Terms of use Last updated: 30 April 2025
Welcome To My Garden is a platform where citizens open their gardens so that slow travellers (which means non motorized travellers who are travelling by bicycle or by foot) can camp there for the night.
Welcome To My Garden, a not-for-profit project under the legal entity of Slowby, a social enterprise, incorporated and existing under the laws of Belgium, with registered office at Henri Van Bortonnestraat 100, 1090 Jette, Belgium, with company number BE 0784.423.261.
These Terms of Service ("Terms") apply to your access to and use of the website and the use of the network (collectively, our “Platform”) provided by Welcome To My Garden.
The use of this platform is subject to a number of rules. Below you can find the general conditions of our platform, as we are convinced that clear rules provide the best guarantee for a respectful community. By creating an account or otherwise accessing the Platform, you agree to these Terms.
Because Welcome To My Garden appreciates the feedback of the users of their platform, we welcome any ideas to further improve the platform. You can email your suggestions to support@welcometomygarden.org.
Who can register on the platform?
Any citizen who wants to offer a free camping spot in their garden to slow travellers and any slow travellers - strictly defined as non-motorized travellers like cyclists and hikers - who want to use the network. If you want to add your garden, you need to create an account. If you want to contact a host as a slow traveller, you need to become a WTMG member. Only registered participants can be active users. You can register with your email address.
The creation of an account by a user does not give this user ownership over the account. Welcome To My Garden reserves the right to refuse, suspend or delete accounts, for example if the user does not comply with the following rules or inappropriate behaviour has been reported by a host or guest.
Each account must comply with the following rules
Every account is strictly personal
Each account must be unique and linked to a natural person. If you register for an account, you must provide accurate account information and promptly update this information if it changes. Every user has the right to create one account. If it is determined that one person has multiple accounts, Welcome To My Garden reserves the right to delete all these accounts. Every user must be over 18 years old.
An account cannot be transferred to another person
Since each account is strictly linked to one specific person, this account cannot be transferred to another person without the permission of Welcome To My Garden. This transfer ban must be considered in the broadest sense. Welcome To My Garden reserves the right to refuse or delete this account in case of infringements.
An account cannot be used for commercial purposes
The Welcome To My Garden platform is intended to enable citizens to offer their gardens as free camping spots and to enable slow travellers to use the network while travelling. An account can therefore only be used for these purposes. Any use of the account for the sole purpose of enjoying a commercial advantage is strictly prohibited.
The account information must always remain confidential
It is not allowed for any other person than the actual person who created the account, to use this account. The person who created the account must ensure that (s)he keeps the password and login details safe. We strongly advise you to use a 'strong' password (a password with a combination of lowercase, uppercase letters and numbers). We advise you to use a password manager. Welcome To My Garden can under no circumstances be held responsible for any loss or damage incurred to the account if the above conditions are not met by the user. Welcome To My Garden cannot be held responsible for theft of your account, by 'phishing' for example, either. Welcome To My Garden will never ask its users for personal data such as a login or password via email. If personal data is requested, the user will always be redirected to the platform of Welcome To My Garden. You are responsible for all activities that occur in connection with your account and accept all risks of unauthorized access.
Terms of use for Hosts
By adding your garden to the platform, you acknowledge the general rules of the platform which are as follows
No income
Staying in garden is free. Therefore, no income should be made from it. Offering a garden against a fee is strictly prohibited and the platform reserves the right to delete a host’s account permanently if it happens.
Disclaimer
The team behind Welcome To My Garden and Slowby will not take any responsibility for any loss, damage or injury incurred resulting from the use of the website and/or while staying in another citizen’s garden.
No discrimination
Welcome To My Garden does not tolerate any kind of discrimination. Hosts are expected to act in compliance with this. Hosts cannot discriminate on the basis of gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, physical appearance, ability and religion (or lack thereof).
Terms for Users
Users must be at least 18 years old to use the platform. By creating an account, users immediately agree to the terms of use of Welcome To My Garden.
