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When you select and purchase a Membership Plan you will go through ID verification, and once passed, your membership will enable you to list your profile and gain full access to the matching site.

Member Features:
As a member with a listed profile you can search and view unlimited members, read their full profiles, and send them an initial message or 'like' them to get them to notice your profile. If the interest is mutual, you can communicate directly by hapipod internal email and instant chat, and also be contacted by interested parties.

There are 3 Membership Plan options of different durations:
Bronze, 1 month
Silver, 3 month
Gold, 6 months

See 'pricing' in the menu bar for host and lodger fees (these will occasionally be offered free or at discounted rates during specific promotions).

You will be notified prior to your Membership Plan expiring, and can purchase a new plan at any time, so long as you still have an account, or if not, you can rejoin. Membership Plans do not auto-renew.

● Simply complete your profile, pass a swift ID check and purchase a Membership Plan for full access to the matching site. Unverified profiles, or those without a Membership Plan can be listed, view summary profiles, and see who likes or contacts you - but cannot communicate.
● Once fully on board, go to ‘Find lodgers’ or ‘Find rooms’ on your dashboard. Your matches will appear based on your preferences.
● Use search filters to change your selections and browse more profiles.
● When you view a profile, mutually shared traits and interests will appear underlined
● Open a full profile to see communication options on the right. You can send an initial message to a member prior to being matched. If they choose to ‘match’ then you can communicate freely via hapipod’s internal email or instant chat
● Alternatively, just click the heart on a profile to ‘like’ a member and get them to notice you (you may get a slower response!)
● You’ll be alerted instantly and by email if you get a ‘match’ which means communication is opened up.
● You’ll be alerted by email if you get a ‘like’ or message and can choose to ‘match’ with them and respond.
● If someone you ‘like’ or message isn’t yet ID verified, or doesn’t have a live Membership Plan they will receive your notification, can check your profile and decide whether to get Verified, renew their membership and respond. They won’t be able to read your message unless they do.
● You can save profiles of interest to your ‘Favourites’ folder to review later

Any members you communicate with via our platform have passed a basic ID verification check so you can have a level of confidence that they are who they say they are. This does not check criminal history and we do not vet anyone. It is therefore vital that you do your own background checking on potential lodgers and hosts.

Hosts should always ask to see a lodger's identity documents (passport or driving licence), DBS certificate (or equivalent national criminal record check), references and right to rent in the UK (relevant visas or permissions if they are from abroad).

Please see our Safeguarding page for full guidelines.

Lodgers should do further background checks on a host if they feel it necessary. Many hosts will already have a DBS certificate, or be willing to get one for the right homeshare.

The Renters’ Rights Act does not apply to live-in Landlords or hapipod lodgers as they have a homeshare license agreement rather than an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement (AST) . Lodgers don't have the same rights as tenants.

This means it does not affect ‘no-fault’ evictions. Live-in landlords don’t need to serve Section 21 or Section 8 notices or require a court order to evict a lodger. However, they must still provide a reasonable notice period which hapipod suggests as one month to provide a fair balance, but can be a minimum of one week if the room fee is paid weekly, and it is mutually agreed.

Live-in Landlords are not required to use Government schemes to protect deposits.

Both types of Landlord must still ensure the home is safe and free of health hazards, which should include an annual gas safety check.

Sharing your living room is not a given and must be pre-agreed.

If your spare room is a good size, you can choose to keep your living room private. However, if it is small, it may be unreasonable to expect a lodger to restrict themselves to that space (other than the kitchen and bathroom) with no access to a communal living area.

Some hosts have more than one communal living area and divide their use.

Limiting the space a lodger can use may make your homeshare less appealing.

Currently, under the UK Government's 'Rent A Room' scheme you can earn up to £7,500 per year tax free from a lodger staying in your spare room. This means you can charge up to £625/month and should not need to declare it under the current scheme. If the Government's 'Rent A Room' scheme should change, you would need to reassess whether you are required to declare the rental income you receive. It is your responsibility to check what the terms of the current scheme are and abide by them.

Lodgers must be over 18 to sign the Homeshare License Agreement. There is no upper age limit so long as you can provide the company or skills required.

This homeshare arrangement works for students, graduates, key workers, young professionals and people at any life stage facing changing circumstances, financial issues, or just needing to save money.

Homeshares can be intergenerational or between contemporaries.

If either a host or a lodger wants to end a homeshare early they must give reasonable notice to terminate. The suggested notice in hapipod's Homeshare Contract Template is 1 month. This period can be increased or decreased by mutual agreement.

It cannot be less than 1 week, as that is the minimum legal period in the UK that can be given, and that is only if the room fee is paid weekly.

hapipod recommends notice is always given in writing, and it is often helpful to get someone to help you prepare and issue the notice.