In costa Rica, most rent contract and agreements require a deposit, however UPEACE have arranged with property owners, so that the security deposit can be paid from the second month and not from the first month as required. The first month’s rent will be considered as a trial month (mandatory payment), and the student will only have to pay the first month’s rent upon arrival (or prepayment if requested). During the first month (trial month), the student will have to decide whether to stay longer (at the same place chosen prior the arrival) or to move to another place starting the second month. Whatever decision the student makes, in the second month a contract must be signed and the corresponding payment of the second month’s rent plus the security deposit must be made together. The trial month applies exclusively to the first month upon your arrival in Costa Rica. Therefore, from the second month (after the trial month) you will have to comply with the terms and conditions agreed with your landlord.

Please note: A small number of landlords—particularly those working with business partners or real estate agencies—may request a security deposit payment (and a signed contract) in advance to confirm your reservation (usually paid via Bank transfer or Paypal). Deciding whether to accept this condition or choose a different property is entirely up to you. However, if you pay the deposit upfront, you may still have the flexibility of the first-trial month. This means you can choose to move to a different place in the second month without losing your deposit. For making this possible you must fully comply with the terms and conditions of your contract and informing the landlord about your decision to move-out (within 2–3 weeks) of your first month’s rent. However, if you do not meet the agreed conditions, the rules outlined in the contract will take effect,  and the host may withhold the return of the deposit.

UPEACE property owners prioritize students who already have a ticket and travel itinerary, as this serves as a confirmation of their reservation. If you do not yet have a flight ticket but need to reserve a place, you will be required to make a down payment or prepayment directly to the host to secure your spot. 

Please note that prepayments or security deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable. Please review the information related to prepayments in the document titled: Student Housing – General Information 2025-2026.

No, once you submit your booking request, the platform does not allow any modifications. However, once your booking has been confirmed by the host, you may request changes or upgrades and it will be up to the owner to endorse them or not.

The only action available to students (before owner´s availability confirmation) is to cancel the booking request. If the host has already confirmed your booking request, you are required to honor the booking for at least the first month upon arrival (trial month). To avoid any inconvenience, make sure you read the description of each property as well as the terms and conditions before booking.

If the payment is not completed within 72 hours of the owner’s confirmation, the platform will cancel your booking, and this action cannot be undone.

To avoid any issues, be sure to keep your owner informed throughout the process. Make this payment as a high priority to secure the home of your choice.

You can cancel a reservation only if the homeowner has not yet approved or confirmed it. Once the reservation is approved, you are required to fulfill your booking and follow the cancellation policies outlined by the homeowner. Therefore, it’s important to make sure you can commit to the reservation before finalizing it.

To do this, log in to the booking platform using your credentials. Navigate to your reservations, select the reservation you want to cancel, click the ‘Details’ button, and then select the ‘Cancel’ option. You will need to provide a reason for the cancellation before submitting it.

To access your reservation order, log in to your account on the UPEACE reservation platform and navigate to the “Reservations” tab. There, you will find all the details related to your bookings.

All students can only make 1 reservation at a time. Therefore, making more than 1 reservation at the same time may have consequences.

• The reservation you no longer want may be the one that is approved first and you will have to honor your reservation.
• All your reservations could be cancelled and the system will not allow you to book again.
• Both reservations may be confirmed by their owners and you may have to pay for both places upon arrival.

Additionally, this would cause further delays in the reservation process. Therefore, be sure to choose the property that meets your preferences before submitting your booking request.

Security deposit payments are typically required during the second month, following the trial month. This policy is exclusively available to UPEACE students.

Note: Some owners, particularly those working with real estate agents or rental partners, may request a security deposit before arrival. However, the trial month remains applicable, and the deposit will be refunded in accordance with the terms outlined in the lease agreement.

Don’t worry, the platform will automatically calculate the total amount of your order, but this doesn’t mean you have to pay everything before your arrival. To clearly understand the breakdown of your invoice, log in to your account on the portal and go to the “Payment” tab. There, you will see the following details:

• First month’s rent (or the duration you booked)
• Cleaning fee (if applicable)
• Extra services (if applicable)
• Subtotal (sum of the above amounts)
• Security deposit (which you can pay by the second month, after the trial month, unless the owner requests it as a prepayment for reserving the property)
• Total or balance due (the combined total of all the above criteria)

Based on the host´s conditions, you may be asked to make a booking prepayment (if applicable) or pay the full first month’s rent upon arrival. Be sure to carefully review the property description and payment policies.

The UPEACE booking platform does not handle any payments. It is solely designed for the student reservation process, allowing you to choose and book your preferred accommodation. All payments must be made directly to the homeowner according to their rental terms and conditions.

If the owner does not require a prepayment, no down payment is needed, and you can make your first payment on the day of your arrival. If a prepayment is needed, you’ll have 72 hours from the time your reservation is approved to complete the payment and confirm your booking. If payment is not made within this time limit your booking will be cancelled and this cannot be reversed (no exceptions).

This platform does not handle any payments. To obtain the bank details for the prepayment, you will need to contact your host directly. Once your reservation is approved, you must request your landlord’s contact information from the UPEACE Housing Assistant at housing@upeace.org.

