Content & AI Disclosure Policy
Last updated 23 August 2026 · Forms part of the Terms of Service
This is the practical guide to using Restage images honestly: what each tool changes, how risky it is, and what to write in the caption. It exists because "disclose it" is useless advice without telling you what to disclose and when.
This is guidance, not legal advice. MLS and board rules differ, and they change. We have not reviewed the rulebook of your particular board. Before you post an altered image, check your own MLS's photo policy and your state's advertising rules. When they conflict with anything here, they win.
1. What each tool changes
Every render is labelled with a risk level in the app. It reflects how far the output departs from the property's actual condition.
| Tool | What changes | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Stage an empty room | Adds furniture and décor. Room itself unchanged. | Low |
| Restyle a furnished room | Replaces existing furniture. Room itself unchanged. | Low |
| Declutter & depersonalize | Removes clutter and personal items. Alters depicted tidiness. | Low |
| Twilight shot | Lighting and sky only. Long-standing industry practice. | Low |
| Curb appeal | Lawn, planting, driveway condition. Alters depicted property condition. | Medium |
| Kitchen refresh | Cabinetry, counters, backsplash, appliances, lighting. Depicts a renovation that does not exist. | High |
| Bathroom refresh | Tile, vanity, glass, fixtures. Depicts a renovation that does not exist. | High |
The medium and high tools require you to tick an acknowledgement before the render runs. That acknowledgement is enforced by our API, not just the interface.
2. Suggested captions
Every render returns wording appropriate to the tool used, shown in the app
and in the X-Restage-Disclosure response header. Use it
verbatim, or adapt it to your board's required form.
| Tool | Suggested caption |
|---|---|
| Stage empty / Restyle | "Virtually staged. Furnishings are digital and not included in the sale." |
| Declutter | "Digitally altered photo. Clutter and personal items have been removed; the room is otherwise as photographed." |
| Twilight | "Digitally enhanced twilight photo. Lighting and sky have been altered." |
| Curb appeal | "Digitally altered photo. Landscaping and grounds have been enhanced and do not reflect current condition." |
| Kitchen / Bathroom refresh | "Digitally rendered renovation concept. This is NOT the current condition of the [room]. No renovation has been performed." |
3. Where to put the disclosure
A caption buried at the end of the listing remarks is not a disclosure if the image travels without it. Images get syndicated, screenshotted, and reposted. Good practice:
- In the photo caption field for every altered image, not just the first one.
- In the listing remarks as well, where the MLS provides the field.
- Burned into the image itself for the high-risk renovation renders. This is the only disclosure that survives a screenshot, and for a kitchen render we think it is the right default.
- Verbally, at a showing, if a buyer refers to something they saw in a photo.
4. Where not to use these images at all
- Appraisals, valuations, or anything supporting a lending decision.
- Insurance claims, or evidence of condition before or after an incident.
- Inspection reports or condition reports.
- Court filings, disputes, or any proceeding relying on the image as fact.
- Construction documents, permits, or contractor scopes of work.
Restage produces an illustration of a possibility. It is not evidence of anything, and it should never be filed anywhere that treats a photograph as a record of fact.
5. Fair housing
Staging choices carry signals. Décor, artwork, and styling that suggest the race, religion, family status, or national origin of a preferred buyer can contribute to steering, and may violate the Fair Housing Act regardless of intent.
Our furniture styles are deliberately neutral and our models are instructed not to place people in a scene. Keep it that way: do not use the notes field to add religious iconography, imagery signalling a demographic, or anything that implies who the property is "for".
6. AI labelling rules are changing
Several jurisdictions have introduced or proposed requirements to label synthetic media, and some platforms apply their own labels automatically. These rules are moving quickly and are not consistent between regions.
We are not able to track every such rule for you. If you advertise across state or national borders, check what applies where your advertising is seen, not only where you are based.
7. If you are not sure
Ask your broker or your MLS before you post, not after. If you want our read on a specific case, email hello@studiotools.design — we will tell you what we know and tell you plainly when we do not know.
The honest answer to "am I allowed to use this on the MLS?" is usually: yes for furniture with disclosure, but check your board — they differ, and we cannot answer for yours.