Sending a booking request on Uniplaces takes five steps: open the listing, choose your dates, fill in your details, add your payment details and click “”Request to Book””. You give your payment details when you send the request, but your card is only charged if the landlord accepts — and the landlord has 48 hours to respond.
Step 1 — Find a listing and click “Request to Book”
Browse listings in your chosen city and open the listing page you want to apply for. Read the whole listing first — the rent, the Services and Expenses section and the rental conditions — so you know every cost you will be asked to pay, including any deposit, admin fee or rent in advance paid directly to the landlord later. If the listing shows the “”Talk to the landlord”” option, you can message the landlord before booking. Otherwise, you can contact the landlord directly once your booking is confirmed; before that, questions go through Uniplaces support. Then click “”Request to Book””.
Step 2 — Select your move-in and move-out dates
Choose the exact dates you need. Make sure they match the listing’s availability before proceeding. The minimum stay on Uniplaces is 28 days.
Step 3 — Fill in your personal details
Confirm your name and contact information and write a short message to the landlord. An honest introduction improves your chances of acceptance. Some landlords also require character references or a guarantor; if so, you will be told.
Step 4 — Add your payment details
Enter your card or other payment details. These cover your first rental payment, the Uniplaces service fee and — where the listing has one — the holding deposit (an extra amount some listings charge to hold the room, passed on to the landlord). When you send the request, a temporary authorisation is placed on your card — this is not a charge. Your card is only charged if the landlord accepts your request. If the request is declined or expires, the authorisation is released by your bank, although it can take a few working days to disappear from your statement.
Step 5 — Send your booking request
Review your details and click “”Request to Book””. The landlord is notified immediately and has 48 hours to respond. You can follow the status of the request in your Personal Dashboard.
What if a step doesn’t work?
- Dates not available — if your chosen dates are greyed out, the listing is already booked for that period. Try different dates or search for another listing.
- Payment not going through — check your card details and available balance. If the issue continues, try a different card or contact your bank. See Which Payment Methods Does Uniplaces Accept? for more help.
- “”Request to Book”” button not showing — you may need to be logged into your Uniplaces account first. Sign in and try again.
What happens next?
Once you have sent your request, the landlord has 48 hours to accept or decline.
- If they accept, your payment is charged automatically and the booking is confirmed. You receive a confirmation email with the landlord’s contact details and move-in instructions.
- If they decline or don’t respond within 48 hours, the request closes and nothing is charged. You can search for another listing and send a new request straight away.
Once the landlord accepts, your booking is binding on both sides under the listing’s cancellation policy, and you lose the 14-day cooling-off right that applies to your agreement with Uniplaces — that is, the agreement to use the Uniplaces service, not the booking itself.
How payments work
Charged by Uniplaces when the landlord accepts: your first rental payment, the Uniplaces service fee and, where the listing has one, the holding deposit. No manual action is needed from you — the charge happens automatically at the moment of acceptance. The service fee is a percentage of your first rental payment and is not refunded if you later cancel the booking.
Uniplaces holds your first rental payment and transfers it to the landlord within two business days of the move-in date, once the 24-hour Safety Period has passed without a help request. That gives you 24 hours from your move-in date to check the property and report a problem to Uniplaces (a help request).
Paid directly to your landlord, after confirmation: everything else — the security deposit, any admin fee, rent paid in advance and your rent from the second month onwards. Uniplaces never processes these. Any payment to your landlord is legitimate as long as it is stated on the listing you booked and your booking is already confirmed. If it isn’t on the listing, or the amount is higher, contact Uniplaces support before paying.
When to contact Uniplaces support
- Anyone asks you to pay before your booking is confirmed, or to pay the first rental payment or service fee outside the Uniplaces checkout
- A landlord asks for a payment that isn’t on the listing, or for more than the listed amount
- Your payment keeps failing after you have checked your card and balance
Frequently asked questions
Can I send a booking request without a Uniplaces account?
No — you need a Uniplaces account to send a booking request. Creating one is free and takes under two minutes. See How to Create a Uniplaces Account to get started.
Can I send requests to multiple listings at once?
Yes — you can have several pending requests at the same time. When one landlord accepts and that booking is confirmed, all your other pending requests are cancelled automatically, so you cannot end up with two bookings.
How long does the landlord have to respond?
Landlords have 48 hours from the moment you send your request. If they don’t respond in time, the request expires automatically and you are not charged.
What if I change my mind after the landlord accepts?
Once the landlord accepts and your payment goes through, the booking is confirmed. Any cancellation from that point follows the listing’s cancellation policy, measured from the contract start date, and the service fee is not refunded. See What Is the Uniplaces Cancellation Policy?