Your booking is confirmed once the landlord has accepted your request and your payment has gone through. 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. You’ll receive your landlord’s contact details by email — here’s what to do next.
What does a confirmed booking mean?
A confirmed booking means the landlord has accepted your booking request and your payment — 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) — has been processed. Your accommodation is secured for your chosen dates, and the landlord is bound to offer it for those dates, at the price stated, and in a condition not materially different from the listing. No further action is needed to hold your place.
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. The Safety Period gives you 24 hours from your move-in date to check the property and send Uniplaces a help request reporting anything that is materially different from the listing. If you report a problem in time, the payment is held while Uniplaces reviews the case and released once the review is complete.
What email do you receive?
After your booking is confirmed, Uniplaces sends you an email containing:
- Your booking reference number
- The landlord’s name, email address and phone number
- Your confirmed move-in and move-out dates
- The property address and any move-in instructions the landlord has provided
- A summary of the payment that was processed
The confirmation email doesn’t always arrive instantly. If you can’t find it, check your spam folder first. If it still hasn’t arrived after a couple of hours, contact the Uniplaces support team.
What you still pay — and to whom
Your first rental payment, the Uniplaces service fee and, where the listing has one, the holding deposit have already been paid through the Uniplaces checkout. Nobody — not your landlord, not anyone claiming to be Uniplaces — should ask you to pay these again by bank transfer, cash or to a personal account.
Everything else is paid directly to your landlord and is never processed by Uniplaces: depending on the listing, the security deposit, an admin fee, a cleaning fee, rent paid in advance (for example the last month’s rent), and your rent from the second month onwards. The listing you booked — its Services and Expenses section and rental conditions — sets out which of these apply and how much they are. Some landlords ask for them before your move-in date, others on move-in day; both are normal.
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. See What Is the Admin Fee? and How Does the Security Deposit Work on Uniplaces?
What are your next steps?
Once you’ve received your confirmation email, there are a few things worth doing straight away:
- Contact your landlord — use the contact details in your confirmation email to introduce yourself and confirm your arrival time.
- Provide anything the landlord requires — once a booking is confirmed, it is your responsibility to meet any further requirements the landlord has, such as references or guarantor details, and to sign the tenancy agreement with them. Uniplaces is not a party to the tenancy agreement.
- Read about the 24-hour Safety Period — if anything is materially different from the listing, you have 24 hours from your move-in date to report it to Uniplaces.
- Prepare your documents — depending on your destination country, you may need to register locally or obtain a tax number. See How to Prepare for Your Move-In Day.
Where to find your booking details
Your booking information is available in your Uniplaces account at any time. Log in and go to your Personal Dashboard, where you’ll find everything related to your stay — payment history, landlord contact details and move-in information. Your confirmation email contains the same key details, so use whichever is easier to hand.
When to contact Uniplaces support
- Your confirmation email hasn’t arrived after a couple of hours
- Your move-in date is approaching and you can’t reach your landlord
- Your landlord asks for a payment that isn’t on the listing you booked, or for more than the listed amount
- You’ve been asked to pay your first rental payment or the service fee again, outside the Uniplaces checkout
- You need to cancel your booking
Frequently asked questions
Can I change my move-in date after the booking is confirmed?
Once the booking is confirmed, your booking dates are the ones in your booking confirmation, and your 24-hour Safety Period runs from that move-in date. The moment to change dates is before acceptance: before accepting your request, the landlord may suggest new dates, and if you accept them, they become your booking dates and payment is taken for that booking.
What if I haven’t heard from the landlord after confirmation?
Landlords don’t always get in touch straight away, and that’s normal. You have their contact details in your confirmation email, so you can reach out to them directly. If your move-in date is approaching and you still haven’t been able to reach them, contact the Uniplaces support team and we’ll help you make contact.
Can I get a receipt for my payment?
Uniplaces issues a receipt for its service fee once your booking is confirmed. The first rental payment is received on behalf of your landlord, so it isn’t covered by that receipt. If you need a copy of the service fee receipt for your records or an expense claim, contact the Uniplaces support team.
What happens if I need to cancel after the booking is confirmed?
You can cancel by contacting our support team. How much of your first rental payment is refunded depends on the cancellation policy the landlord chose for the listing (Flexible, Moderate, Strict or Non-refundable — Moderate applies if none was chosen) and on how many days before the contract start date you cancel. The service fee is never refunded when you cancel. Once you have signed the tenancy agreement or moved in, cancellation follows the terms of the tenancy agreement. See What Is the Uniplaces Cancellation Policy?
What if the landlord cancels my confirmed booking?
You are refunded in full — your first rental payment, the service fee and, where you paid one, the holding deposit — and the Uniplaces support team helps you find alternative accommodation. Cancelling a confirmed booking may result in restrictions on the landlord’s account.