Legal
Terms of use
Last updated: 1 October 2026
Compass Afar is a free app that helps students find their way around studying in Madrid. It is built and run by Luka Ritchley. By using the app you agree to these terms. If you don’t agree, please don’t use it.
1. Who can use it
You must be 18 or over. Keep your sign-in details to yourself; you are responsible for what happens in your account.
2. The app is provided as is
Compass Afar is a student project that is still being built. It is offered “as is”, with no guarantee that it will always be available, complete or free of mistakes.
- Routes are planned from the official Metro and Cercanías timetables. Real services run late, change and get cancelled. Check the operator before a trip that matters.
- Rent comparisons are estimates based on published market figures and on what students report. The app shows the source and the method next to each one.
- Safety information is published district-level statistics. It is not a safety rating for any street or flat.
- The chat assistant is an AI and can be wrong. Check anything important.
3. Example data is labelled
While real data sources come online, some housing listings and events in the app are examples made to show how a feature works. They are always labelled “Example listing” or “Example event”. Don’t rely on an example as a real offer. Listings link out to other websites; Compass Afar does not own, check or guarantee what is on those sites.
4. Not legal, financial or medical advice
- Scam Check is a quick read of what you pasted. It is not a guarantee that a listing is safe or that it is a scam. Always verify before you pay anyone.
- Lease Explainer gives a plain-English summary of a contract. It is not legal advice. For anything important, ask your university’s housing office or a qualified professional.
- The budget planner helps you keep track of your own numbers. It is not financial advice.
- The Emergency Card is a reference. In an emergency, call 112. The “nearest hospital” is measured in a straight line and is not directions.
5. Community rules
The community is for students helping each other. When you post, send friend requests or report your rent:
- Be decent. No harassment, threats, hate or bullying.
- No spam, advertising or scams.
- Don’t post anything illegal or unsafe.
- Don’t post other people’s personal details, such as their name, phone number or address.
- Be honest. Report the rent you really pay.
Anyone can report a post. A post reported by several people is hidden until I have reviewed it. I can remove posts and close accounts that break these rules.
What you post is still yours. By posting, you let Compass Afar show it to other students in the app.
6. Fair use
The chat assistant and the housing tools have daily limits. Don’t try to get around them, scrape the app, or disrupt it for other people.
7. Responsibility
You use Compass Afar at your own risk. As far as the law allows, I am not liable for losses that come from relying on the app, including a missed train, a bad rental or a budgeting mistake. Nothing in these terms takes away rights you have under consumer law that cannot be waived.
8. Your data
The privacy policy explains what the app collects and how to get it deleted.
9. Changes and closing your account
These terms may change as the app grows. The date at the top shows the latest version. You can stop using the app at any time, and you can ask for your account to be deleted by emailing the address below.