Contacting the hosts
Hosts should solely be contacted to request a stay in their gardens. Any misuse of the platform may result in the suspension or deletion of the user’s account.
Obligation to contact hosts beforehand to request a stay
Users are obliged to contact the host beforehand to request a stay, unless the host has clearly stated on their profile that this is not necessary. Users should always pass on accurate information about themselves.
Facilities offered by the host
The host is the sole responsible person for the facilities they do or do not put at the user’s disposal. By using this platform, the user acknowledges and accepts the conditions of their stay - which may or may not include access to sanitary facilities.
Respect for nature
Users have to take all their waste away upon leaving. Users should always respect nature, the host’s garden and their surroundings, and adhere to the Leave No Trace principle.
Respect for the host and the neighbours
Users should always be respectful of the garden owners and reduce noise to a minimum. They should also stick by any requirements the hosts have made.
No car rule
The Welcome To My Garden platform respects the environment and caters to the needs of slow travellers only. This means users can only travel to gardens on f,,oot, by bicycle or by public transport. If you're planning to travel by motorized vehicle, please do not contact hosts via this platform. The use of motorized vehicles is forbidden.
Yearly membership: becoming a Member or Superfan
Welcome To My Garden is on a mission to make slow travel more accessible for everyone. Like any garden, WTMG needs nurturing in order to grow and stay healthy. Staying at a WTMG host is free. Yet, to maintain and develop WTMG, we rely on a yearly membership to split costs fairly among all slow travellers. Slow travellers have the choice to either become Members or Superfans. This membership is mandatory. Members or Superfans are not allowed to transfer their login to a third party. Superfans agree with the same terms of all users and Welcome To My Garden reserves the right to refuse, suspend or delete accounts of Members or Superfans who don’t comply with the terms.
The limitations of liability (see below) of Welcome To My Garden in general also apply for the use of the extra features for Members or Superfans, which means that Welcome To My Garden cannot be held responsible for any damages or loss that would occur due to the use of Welcome To My Garden.
Slow travellers chose if they want to become Members (minimum contribution) or Superfans (extra contribution). The price includes 21% VAT applied to memberships. Memberships are paid yearly and renew automatically, unless they are cancelled by the member or by WTMG. Members or Superfans can cancel the renewal at any time on their account page. When a Member or Superfan cancels a membership, only the automatic renewal is cancelled. This means that the membership remains valid until the end of the period already paid for. Two days before the renewal date, members are notified by email about their upcoming renewal. The membership is non-refundable and non-transferable to a third party.
Right of Cancellation of the Yearly Membership
By a Member or Superfan
In line with Belgian law and EU consumer protection regulations, Members and Superfans residing in the European Union have the right to withdraw from their purchase within fourteen (14) days of becoming a paid Member or Superfan.
This right applies only if the following conditions are met:
- No stay requests have been sent via the WTMG platform; and
- The Member or Superfan has not violated these Terms of Use or the WTMG rules.
If these conditions are met, the withdrawal period ends fourteen (14) calendar days after the date of the initial payment or, for renewals, fourteen (14) days after the renewal date. After this period, no refunds will be granted, in full or in part. This right of withdrawal also applies at each annual renewal, under the same conditions. To cancel a membership, Members and Superfans must notify us clearly via email at support@welcometomygarden.org within the applicable 14-day period.
By Welcome To My Garden
WTMG is intended solely for its designated purpose, as described in these Terms and the platform rules. Any other use—including commercial activities, third-party promotions, personal solicitations, or the collection and use of personal data—is strictly prohibited. WTMG does not support or tolerate any form of unsolicited communication (“SPAM”). If a Member or Superfan engages in such activity, WTMG reserves the right to immediately suspend or delete their account without refund. Any violation of these Terms may result in serious consequences, including legal action, claims for damages, and reimbursement of legal costs. By using the platform, you also agree to release WTMG from any liability resulting from your violation of these Terms, including any third-party claims that may arise.
Disclaimer
The team and volunteers behind Welcome To My Garden will not take any responsibility for any loss, damage or injury incurred as a result of using the website and/or while staying in another citizen’s garden.
