The winner must contact the Host to begin scheduling within thirty (30) days after the introduction. For a fixed-dates Stay Window, the Host will confirm the stated dates. For a date-range or open Stay Window, the Host will offer the winner at least three (3) available date options within the Stay Window that are consistent with the limits on the Giveaway Page, or all remaining available dates if fewer than three (3) options exist. The winner must accept one of the offered options within ten (10) days of receiving them. If the winner does not accept an offered option in time, the Host may offer replacement options once more at its discretion, but is not required to. The Host's availability for the winner's stay is determined by the Host's booking calendar; the winner is not entitled to displace an existing reservation or to any particular date within the Stay Window.

10.5 Forfeiture. The prize is forfeited and no substitute will be provided if the winner: does not contact the Host within thirty (30) days after the introduction; cannot travel on fixed dates stated on the Giveaway Page; does not accept one of the Host's offered date options within ten (10) days; declines all offered options; requests only dates outside the Stay Window or on excluded days; does not book within the Stay Window; or does not complete the stay within the Stay Window (or, for an open Stay Window, within eighteen (18) months after the introduction). A winner's inability or unwillingness to travel on dates the Host has offered within the Stay Window is not a failure by the Host and does not entitle the winner to any substitute.

10.6 The stay is booked directly with the Host. The winner books the stay directly with the Host under the Host's own rental agreement, house rules, cancellation policy, minimum guest age, and any other terms the Host applies to its guests. Sponsor is not a party to that agreement.

10.7 Sponsor's obligations end at confirmation. When the Host confirms a reservation for the winner's stay in writing (including by email, text, or booking platform message), Sponsor has fully performed all of its obligations for that Giveaway. From that point forward, every matter relating to the stay, including scheduling changes, cancellations by either party, property condition, access, amenities, guest conduct, damage, deposits, fees, personal injury, property loss, and any dispute of any kind, is solely between the winner and the Host, and Sponsor has no further responsibility or liability of any kind.

11. If the Host cannot provide the stay

11.1 Before the Host confirms a reservation. If, before the Host has confirmed a reservation, the Host is unable or unwilling to provide the stay for any reason (including sale or closure of the property, the Host ceasing to operate, the Host failing to respond, or the Host being unable to offer any available dates within the Stay Window), Sponsor will, as the winner's sole and exclusive remedy, award the winner a substitute prize of equal or greater value, which may at Sponsor's election be a comparable stay at a different property or a cash payment equal to the stated ARV of the prize. Sponsor will make this election within thirty (30) days after determining that the Host cannot provide the stay.

A Host has provided the stay for purposes of this Section when it has confirmed fixed dates or offered date options in accordance with Section 10.4, whether or not the winner accepts them. The remedy in this Section does not apply in any of the forfeiture situations described in Section 10.5.

Every Host agrees, as a condition of running a Giveaway, to provide the prize stay and to reimburse Sponsor in full for any substitute prize Sponsor awards because the Host did not. Sponsor may pursue the Host for that amount and for Sponsor's related costs. That arrangement is between Sponsor and the Host; it does not change the winner's remedies, which are only those stated in this Section.

11.2 After the Host confirms a reservation. If the Host cancels or fails to honor a confirmed reservation, that is a matter between the winner and the Host under the Host's rental agreement and applicable law, and the winner's remedies are against the Host. Sponsor has no obligation to provide a substitute prize after a reservation has been confirmed. Sponsor may, in its sole discretion and without any obligation, assist the winner in communicating with the Host.

11.3 Maximum liability. In no event will Sponsor's total liability to any entrant or winner in connection with a Giveaway exceed the stated ARV of the prize for that Giveaway.

12. Publicity

Except where prohibited by law, by entering, each entrant grants Sponsor and the Host the right to use the entrant's name, Instagram handle, likeness, city and state of residence, and statements about the Giveaway, in any media now known or later developed, for advertising and promotional purposes related to Stays and its giveaways, without further notice, permission, or compensation. Winners will be announced by first name, last initial, and city and state.

13. Release and limitation of liability

13.1 By entering, each entrant releases and agrees to hold harmless Sponsor, the Host, Instagram, Meta Platforms, Inc., and each of their respective parents, affiliates, owners, officers, employees, contractors, and agents (the "Released Parties") from any claim, loss, injury, damage, or liability of any kind arising out of or relating to participation in the Giveaway, the acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize, travel related to any prize, or any stay at any Host property, including personal injury, death, property damage, and loss.

13.2 The Released Parties are not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, misdirected, or garbled entries or communications; technical failures of any kind; unauthorized human intervention; errors in the administration of the Giveaway or the processing of entries; or any event beyond their reasonable control that affects the Giveaway or the prize.

13.3 To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Released Parties will not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages, and entrants waive any right to claim them. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so some of the above may not apply to you.

14. Privacy

Information collected in connection with a Giveaway is handled under the Stays Privacy Policy at stays.co/legal/privacy, which applies to every Giveaway and is incorporated into these Rules. In addition: by entering through a Stays account, you agree to receive marketing emails from Stays about giveaways, stays, deals, and Stays Premium (you can unsubscribe at any time without affecting your entries); Sponsor shares a winner's name and contact information with the Host only to fulfill the prize and does not share the entrant list with Hosts; and Instagram Entries are also subject to Instagram's own privacy policy.

15. General conditions

15.1 Sponsor may cancel, suspend, or modify a Giveaway if fraud, technical failure, platform action, legal or regulatory issue, or any other cause beyond Sponsor's reasonable control impairs the integrity or proper conduct of the Giveaway, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. If a Giveaway is cancelled after entries have been received, Sponsor will, where practicable, select the winner from eligible entries received before the cancellation.

15.2 Any attempt to tamper with the entry process, the operation of the Giveaway, or the Stays site, or to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the Giveaway, may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages and other remedies.

15.3 Sponsor's failure to enforce any term of these Rules is not a waiver of that term. If any provision is held invalid, the remainder of these Rules will continue in effect.

15.4 Sponsor may update these master Official Rules from time to time. Updates apply only to Giveaways published after the update. The version of these Rules in effect when a Giveaway is published governs that Giveaway.

16. Social platform disclaimer

Giveaways are in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Instagram, Facebook, Meta Platforms, Inc., or any other social media platform. Each entrant fully releases Instagram, Facebook, and Meta Platforms, Inc. from any liability in connection with any Giveaway. Any questions, comments, or complaints about a Giveaway must be directed to Sponsor, not to Instagram or Meta. Facebook posts about a Giveaway are promotional only; no entries are accepted through Facebook.

17. Disputes

17.1 These Rules and each Giveaway are governed by the laws of the State of Michigan, without regard to conflict of laws principles.

17.2 Any dispute arising out of or relating to a Giveaway or these Rules that cannot be resolved informally will be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, held in Kent County, Michigan, or by video conference. Either party may instead bring an individual claim in small claims court in Kent County, Michigan, if the claim qualifies.

17.3 Class action waiver. Disputes will be resolved on an individual basis only. Entrants waive any right to bring or participate in a class, collective, or representative action.

17.4 Any claim must be brought within one (1) year after it arises or it is permanently barred.

18. Winners list and copy of Rules

To request the name of a winner or a copy of these Rules for a specific Giveaway, email admin@stays.co with the Giveaway name within sixty (60) days after the end of that Giveaway.

19. Contact and legal notices

General questions: hello@stays.co. Legal notices, winners list requests, and disputes: admin@stays.co, or by mail to Greater Wave LLC dba Stays.co, 225 Michigan St NW, PO Box 3771, Grand Rapids, MI 49501.