Finding Housing as a Guest
Everything you need to know about searching, booking, and staying at Roomeru properties.
Finding a Place
Start by searching with your destination city and dates. You can filter by:
- Property type: Entire place, private room, or shared room
- Price range: Set your budget per night
- Amenities: WiFi, kitchen, laundry, etc.
- Instant Book: Properties you can book immediately without host approval
Pro tip: If you're looking for housing near a specific school, many hosts specify which universities their property is convenient to.
Booking Your Stay
Short Stays (1-29 nights)
For short stays, you'll pay the full amount at booking. This includes:
- Nightly rate × number of nights
- Cleaning fee (if applicable)
- Service fee (platform fee)
- Security deposit (refundable)
Mid-Term Stays (30+ nights)
For longer stays, especially in states like Massachusetts, New York, and California, we use monthly billing:
- At booking: First month's rent + security deposit
- Monthly: Rent is charged automatically on your billing date
- At checkout: Final month prorated if needed
This structure complies with local tenancy laws that limit upfront payment requirements.
Payment Security
Your Payment is Protected
We hold your payment securely until 24 hours after check-in. This gives you time to verify the property matches the listing. If something is significantly wrong, contact us immediately.
All payments are processed through Stripe, a secure payment processor used by millions of businesses. We never store your full card details.
What's included in the price:
- Nightly rate set by the host
- Cleaning fee (one-time, if applicable)
- Service fee (helps us run the platform safely)
- Security deposit (fully refundable if no damage)
Cancellation & Changes
Short Stays (1-29 nights)
Flexible
- Full refund 24h+ before
- 50% refund within 24h
Moderate
- Full refund 5+ days before
- 50% refund within 5 days
Strict
- Full refund 14+ days before
- 50% refund 7-14 days
California Protection
For short stays in California booked 72+ hours before check-in, you get a 24-hour free cancellation window after booking—regardless of the host's policy. This is California law (SB 644), and we enforce it automatically.
Mid-Term Stays (30+ nights)
Before move-in: You can cancel with a tiered refund schedule:
- 14+ days before: Full refund
- 7-13 days before: 50% of first month retained
- Less than 7 days: First month retained
After move-in ("Early Termination"): Once you've moved in, you have tenant protections. If you need to leave early:
- Provide 30 days notice
- You owe rent through the notice period
- If the property is re-let sooner, your obligation ends at the re-let date
- Any prepaid rent beyond your obligation is refunded
This is called "early termination" (not cancellation) and follows landlord-tenant law in most states.
Security Deposits
Security deposits protect hosts against property damage. They are fully refundable if you leave the property in good condition.
How it works:
- Deposit is collected at booking (typically 1 month rent)
- After checkout, the host has 3-7 days to file any damage claims
- If no claims, your deposit is refunded within the state deadline (14-30 days)
- If there's a claim, you'll receive an itemized statement with photos
Important: Deposits can only be used for documented damages—never as a penalty for cancellation or early termination.
During Your Stay
- Communication: Use our messaging system to contact your host. This keeps a record of all conversations.
- Issues: If something is wrong with the property, document it with photos and contact the host immediately.
- House rules: Respect the host's rules about guests, quiet hours, pets, smoking, etc.
- Checkout: Leave the property clean and return all keys/access cards.