Interactions with other members
You alone are responsible for your interactions with other users.
Welcome To My Garden is a platform for users to put their garden freely at disposal, to request a garden stay and communicate with one another to achieve this use. Users have the sole responsibility for any interactions with other users of the platform. Welcome To My Garden has no involvement and no responsibilities or liabilities with respect to any communications or disputes between two users. To be very clear: Welcome To My Garden is a platform allowing hosts to put their garden freely at disposal, allowing users to use someone’s garden to camp and a place to communicate between users. Welcome To My Garden will not be and cannot be held responsible for the interactions or consequences of interactions between users. Users release Welcome To My Garden (and its team and volunteers) from claims, demands and damages (actual and consequential) of every kind and nature, known and unknown, suspected and unsuspected, disclosed and undisclosed, arising out of or in any way connected with such disputes. Always keep safety and good judgement in mind when using the platform.
Identity verification
Users are solely responsible for determining the identity and suitability of other users. As a host, you can always refuse users. As a traveller, you can decide where you want to stay. Welcome To My Garden cannot and do not confirm each user’s identity. The platform does not have any information about the user’s criminal background or morality. Always keep safety and good judgement in mind when using the platform.
Limitations to content and use of the platform
To ensure that the Welcome To My Garden platform is working properly and that you can communicate and connect with others, there are some restrictions to the type of content that can be published via the platform. These are as follows:
Offensive behaviour
We firmly believe in freedom of speech. However, in order to ensure that the platform can be used in a constructive way by all users, we do not allow offensive behaviour that constitutes harassment, intimidation or fear-mongering.
Accounts and related accounts that are used to perform the actions listed below can be temporarily blocked and / or permanently deleted.
Violent threats (direct or indirect): You may not threaten or promote violence. This includes the promotion of terrorism. Harassment: You may not incite to or be involved in deliberately insulting or harassing others. Here are some factors that we can take into account when assessing abusive behaviour: whether the main purpose of the reported account is harassing or sending offensive messages to others; whether the reported behaviour is unidirectional or contains threats; whether the reported account encourages others to intimidate another account; and whether the reported account sends intimidating messages to an account from multiple accounts. Hatred: You may not promote violence against other people or directly attack or threaten them on the basis of race, ethnic background, nationality, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, philosophical affiliation, religion, age, disability or illness. We also do not allow accounts whose main purpose is to incite others to do harm on the basis of these categories. Misuse of multiple accounts: Creating multiple accounts for overlapping use to avoid temporary or permanent suspension of an individual account is not allowed. Private data: You may not publish or post confidential data and private information of others without their express authorization and consent. These data include but are not limited to: credit card numbers, address details, telephone numbers or data that fall under the personal privacy of a person. Impersonation: You are not allowed to access the platform pretending to be someone else and specifically you may not deceive, confuse or threaten other users in this way. You may not be allowed to enter via the platform if someone else deceives, confuses or threatens in a manner that actually decks or threatens others.
Indemnity
You shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless WelcomeToMyGarden.org (and each of its funders and/or volunteers) from any claim, demand, action, damage, loss, cost or expense, including without limitation reasonable attorneys’ fees, arising out or relating to (a) your use of our services; (b) any member content or submissions you provide; (c) your violation of these terms; (d) your violation of any rights of another; or (e) your conduct in connection with the services. Further, if you are using the services on behalf of any entity, you represent and warrant that such entity agrees to indemnify you and WelcomeToMyGarden.org for violations of these terms in accordance with this section. If you are obligated to indemnify us, we will have the right, in our sole and unfettered discretion, to control any action or proceeding and determine whether we wish to settle it, and if so, on what terms.
Limitation of Liability
Welcome To My Garden - including its team and volunteers - will not be liable to either users and/or hosts under any theory of liability—whether based in contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, warranty, or otherwise—for any indirect, consequential, exemplary, incidental, punitive or special damages. The platform cannot be held responsible for any failure or delay in performing the terms. The platform cannot be held responsible for any liability in case of personal injury or death resulting from using it.
