How to submit a booking request?

To make a reservation, select the facility that best aligns with your accommodation needs based on the details provided for each option. Keep in mind that other students are also submitting reservations, so it’s a good idea to act promptly and prioritize a property that fits your preferences. If you DO NOT yet have an official arrival date, it is required to have one before making your reservation. Tentative arrival dates are not permitted.

 

Important: Once your reservation is approved by the owner, it must be considered final, and you are expected to honor it—no reservation should be regarded as provisional.

 

 

 

1. After your housing search and once you find the right facility, to proceed with the reservation you simply fill in the moving dates (check in, check out and number of tenants/guests living in the facility with you) and then click on (Request to book) as shown in the image above. As mentioned above, reservations are made “on a monthly basis only”, so you will need to select your moving date by month (basically the day you check-in, the same day next month will cover 1 month cycle). The calendar on the platform functions symbolically (unofficially) and serves as a reference for move-in details. For example, if you plan to move in on August 20^th, your check-in will be on that date, and your check-out will be a month later, on September 20^th (a full one-month cycle). For reference, your payment cycle will align with the 20th of each month, so any moves or changes should be made with this date in mind.

Note: if you meet the monthly booking cycle, (as in the example and photo above) and 1, 2 or 3 extra nights may be displayed as charged, but don’t worry,  as you will keep the monthly price offered + fees included as part of the service if applicable (such cleaning fee). Other services may be offered on an extra basis, in which case you should select them in the corresponding check box before booking or add them afterwards directly with the owner.

 

2. After submitting your reservation request correctly and completing the steps outlined, you will see a confirmation message (refer to the image above). This indicates that your request has been submitted and is awaiting the owner’s review and approval.

There are 2 possible scenarios:

1- Approved/confirmed: means that the owners of your accommodation have confirmed your booking, and you can rest assured that you already have a place to stay on arrival. Note: After your booking is confirmed, be sure to keep in touch with your landlord actively, otherwise you could risk your landlord deciding to cancel your booking due to lack of communication. Approval may be granted regardless of whether prepayment is required. However, if prepayment is requested, ensure it is paid and completed within 72 hours.

2- Declined/cancelled: means that your booking was rejected because the place has already been rented by another student or another reason of non-availability. If it is canceled, you can immediately choose another option that suits your preferences.

Once you submit your booking request, it will show in the dashboard (booking window), where a list of all the bookings you have managed will be displayed. Whether they are approved or declined. In the example above there are 2 booking entries: one that has already been cancelled and another that is still pending the owner’s review.

It is crucial for you to know that you may cancel your booking for any reason (such as finding a better option) as long as the owner has NOT yet approved it. To cancel, simply select the reservation you want to cancel, click on the ‘Actions’ button, and choose ‘Cancel.’ You’ll then need to provide a reason for the cancellation and click the ‘Submit’ button to finalize the process.

In case your reservation has already been approved by the owner you must honor the reservation, at least during the first month of rental (trial-month).

3. When your reservation is confirmed by the owner of the property you booked, then the status of your reservation will change from ‘Pending review’ to ‘Available’. And a message will be displayed saying: ‘So far so good! The host has confirmed your availability for this reservation. Please complete the pending payment’.

Note: As has been emphasized multiple times, the booking platform does NOT handle any payments. However, to finalize your reservation, you must click the ‘Pay now $0.00’ button. This process will not affect the status of your reservation but will provide important payment details, which are essential to check if the owner requires prepayment.

4. After you click on “Pay Now $0.00” button, you will need to contact the landlord (as priority). For reservations requiring pre-payment, ensure the transfer is completed within 72 hours (3 days). Please review the cancellation policy carefully. You should receive an email notification when your reservation is confirmed or canceled. However, these emails may occasionally land in your spam/junk folder, so be sure to check all your mailboxes regularly. Additionally, log in to your housing portal account frequently to stay informed.

It’s crucial to ensure that your reservation status shows as “Booked” rather than “New” or “Available,” as the system will automatically cancel reservations after 72 hours (3 days).

Here’s how to do it:

1. If NO prepayment is required: Contact the owner directly and request that they update/change your reservation status to “Paid.” You must do this even if the property you are reserving does not require prepayment. This must be done within 72 hours.
2. If prepayment IS required: Coordinate with the owner to complete the prepayment within 72 hours (3 days). After making the payment or transfer (and providing proof of payment), ask the owner to update the status to “Paid,” completing the process. This must be done within 72 hours.

This is illustrated in the following image, which shows the final stage of the reservation process, referred to as “BOOKED.” Other booking statuses will be canceled within 72 hours, so ensure that “BOOKED” appears in your booking status after following all the steps outlined in this guide.

We recommend using email and WhatsApp to communicate with the owners. While the platform does offer a messaging window, we suggest relying on these two methods (email and WhatsApp) to ensure faster and more efficient communication. Owners may take longer to reply through the platform’s messaging window which could result in communication delays, especially when the property you booked requires prepayment, and the time becomes relevant as it should be handled in no more than 72 hours.

After your reservation status is updated to “BOOKED,” you can request your owner’s contact information by emailing the UPEACE Housing Assistant at housing@upeace.org. The details will be provided as quickly as possible.