Community Guidelines
Last updated: 21 July 2026
HowZya is your local community. These guidelines help keep our community safe, respectful and useful for everyone.
Be Respectful
Treat your neighbours the way you want to be treated. Disagreements happen, but personal attacks, name-calling and harassment have no place in HowZya.
Posts that target individuals based on race, religion, gender, sexuality, disability or cultural background will be removed immediately.
Be Honest
Only post information you believe to be true. False safety alerts, misleading notices or fabricated posts damage trust in the community.
Use your real name and your actual suburb. Fake profiles or location spoofing will result in account removal.
Stay Local and On-Topic
Posts should be relevant to your suburb and its residents. Keep content in the right category:
- Home: General updates, important notices, safety alerts
- Events: Local events with date, time and location
- Buy and Sell: Items for sale, give away or seeking
- Lost and Found: Lost or found pets, items and belongings
- Services: Services you're offering or looking for
Child Safety — Zero Tolerance
HowZya strictly and explicitly prohibits Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE) in any form. This includes, but is not limited to, Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), grooming, sexualisation of minors, sextortion, trafficking, and any content or behaviour that sexually exploits, abuses, or endangers a child.
HowZya is intended for users aged 18 and over (see our Privacy Policy, Section 8). Any account found to be engaging in, facilitating, or distributing CSAE/CSAM content will be permanently banned immediately upon discovery, with no warning and no exceptions.
Confirmed CSAM is removed immediately upon our becoming aware of it, and is reported to the relevant authorities, including the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) and/or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), in accordance with applicable law.
If you encounter any content on HowZya that concerns child safety, please report it immediately using the in-app "Report" feature on the relevant post, comment, or user, or contact us directly at support@howzya.com. You can also report directly to the eSafety Commissioner at esafety.gov.au.
What Is Not Allowed
The following content will be removed and may result in account suspension:
- Hate speech, racism, or discrimination of any kind
- Threats of violence or harm to any person
- Sexual or explicit content
- Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE) in any form — see dedicated section above
- Spam, scams or fraudulent listings
- Unsolicited advertising or commercial promotion
- False emergency alerts or misleading safety warnings
- Sharing someone's private information without consent
- Cyberbullying, image-based abuse, or other seriously harmful content
- Content that violates Australian law
Buy and Sell Guidelines
HowZya is for private sales between neighbours, not commercial businesses. Be honest about the condition of items.
Always meet in a safe public place when exchanging items with strangers. HowZya is not responsible for transactions between users.
Once an item is sold, given away, or no longer available, mark the listing as Closed so other neighbours don't waste time asking.
Prohibited Items
The following must never be listed for sale, trade, or giveaway on HowZya. Listings will be removed immediately and the account permanently banned:
- Illegal drugs or controlled substances of any kind
- Prescription medicines or pharmaceuticals
- Weapons, firearms, ammunition, or knives restricted under Australian law
- Alcohol or tobacco products
- Infant formula and baby food (these are regulated products in Australia and cannot be resold through informal listings)
- Recalled, counterfeit, or stolen goods
- Animals or pets (for adoption/rehoming, please use registered services)
If you're unsure whether an item is allowed, please contact us before posting. Reported listings involving prohibited items will be escalated for immediate review.
Lost and Found Guidelines
When posting about a lost pet or item, include as much detail as possible including description, location last seen, and a contact method.
If you find something valuable, hand it in to your local police station if the owner cannot be found through the app.
Once a lost item or pet has been recovered, or a found item has been returned to its owner, mark the post as Closed.
Safety Alerts
Safety alerts should only be used for genuine safety concerns such as suspicious activity, dangerous road conditions, or local emergencies.
For life-threatening emergencies, always call 000 first before posting to the app. False safety alerts will result in immediate account suspension.
Blocking Other Users
If another user is bothering you, you can block them at any time from their profile, or from the menu on any of their posts. Blocking someone stops them from messaging you and hides their posts from your feed.
Blocking is a personal tool for your own feed and inbox — it doesn't remove the other person's content for everyone else, or notify them that you've blocked them. If their behaviour breaks these guidelines, please also report them so our moderation team can review it.
Reporting and Enforcement
You can report a post, comment, or user directly within the app. Our moderation team reviews reports promptly.
For cyberbullying, image-based abuse, child safety concerns, or other seriously harmful content, you can report directly to the eSafety Commissioner at esafety.gov.au in addition to reporting within the app.
Violations of these guidelines may result in content removal, a warning, temporary suspension or permanent account ban.
Serious violations including threats of violence, CSAE/CSAM, illegal content, or repeat offending will result in immediate permanent banning and may be referred to Australian authorities.
Appeals
If you believe a moderation decision was made in error, you can appeal by contacting support@howzya.com with details of the decision and why you believe it should be reviewed.
Contact Us
To report a serious issue, a child safety concern, or appeal a moderation decision, contact us at support@howzya.com