IN NO EVENT SHALL WELCOMETOMYGARDEN.ORG OR ITS FUNDERS AND VOLUNTEERS, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF USE, LOSS OF PROFITS OR LOSS OF DATA, WHETHER IN AN ACTION IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO NEGLIGENCE) OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO: (A) THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE OUR SERVICES; (B) THE COST OF REPLACEMENT OF ANY GOODS, SERVICES OR INFORMATION PURCHASED OR OBTAINED AS A RESULT OF ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM OR TRANSACTIONS ENTERED INTO THROUGH OR FROM OUR SERVICES; (C) DISCLOSURE OF, UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR ALTERATION OF YOUR CONTENT; (D) DAMAGES FOR LOSS OR CORRUPTION OF DATA OR PROGRAMS, SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS OR PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE SERVICES, EVEN IF WE KNOW OR HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES; (E) STATEMENTS, CONDUCT OR OMISSIONS OF ANY SERVICE PROVIDERS OR OTHER THIRD PARTY ON OUR SERVICES; (F) YOUR OR ANYONE ELSE’S CONDUCT OR ACTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OF THE SERVICES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, BODILY INJURY, EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, DEATH OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES RESULTING FROM COMMUNICATIONS OR MEETINGS WITH OTHER REGISTERED MEMBERS OF OUR SERVICES OR PERSONS INTRODUCED TO YOU BY OUR SERVICES, WHETHER ON-LINE OR OFF-LINE; OR (G) ANY OTHER MATTER ARISING FROM, RELATING TO OR CONNECTED WITH OUR SERVICES OR THESE TERMS.
Spam
We strive at all times to protect the Welcome To My Garden platform user from technical abuse and spam. Accounts that are used to perform the actions listed below can be temporarily blocked or permanently deleted.
Malware / phishing / viruses / worms / Trojans: You may not post malicious content or links to such content for the purpose of damaging or disrupting someone else's browsers or computers, or of violating someone's privacy. Spam: You are not allowed to use the Welcome To My Garden platform to spam people.
Infringement of applicable laws
The use of the account may not in any way infringe applicable laws. This includes infringements against privacy legislation, intellectual property rights, the criminal code, etc.
The account may not be used to promote illegal activities in any way.
In case of breaches of the aforementioned rules
Welcome To My Garden reserves the right to delete the relevant messages if it detects infringements of the aforementioned rules, and may even suspend or permanently delete user accounts.
Welcome To My Garden cannot be held liable in any way for messages posted by users or third parties, which violate the rules specified above. If a user detects an infringement, please report this to the following email address: support@welcometomygarden.org
It may occur that harmful files can be downloaded via the platform, whether or not due to a user, or that users place harmful hyperlinks. Every download by a user or click on a hyperlink, placed by a user, is done at the user’s own risk. Any damage incurred is completely and solely the responsibility of this user.
Intellectual property rights
Welcome To My Garden respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects that users of this platform also respect these rights. Welcome To My Garden reserves the right to remove content that infringes intellectual property rights. Repeated infringements of intellectual property rights of any kind by a user will result in the suspension or removal of the account by Welcome To My Garden.
Infringements against intellectual property rights can be reported via the following email address: support@welcometomygarden.org
Property rights Welcome To My Garden
The source code of Welcome To My Garden is open source. You agree to be bound by and comply with any license agreement that applies to this open source software. The visual identity, including the logo and colors, and the name cannot be used nor replicated for any other platform without the prior permission of Welcome To My Garden.
Changes to these Terms
We may make changes to these Terms from time to time. If we make changes, we will post the amended Terms to our Platform and update the 'Last Updated' date above. We may also attempt to notify you by sending an email notification to the address associated with your account or give notice through our Platform. Unless specified otherwise in our notice, the amended Terms will be effective immediately and your continued access to and use of our Platform after we give notice will confirm your acceptance of the changes. In any case, changes to these Terms will not be retroactive. If you do not agree to the amended Terms, you must stop accessing and using our Platform.