Frequently Asked Questions

For seekers

Is StayLocal free for seekers? Yes — searching, browsing and contacting listers is completely free. You only need to sign in to reveal contact numbers.

What does the VERIFIED badge mean? The listing passed human review (photos, pricing, address) and the lister's phone number was OTP-verified. It is not a guarantee — always visit before paying anything.

Why do some listings show FEATURED? The lister paid for a promotion. Featured slots are labelled and capped at 2 per page, and never override honest ranking beyond disclosed limits.

A listing looks fake / the lister asked for money before a visit. What do I do? Don't pay. Report it via the Report button on the listing or at /report — we review within 48 hours. See Safety.

For listers

What do I need to list? Four photos (building front, living area, kitchen, bathroom), accurate rent/deposit, an OTP-verifiable phone number. Takes about 5 minutes.

How long does review take? Within 24 hours, usually faster. You'll get an email either way.

Why was my listing rejected? The rejection email contains the reviewer's reason. Fix it and resubmit — rejection isn't a ban.

How do payments work? Paid plans are currently activated after offline payment (UPI/bank transfer) against an invoice. See Pricing and the Refund Policy.

Account & privacy

How do I download or delete my data? /privacy/manage — instant JSON export; deletion requests are executed after a short review.

How do I stop marketing emails? Toggle marketing consent off at /privacy/manage, or per-category at /account/notifications.