Seven pillars
The defaults that keep the platform clean.
Student-only accounts
Every account is tied to an active .edu email. We check enrollment status at signup and may re-verify periodically.
Lease-backed listings
Hosts attach their master lease before publishing. We can’t inspect the property, but we can confirm there’s a real lease behind it.
Messaging stays in-app
No phone numbers, no burner emails. Conversations are stored so we can support you if anything goes wrong.
Talk before you sign
Video call the other person, or ask for a live video tour of the room. No phone numbers needed, and your camera starts off. Student Spots does not record calls, but another person could, so share only what you are comfortable with. If something feels off, report or block them from the conversation.
Initial Platform Payment, then off-platform
The first month’s rent is paid through Stripe once the agreement is signed. We don’t hold deposits or last month’s rent, and ongoing rent isn’t paid through Student Spots.
Encryption at rest and in transit
Your profile, documents, and messages are encrypted. We share the minimum data needed to complete a booking.
Massachusetts-aware by default
We don’t hold deposits, the platform enforces a 32-day minimum stay, and listers see a fair-housing wording warning before they publish.
Watch for these
Six red flags to walk away from.
“Just send me Zelle / Venmo / Cash App”
A Host should never ask you to pay outside the Initial Platform Payment flow before you sign the agreement. Off-platform payments are legal between you, but anyone insisting on them before booking is one of the most common scam patterns on student-housing platforms.
“Let’s move this to text/WhatsApp/email”
Conversations belong in-app. We can’t support you if something goes sideways in a thread we never saw. Anyone insisting you take it off-platform is removing the safety net.
“I can’t show you the place or get on a call”
A live video tour or an in-person visit is a good way to see the room. It does not prove the person has the right to rent it. If someone won’t show you the place and still wants you to commit, walk away.
“My landlord doesn’t need to sign — they’re cool with it”
Landlord written approval is a hard requirement on every Student Spots sublease. If a Host says it’s not needed, walk away. The agreement won’t hold up if the landlord later disputes it.
“The price went up at the last minute”
Whatever was in the Offer at booking is the price. If a Host tries to renegotiate after you’ve started paying, that’s a breach — and reportable.
“Send me your school login to verify”
We never ask for your school password. Verification is .edu email only. Nobody on our team or any Host needs your university login.
How to report
What we need from you and what we’ll do.
Include if you can:
- Listing URL or listing address
- Username or @handle of the user you’re reporting
- Screenshots of the conversation (in-app messages preferred)
- A short description of what happened and when
- Whether you’ve already paid anything off-platform
Reports about safety or fair-housing get human-reviewed within 24 hours. We do not share your name with the person you report, unless the law requires it. Urgent physical-safety concerns should always go to local police first; we’ll cooperate with any legal request that follows.