Yes, you must first register as a user to reserve a facility. Without registration, the platform will not allow you to make any bookings. During registration, you will encounter two user profile options:

• I want to book (for students only)
• I want to host (for owners only)

Please ensure you select the appropriate user profile during the registration process.

The minimum reservation period set by listed owners is 1 month. The platform will NOT permit you to make bookings for a duration shorter than this.

Please ensure that you follow the recommended booking cycle, starting from your check-in day and continuing to the same day of the next month, and similarly for each subsequent month of your stay. This is how the rent payment cycle works for UPEACE students

No, all reservations must be made on a monthly basis. Unlike platforms like Airbnb, UPEACE offers special rental rates for students, making it neither practical nor beneficial for listed owners to rent for very short periods.

If you need a reservation for a short course, please reach out to the Housing Assistant via email at housing@upeace.org. This process is typically handled manually, as not all landlords agree on short-term bookings. Availability will depend on the season and the individual landlord’s policies.

Regardless of whether you choose to remain in your current location or relocate to a new one, you are required to book your accommodation for a minimum of three additional months following the trial-month, preferably until the end of your academic year.

Please note that the trial month is available only once, upon your initial arrival in Costa Rica and prior to the start of your program.

You should reach out to the UPEACE Housing Assistant at housing@upeace.org to help you find properties that accommodate short stays (days or weeks). Host family homes often offer more availability and flexibility for stays under one month. Depending on your travel dates and room availability, a suitable accommodation will be assigned to you.

No, this payment is non-refundable. When students submit their reservations, it confirms their official check-in and commitment to the booking. If a student decides to cancel the booking request, this amount will not be refunded, and the owner will keep it. Furthermore, the owner has the right to use the property and offer it to another interested student. 

Note: This is not an additional rent fee but a prepayment— usually equivalent to one-third of the first month’s rent—that will not be refunded if the reservation is canceled or postponed. 

Please be aware that the 72-hour period starts as soon as the host accepts or confirms the student’s reservation. If the payment is not confirmed within this time, the platform will automatically cancel the reservation, making it available for other students to book. In some cases, students may request an “extension to complete the prepayment” due to special circumstances. Whether or not this extension is granted is at the discretion of each individual owner and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The reservation can be held between 7 to 10 days after the official check-in date (based on the booking request when submitted), with the specific duration determined by each owner. After this grace period, the owner can choose to either extend the hold for the student’s arrival or make the accommodation available for other students to view and book.

It’s important to recognize that each semester, disagreements and conflicts often arise between roommates. These issues typically stem from factors like poor communication, cultural differences, personality clashes, or challenges in cohabitation.

Most students manage to resolve or navigate these conflicts effectively, enabling them to continue living together during their academic term. However, if efforts to address the issues fail and the incompatibility becomes evident, it’s best to seek alternative arrangements before the situation escalates. Ignoring or delaying action until tensions reach a breaking point can create a stressful and chaotic living environment.

Additionally, it’s crucial to remember that roommates share the same rental agreement and are obligated to respect the landlord’s terms and conditions. Any decision to move out, whether by one or more students, should be addressed and communicated well in advance—at least one month prior, no exceptions. This ensures fairness not only to your roommates but also to the landlords, who also have rights as stipulated in the lease agreement.

When creating your account on the UPEACE Booking Portal, you’ll be asked to confirm your email address as part of the registration process for new users and students. Once you’ve filled in the required information, look in your inbox for an email titled “Your username and password on UPEACE Booking Portal”, which should look similar to the example shown below. See information encircled in yellow

If you don’t see the verification email in your main inbox, be sure to check your spam, junk, or other available folders. If you still can’t find it after checking all your email folders, please contact the UPEACE Housing Assistant by emailing housing@upeace.org and let them know you haven’t received the verification email. Important: In your email, include the email address you used to register as well as your username. These details are necessary for the administrator to verify your account and enable you to proceed with your account customization and reservation.

If your user role on the UPEACE booking platform is changed without explanation — for example, from student to host or the other way around — please notify the UPEACE Housing Assistant right away so the correction can be made promptly. You can report this by emailing housing@upeace.org.

Our listed owners are dedicated to providing student housing, so cancellations of “confirmed status” reservations are uncommon. However, in the event of a force majeure situation, if the owner cancels your reservation at the last minute, you will have the oportunity to rebook through the portal even on short notice (having regard to the circumstances) or contact the Housing Assistant directly for guidance and recommendations.

On the UPEACE reservation platform, students will not be able to chat with listed homeowners before submitting a reservation. Therefore, your decision should be based on the information available through the housing portal, including property descriptions, photos, videos, and reviews (if available). After your reservation is submitted and the availability confirmed by the host, will be able to view the property information. If you’re unable to locate the host contact details, you can easily request them by contacting the UPEACE Housing Assistant at housing@upeace.org. When emailing be sure to include your full name, username, the email address associated with your account, and your reservation order number (a four-digit code).

If a prepayment is required by your host, it must be transferred within 72 hours of your reservation being approved, otherwise the booking will be canceled due to non-payment.

Please note that check-in dates may vary due to changes in flight schedules, so it is crucial that hosts stay fully informed about their guests’ arrival dates and times.  After your reservation is confirmed, make sure to reach out to the property owner—ideally through email or WhatsApp—and share your flight itinerary. This step is essential, as owners rely on this information to prepare for your arrival and ensure they are available to receive you at the correct time.