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What is HousingAnywhere? (for tenants)

💡 You're considering using HousingAnywhere but would like more information before trusting our platform.

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Written by Daniel McLeod
Updated over 4 months ago

HousingAnywhere is an online rental platform that connects home seekers (like you) with landlords. We help both sides achieve their renting goals — quick, online, and 100% safe.

Overview

What is HousingAnywhere, exactly?

We sometimes get asked, are you a real estate agency? The answer to that is no. We don't own any of the properties advertised on HousingAnywhere.

Think of us as a match-making platform for the rental market. HousingAnywhere.com is an online platform that connects home seekers like you with landlords looking for tenants. So you can move to a new city or country with total peace of mind, knowing you'll have a safe home base.

Today, over 18 million people search for a home on HousingAnywhere each year. We partner with 300+ international universities. Our tech powers the rentals management system for 1,000s of property managers.

As rental experts, we offer security and protection to tenants.

How it works in a nutshell

1. Pick a few places

2. Message the landlord

3. Send a booking request

4. Pay, and it’s yours

Explore hundreds of high-quality rooms, studios, and apartments. Save favorites. Get alerts. Finding your dream home could not be easier.

Enjoy an online, private space for all conversations with the landlord. Ask questions, share information, and see how well you match.

Like a place and want to call it home? Send the landlord a booking request. You’ll know if it’s accepted or not within 48 hours.

Pay the first month’s rent to confirm your booking. We’ll protect your money until you’ve moved in and checked the place out.

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What services does HousingAnywhere provide?

Advanced search

Set the budget in your preferred currency, pick your accommodation type, decide how many bedrooms you want and whether you want to share with other people. With our filters, you can find your new perfect home.

Detailed listings

Before you book anything, you want to know all you can about your new place. Listings include all the details you need: videos, photos, floor plans, amenities, up-to-date availability, and translated descriptions.

Secure messaging

Our secure, real-time messaging system lets you chat with the landlord from any device and forget third parties. Send and receive files — like IDs, references, or rental contracts — and get answers to all your questions.

Verified landlords

All landlords must provide a phone number, email address, and verify their bank details. On top of that, only landlords who meet our high standards in all previous bookings are awarded an 'Excellent landlord' badge.

24/7 scam monitoring

Our AI-powered scam protection system spots and removes scam listings within minutes of being created. If a landlord is reported as a fraud, they get banned immediately.

Online bookings

Find and book a new home before you arrive in a new city. You'll save on the cost of short-term accommodation, meetings with agencies, viewings, and admin. Plus, you'll have an address in advance and an invoice for your payment — for any visa or registration needs.

Secure payments

HousingAnywhere uses Stripe to process payments securely. This requires us to adhere to strict compliance measures.

Tenant Protection

With HousingAnywhere, you have 48 hours from your move-in date to let us know if the place is not as advertised. If it’s not, you’re covered by Tenant Protection.

What is Tenant Protection?

You’re guaranteed a stress-free move-in or your money back.

Stress-free move-in

If the landlord cancels last minute or delays your move-in, you’ll get help finding another place or a temporary hotel stay.

Quick support

If something goes wrong with your booking, we can help make it right.

Easy refund

We keep your payment safe until you move in. If the place doesn’t match the description, you’ll get a refund.

What services does HousingAnywhere not provide?

Once your booking is confirmed on HousingAnywhere, you'll receive each other’s contact details, including their email address and phone number.

From that point, your relationship works just like any other tenant-and-landlord relationship. HousingAnywhere’s role is almost complete. We'll only re-enter the picture if something goes wrong during your move-in.

You and the landlord will confirm the final details — such as contract signing, check-in, and key transfer — outside of HousingAnywhere. Likewise, anything that comes up during the rental period is to be managed by you and the landlord.

Rental agreement

The landlord will provide the rental agreement separately after the booking is confirmed. The landlord is contractually obliged to provide this outside of HousingAnywhere, as per our Terms & Conditions.

Check-in and key transfer

Check-in and key transfer to be coordinated between the tenant and landlord.

Other responsibilities not related to booking

May include but not limited to: requesting fixes, cleaning, insurance, etc.

Is HousingAnywhere free?

For properties in the Netherlands: Like most rental platforms in the Netherlands, we operate on a subscription model. You can buy a subscription (from €26 to €68) to message with landlords. Once you have a subscription, you no longer have to pay any other fees to HousingAnywhere.

For properties in other countries: You can contact landlords free of charge. You only pay when you're ready to book. Once your booking is confirmed, we collect a percentage of your first month's rent as our one-time fee to cover Tenant Protection.

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