Contest rules

Who can participate

Anyone can participate. To enter, you must own or live in the home and have permission to enter it and share its display. Do not submit strangers’ homes. Entry requires a real home that the app’s supported address verification can confirm.

Keep it to one person, one home, with one entry per home per contest. Your home stays on your account and can enter future Halloween or Christmas contests; do not create duplicate accounts or entries.

An account and a verified US mobile number are required to enter or vote. Use truthful account, address and display information.

Free entry and voting: no purchase, real-estate inquiry, client relationship, invitation or marketing opt-in is required.

Current dates and prizes

AVHalloween 2026

All times below use America/Los_Angeles (Pacific Time); PDT or PST reflects the date’s daylight-saving time.

Contest launch: October 1, 2026 at 8:43 AM PDT.

Entry deadline: October 31, 2026 at 11:00 PM PDT.

Voting ends: October 31, 2026 at 11:00 PM PDT.

1st place: $200.

2nd place: $100.

3rd place: $50.

These are the current publicly listed contest details. Voting is available only while the app shows voting as open.

Enter your home

Choose “Enter your home” to create an account or log in, verify your mobile number, and follow My Home to verify your address and enter the contest. Add accurate display information and only photos or videos you have the media rights and any necessary permissions to share.

Eligible homes, safely processed photos and comments publish immediately when public visibility is open, without admin preapproval. Material edits do not require admin preapproval. Address verification, ownership, upload-safety and visibility checks still apply.

How voting works

You may cast one vote per account per home in a contest. You can vote for multiple different homes, including your own. You can remove and recast your vote while voting is open; there are no daily extra votes.

Sharing your home’s link and inviting people to vote is welcome. No fake accounts, bots, paid votes, duplicate entries or other attempts to manipulate voting. Invalid votes may be excluded and ineligible or fraudulent entries may be disqualified.

Winners and prize contact

Winners are the eligible entries with the most valid votes after voting closes, subject to eligibility review. Ties are resolved by earlier entry creation first, then by stable entry ID in ascending order. The live leaderboard is provisional.

Organizer Nick McDonald will contact potential prize winners using their account details and verify eligibility before awarding any listed prize. Keep your contact information current. Winners are responsible for taxes where applicable.

What is public

Publishing shares your exact address and map location, display name, description, display hours, photos and videos with the public. Public comments and vote totals can also appear on the site. Only share information and media you are comfortable making public.

Homeowners may hide and restore content on their own home for all viewers, subject to the app’s visibility protections. Admin-hidden content cannot be restored by homeowners; contact the organizer for review. Permanent contest archive URLs remain available, with applicable privacy and visibility protections.

Enjoy displays respectfully

Visit safely, follow posted display hours and signs, and respect neighbors. Stay on public paths unless invited onto the property. Do not block driveways, trespass, touch decorations or disturb residents. A map listing is not permission to enter a home or yard.

Fair administration and questions

If outages, unsafe conditions or abuse disrupt the contest, the organizer may pause affected activity, investigate and correct errors to protect fair participation. Any necessary schedule or administration updates will be posted publicly and applied consistently. Contact Nick McDonald with questions or to request review of an eligibility or moderation decision.