Privacy Policy

What we collect, why, how Google ads and cookies work on this site, and the choices you have.

Last updated: November 2, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how ByOwners.com (“ByOwners,” “we,” “us”) collects, uses and shares information when you visit byowners.com (the “Site”). By using the Site, you agree to this policy.

Information we collect

Information you give us. When you submit a form — a listing, an owner-plan request, a message to an owner, a newsletter signup, a contest entry, a job application, a report or a contact message — we collect what you enter, such as your name, email address, phone number (optional in most forms), ZIP code, property details and message.

Information collected automatically. Like most websites, our hosting provider and the third-party services we use may automatically receive technical data such as IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, referring URL and the date and time of your visit. We also record how you arrived (for example, campaign tags in a link) with form submissions so we can understand which pages are useful.

Information stored in your browser. Some features save preferences only on your device using local storage — for example, dark mode, saved listings, saved guides, checklist progress and your cookie choice. This information stays in your browser; we don’t receive it.

How we use information

To publish and manage listings and relay inquiries between owners and interested parties.
To prepare the owner plans, worksheets and introductions you request.
To send newsletters you subscribe to (you can unsubscribe anytime).
To run contests, review job applications and respond to messages.
To keep the Site safe, prevent fraud and enforce our Terms.
To understand and improve the Site.

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only:

With service providers you ask for. If you request help from a specific type of provider (for example, a flat-fee MLS broker or attorney) and give consent, we share the details needed for that provider to contact you.
With owners you message. Inquiries you send through a listing are forwarded to that listing’s owner.
With vendors that help us operate, such as our form-delivery service (FormSubmit), web hosting (GitHub Pages), and payment providers you choose to use for contributions (for example, PayPal). They process information on our behalf or under their own privacy policies.
For legal reasons, to comply with law, respond to lawful requests, or protect the rights and safety of users and the public.

Cookies and advertising

We use Google AdSense to display ads. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user’s prior visits to this website or other websites. Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to this Site and/or other sites on the Internet.

You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings.
You can also opt out of some third-party vendors’ use of cookies for personalized advertising at www.aboutads.info/choices and, in the EU/UK, www.youronlinechoices.com.
Learn more about how Google uses information from sites that use its services at Google’s Privacy & Terms.

When you choose “Essential only” in our cookie notice, we request non-personalized ads from Google. Visitors in the European Economic Area, the UK and Switzerland may see a consent message managed through Google’s consent tools. You can change your choice anytime with the “Cookie settings” link in the footer.

Embedded content. Video tutorials are embedded from YouTube in privacy-enhanced mode and load only when you click play. Maps use OpenStreetMap tiles. Fonts are served by Google Fonts. These providers may receive technical data such as your IP address when content loads.

Analytics. If we enable Google Analytics, it loads only after you accept all cookies.

Your choices and rights

Email: unsubscribe using the link in any newsletter.
Access, correction, deletion: contact us through the contact page to request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information. Depending on where you live (for example, California or the EEA/UK), you may have additional rights, including the right to know, delete, correct, and opt out of certain sharing. We will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights.
Do Not Track: browsers’ Do Not Track signals are not consistently interpreted, so we rely on the cookie choices described above.

Data retention and security

We keep information only as long as needed for the purposes above or as required by law. We use HTTPS across the Site and limit access to submissions. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we can’t guarantee absolute security.

Children

The Site is not directed to children under 13 (or under 16 in the EEA/UK), and we don’t knowingly collect their personal information. Contest entries require participants to be 18 or older.

International visitors

The Site is operated from the United States. If you access it from elsewhere, your information may be processed in the United States.

Changes

We may update this policy. The “Last updated” date shows when it last changed. Material changes will be noted on this page.

Contact

Questions about privacy? Use our contact form.