Atom offers the ability for sellers (the “Seller”) to rent domains to buyers via the Domain Rental Program on our platform. Renting allows a buyer to obtain exclusive usage rights to a domain for a recurring monthly fee, with an optional path to ownership. The Seller retains ownership of the domain throughout the rental. Atom acts solely as an authorized agent and intermediary facilitating the rental on the Seller’s behalf and does not take beneficial ownership of the domain except as necessary to effectuate the transaction. Rental payments are premium access and exclusivity fees only; they are not principal and do not apply toward, or reduce, any future purchase price. Atom is not a leasing or financial services company and acts solely as a facilitator between Renters and domain owners. The Seller may elect to remain anonymous, and Atom has no obligation to disclose the Seller’s identity except as required by law or as necessary to complete a transfer.
1. Enabling/Disabling Rental Options
Sellers can choose to enable or disable the rental option for their eligible domains. Rental requires seller opt-in and is not enabled by default. Atom may require manual approval for domains above certain price thresholds.
Currently this feature is only available for Premium and Plus Marketplace domain listings.
2. Rental Fee & Pricing
The monthly rental fee is 2% of the domain’s Buy-It-Now (BIN) price per month for domains priced at $5,000 or above, and $100 per month for domains priced below $5,000.
The monthly rental fee will increase by 5% on each annual anniversary of the rental start date.
3. Payment Collection
When a buyer rents a domain, Atom will automatically collect monthly rental payments from the buyer until the rental is cancelled or terminated.
4. Revenue Split
Rental revenue is shared between the Seller and Atom on each monthly payment, applying the same commission structure in effect for the domain's current listing. Atom's share is inclusive of all rental servicing and platform fees.
5. Transfer to Atom
Upon receipt of the buyer’s first payment, sellers must transfer the domain ownership to an Atom-managed registrar account. The domain remains under Atom-managed control for the duration of the rental. Ownership does not transfer to the Renter unless and until the Renter completes a purchase.
6. DNS Management
After the first payment, our domain specialists will assist the buyer in updating the name servers or DNS as per the buyer’s request. The buyer receives DNS / nameserver management access only and obtains no ownership interest in the domain.
7. Exclusivity & Preserved Ownership
While a rental is active, the domain is removed from the marketplace and the seller may not sell the domain to any other party. The seller retains ownership of the domain. The Renter holds usage rights only and may not sell, assign, sublease, transfer, or release the domain.
8. Option to Purchase
The Renter’s purchase price is locked at the domain’s BIN price as of the date the rental begins. Rental payments are not credited toward the purchase price.
If the Renter purchases the domain, Atom’s standard marketplace commission applies, as with any other marketplace sale. Upon completion of the purchase, Atom will assist in transferring ownership to the buyer.
9. Non-Payment & Termination
Rental fees are billed to the buyer in advance. If we cannot charge the buyer’s credit card for a due payment, the buyer will have 10 days from the due date to provide an alternate payment method. If payment remains outstanding beyond 10 days of the due date, Atom will suspend the domain’s DNS and terminate the rental.
Upon termination, the Renter’s usage rights and DNS access end, the domain will be re-listed for sale on our marketplace, and its name servers will revert to our servers. Sellers can request the transfer of domain ownership back to their account.
10. Domain Renewal Costs
Atom will pay for renewal fees for .com domains while they are held in our managed registrar account during a rental. For all other domain extensions, the seller is responsible for renewal fees during the rental period.
11. Payout Schedule
Sellers will receive their portion of each rental payment monthly, within 3–5 business days of Atom receiving the payment and verification of funds.
12. Cancellation & Refunds
The seller is entitled to receive payouts only for rental payments that have been received and verified by Atom.
All payments undergo a verification process, and Atom may, at its sole discretion, issue refunds to buyers in situations such as fraud risks or verification failures. In cases where a refund is issued, the seller will not receive compensation for the refunded portion of the payment.
If a rental is cancelled or terminated, the seller is not entitled to receive any compensation for future unpaid payments.
13. Seller Representations & Warranties
The seller represents and warrants, as of the listing date and as of the date of transfer, that: the seller is the current registrant of the domain or otherwise has the exclusive legal right to transfer it; the domain registration is active and in good standing; and, to the best of the seller's knowledge, the domain is not subject to any registrar lock, dispute, or restriction that would prevent transfer, no action has been taken that would impair transfer of the domain, and the domain is not subject to any pending UDRP, URS, court proceeding, or trademark dispute.
14. Claims & Disputes
The seller must promptly notify Atom, and no later than 2 business days after receipt, of any Claim (including any UDRP, URS, or court proceeding) relating to the domain.
In the event of any Claim during the rental, the seller has the right, but not the obligation, to control the defense. Atom may participate in or coordinate the defense as necessary to protect its interests or those of the Renter. If the seller fails to act or is unavailable, Atom may, but is not obligated to, take reasonable steps to respond to or mitigate the Claim.
Atom may take actions reasonably necessary to preserve the domain or comply with registrar or registry requirements, including locking the domain or coordinating with relevant parties. The existence or outcome of any Claim does not relieve the seller of its obligations under these terms unless such Claim legally prevents performance.
15. Trademark & Liability
The seller must not list a domain known to be subject to a trademark dispute, and agrees to indemnify Atom and the Renter for losses arising from any domain knowingly listed in violation of this term.
The seller is not liable for the Renter’s content. Atom maintains the right to suspend the domain’s DNS for misuse, illegal use, or fraud.
16. Disclaimers & Limitation of Liability
Except as expressly set forth in these terms, the domain is provided “AS IS,” and Atom makes no representations or warranties regarding the domain. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Atom is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, and Atom’s total liability will not exceed the amounts actually paid by Atom to the seller under the transaction.
17. Seller Cooperation & No Circumvention
The seller shall provide all information reasonably requested by Atom to complete the rental or any subsequent transfer and comply with applicable laws or registrar requirements, including authorization codes, unlocking the domain, and responding to registrar confirmations in a timely manner.
The seller agrees not to circumvent Atom by dealing with the Renter outside the platform for this or any related transaction.
18. General
Notices to Atom must be in writing and sent to Squadhelp LLC, Attn: Legal Department, 2000 Center Drive, Suite East B216, Hoffman Estates, Illinois 60192, USA, and by email to legal@atom.com. A user account is not required to receive effective notice.
These terms incorporate the Atom Terms of Service (available at atom.com/legal/terms) with respect to disclaimers, limitation of liability, indemnification, dispute resolution and arbitration, and general platform terms. Governing law, venue, and dispute resolution follow the Atom Terms of Service; to the extent not applicable, these terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois.