Question 1

Can I reserve and pay for a dorm online right now?

Accepted Answer

unidorms.ph has just launched, so right now you can do everything up to the booking itself: browse every verified listing, filter by university, area, price, room type, and amenities, message landlords directly, and save a search to get email alerts when new matching dorms go live (no account needed for alerts). Online reservation checkout — paying the Unidorms platform fee backed by the 24-hour move-in guarantee — is not switched on yet; we'll enable it in an upcoming update, and the model described in the answers below is how it will work once it does. In the meantime, connect with landlords and arrange viewings through the platform.

Question 2

I'm a landlord — how do I list my dorm?

Accepted Answer

Create a landlord account, then open "List your property" from the menu (or go to /list-property). The wizard walks you through your unit details, photos, pricing, house rules, and the two verification documents: a government ID and proof you own or may let the unit. Our team reviews every submission manually — usually within 1 business day — and once you're verified your listing goes live to students searching near your building. Listing is completely free and we never take a commission or a cut of your rent.

Question 3

How does the Unidorms platform fee work?

Accepted Answer

When you reserve a unit, you pay a Unidorms platform fee online (GCash, Maya, GrabPay, credit/debit card, or BPI/BDO direct debit). It's tiered to the unit's monthly rent — ₱1,500 (Budget), ₱2,500 (Standard), or ₱3,500 (Premium) — and it covers landlord verification, secure payment, dispute resolution, and a 24-hour move-in guarantee. You don't wire rent to the landlord to reserve: your rent and deposit are paid directly to the landlord under your lease, only after you've moved in. Some landlords also offer a credit toward your first month's rent equal to your platform fee — when they do, it comes off your rent instead of adding to it (confirm the credit with your landlord before booking).

Question 4

What is the 24-hour move-in guarantee?

Accepted Answer

After you and your landlord both confirm move-in inside the chat, a 24-hour move-in guarantee starts. If the unit isn't as listed — wrong photos, missing amenities, safety issues, or the landlord refuses to hand over keys — report it inside the chat within those 24 hours with a few photos. We verify fast and refund your platform fee in full for valid claims, back to your original payment method — no runaround, we're on your side. After 24 hours pass with no report, the booking is final.

Question 5

How long do refunds take?

Accepted Answer

Refunds are reviewed by our team within 1 business day and then sent through your original payment provider. From there it usually takes 3–5 business days to land back in your GCash / card / bank account — Xendit and the issuing bank both add a clearing window we can't shortcut. You'll get an email when we approve it and another when the provider confirms delivery.

Question 6

What are the cancellation tiers?

Accepted Answer

Every listing picks one of three policies at publish time, and the policy is locked at the moment you book (the landlord can't change it after). The policy governs how much of your platform fee is refunded if you cancel. Flexible: 100% refund any time before move-in. Moderate: 100% refund if you cancel ≥5 days before move-in; 50/50 split within 5 days. Strict: 100% refund if you cancel ≥7 days out; the platform fee is forfeit within 7 days. You see which policy applies on every listing before you reserve.

Question 7

What happens if the landlord cancels?

Accepted Answer

You get a full platform fee refund regardless of the snapshotted policy, processed the same way (3–5 business days back to your original payment method). The listing is automatically returned to the public catalog. If a landlord repeatedly cancels, we suspend their account pending review.

Question 8

Do I have to visit the unit before booking?

Accepted Answer

No — but we strongly recommend it. When you reserve, you can request a viewing date in the same modal. The landlord confirms or proposes a new date inside the chat. If you decide not to proceed after the viewing, you can cancel under your snapshotted policy. The 24-hour move-in guarantee still applies after move-in even if you visited first.

Question 9

How are KYC-verified landlords checked?

Accepted Answer

Before any listing goes live, every landlord clears two checks — reviewed manually by our team, never auto-approved. (1) Identity (KYC): a government ID, checked for legibility and matched to the account name. (2) Legal ownership or authority: proof they own the unit (title, tax declaration, or deed) or are authorized to let it (a notarized owner authorization or SPA, a lease assignment, or a condo-association certificate), with the name matching the ID. A real reviewer reads each submission; automated checks surface the risky ones first — duplicate identities, a shared email, or the same ID file reused on another account. Verified landlords show a teal shield; unverified accounts can't publish, and verification can be re-checked at any time.

Question 10

Can I message the landlord before booking?

Accepted Answer

Yes. On any listing page, scroll to the inquiry box and pick a quick question chip (Curfew, Utilities, Wi-Fi speed, Pets, etc.) or write your own. We track landlord response time and reply rate — listings from slow landlords surface lower in search.

Question 11

What if the landlord disappears after I pay?

Accepted Answer

If you can't reach the landlord within 48 hours of your reservation, send us a note through our contact form at unidorms.ph/contact (also linked in the footer and the "Still stuck?" panel below) and we'll intervene. Because you only paid the refundable platform fee — not rent — and the landlord hasn't been paid anything, you are never out-of-pocket: we cancel the reservation, refund your platform fee in full, and flag the landlord's account for review.

Question 12

Is the platform fee an extra cost on top of rent?

Accepted Answer

For most students, no. unidorms.ph takes no commission and no cut of a landlord's rent, so your platform fee is what funds the verification, secure payments, and dispute mediation that protect you. And some landlords offer a credit toward your first month's rent equal to your platform fee, so when they do it comes off your rent rather than adding to it. The credit is offered by the landlord under their own lease, so confirm it with your landlord before you book. Browsing is always free, and you only ever pay the fee once you decide to reserve a specific unit.

Question 13

How do I report a fake listing or scam?

Accepted Answer

On any listing page, scroll to the bottom of the right-side card and tap "Report this listing." Pick a reason, add a quick note, and submit. Our moderation team reviews reports within one business day. If you've already paid for a flagged unit, we'll process a full refund as a fraud case (not a regular cancellation).

Question 14

Where do I see all my bookings, leases, and messages?

Accepted Answer

Sign in and go to your student dashboard. You'll see Bookings (active + history, with each lease, cancellation, and payment summary inline), Messages (chat with each landlord), Saved (units you've favorited), and Profile (your details + payment history). Landlords have an equivalent dashboard for managing listings and reservations.

Question 15

For landlords: how and when do I get paid?

Accepted Answer

Listing is free — unidorms.ph takes no commission and no cut of your rent. Your rent and deposit are paid to you directly by the tenant on move-in; they never pass through our platform. The only payout we send you is a no-show payout: if a confirmed student cancels late or doesn't show, their forfeited platform fee (per the cancellation tier you set) is released to your GCash within 1 business day.

Question 16

For landlords: what do I need to list, and is my ID and title safe?

Accepted Answer

Two documents, reviewed manually by our team before your listing goes live: a government ID, and proof you own or may let the unit (title, tax declaration, or deed — or a notarized owner authorization / SPA if you manage it for someone else). They're stored in an encrypted, private store, opened only by our verification team through short-lived links, never shown to students, and purged on a retention schedule once they're no longer needed. We keep the verification result, not your documents, long-term.

Question 17

For landlords: what stops a student from abusing the dispute window?

Accepted Answer

Disputes are reviewed manually within 1 business day, with evidence requested from both sides. "Changed my mind" is never valid grounds — only a material mismatch with your listing, denied access on the agreed date, or a serious safety issue qualifies. If a dispute is denied, the booking stands and the platform fee is retained as our service revenue. And because the fee is the student's — not your rent — your rent is collected directly from the tenant regardless of any dispute over the fee.

Question 18

What is the platform fee?

Accepted Answer

A one-time fee per booking, tiered to the unit's rent: ₱1,500 for rent ₱5,000–7,499, ₱2,500 for ₱7,500–13,999, and ₱3,500 for ₱14,000 and up. It covers landlord verification, secure payment, dispute resolution, and a 24-hour move-in guarantee.

Question 19

Is the platform fee monthly?

Accepted Answer

No — it's one-time, paid once at booking. After that you only pay rent to your landlord.

Question 20

Will my landlord credit the fee to my first month?

Accepted Answer

It's the landlord's choice and shows on the listing when offered — look for the 1st-month credit badge. See the full pricing breakdown at /pricing.

Question 21

What if they don't credit it?

Accepted Answer

You still get a verified landlord, secure payment, dispute resolution, and the 24-hour move-in guarantee.

Question 22

Is this more expensive than Facebook Marketplace?

Accepted Answer

If the landlord credits the fee, your total equals the rent — verified, paid securely, and backed by the 24-hour move-in guarantee. Unverified free listings can cost far more if a deposit disappears.

Question 23

Is it really free to list?

Accepted Answer

Yes — ₱0 to list and 0% commission on rent. Students pay the platform fee; you keep 100%.

Question 24

How do you make money if it's free for me?

Accepted Answer

Students pay the platform fee. That's our revenue, and it's never deducted from your rent.

Question 25

Should I credit the fee to students?

Accepted Answer

Your choice. It can be a competitive advantage to close bookings faster — the credit is applied toward the student's first month, the landlord's choice.

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