FAQ.
Frequently asked questions
Booking and Contracts
How do I book a room?
You can book it via our website or, if you prefer, you can pass by our office and book it here.
How far in advance do I need to book?
As soon as possible after you have made a decision, otherwise you might lose the room to someone else.
Do you ask for a deposit?
Yes, we take a deposit and the amount depends on the contract you choose.
What happens if I want to cancel my booking?
Get in touch with us when you decide to cancel your booking. What will happen and how much money you will get back will depend on the timing and the circumstances of your cancellation. You can check our cancellation policy here.
Can I change bedroom?
Changing bedrooms is not allowed, but let us know if you want to do this. We can advise you on the best way to end the contract of your current room and to start a new contract for another room.
Check In and Check Out
Do you pick me up at the airport/train station?
We will help you with all the information you need to get to our office and to your flat with public transport or we can explain you how to get here.
How can I get there?
In the description of each flat you can find the nearest metro stations. If you have any problem or doubt you can come to the office and we will help you. Get a look at our contact page and discover the address of our offices.
Is there public transport close to my flat?
Yes, all of our flats have a perfect location with a lot of options for transport and good connections.
What should I do on my Check out day?
Here you have some tips you have to follow in order to avoid check out penalties:
-Give the keys back with the tag to identify them.
-You have to check the room. Start from the mattress: the cover clean and dried on the mattress at the check out moment (not in the washing machine or on the rack).
-The room must be clean. Do not forget to sweep and clean the floor. Do not forget to clean under you bed! Clean the furniture of the room (inside the closet and in the drawers, the dust on the furniture, etc.)
-The light bulb must work correctly at your check out moment. Otherwise, the price will be of 5€ for each one. If you want to change a bulb, but you don't know the model to buy it, don't hesitate to contact your flat manager.
-Get the trash out and clean the bin.
-Don't leave any kind of personal belonging (such as pillows, duvets, etc.) or personal furnitures.
-Put the cutlery in your room (big dish, small dish, deep dish, glass, cup, spoon, fork, knife, teaspoon). Make sure they have the number of your room.
Payments and Discounts
How can I pay my rent?
Most of the tenants pay their rent online by card or PayPal. You can also spay the rent in the office by cash or credit card. If you prefer, you can also pay by bank transfer.
This month I'll pay later.
Thank you for telling us! Do not forget that we can just give you 5 more days to pay. After this period, we will charge you with the cash penalty for the payment delay. Do not forget to send us the receipt of the payment once you achieve to pay the rent and the bills.
Why do I have to pay the bills if I am not living in the flat anymore?
As you can read on the bill details, the expenses refer to the previous period, before than yor check out. You can download the complete bill document on your online account. You always pay just the amount corresponding to the days you actually lived in the flat.
Why did my flamate pay a lower amount of the bill expenses?
Each tenant pay the bills depending on the days he/she stays in the flat. If your flatmate gets in the flat after you do, or he/she gets out before than you, than his/her the amount is lower.
Why is the bill so expensive this month?
The amount of the bill represents exactly how the tenants use the service; therefore, if it increases you might talk to your flatmates about this irregular consumption of energy. You can download the complete bill document on your online account (the total is divided into all the flatmates). You always pay just the amount corresponding to the days you actually lived in the flat (considering check in and check out dates).
Why haven't I received my deposit back yet?
As written in the contract, we have 60 days after the check out date to give you the deposit back. If you haven't received it yet, it means that we are already waiting for some bills of your flat. In case the bills do not arrive within 60 days, we will estimate the average expenses of the consumption in your flat and you will receive an email to confirm the bank account number for the transfer of your deposit.
My study period will end before I thought and I want to interrupt my contract before the established date.
Keep in mind that the contract length can't be changed once you sign the contract; you can just change the check out date. Get a look at the type of your contract and read the terms and conditions, in order to check if you have the option to find a substitute or you lose the deposit for early check out.
If your contract gives you the chance to find a substitute, the new person has to sign a new contract with us (the minimum length is 3 months) and then you can have your deposit back.
How can I pay online?
You can pay logging in your online account here. To log in you need your ID and password that we automatically send you by email on the check in date (always check also in your Spam box and if you can't find it, please contact us).
Services
When is the office open?
Read here the opening hours in all our cities and pass by the office: we will help you with all your doubts and problems!
Do you provide bedclothes?
In our rooms we don't provide bedclothes (sheets or duvets, etc.), towels or pillows, but buying new stuff is always cool, right? We can always advice you on where to buy everything at a cheap price.
Is there a cleaning service for the flat?
We provide a cleaning service free of charge once a week for the common areas, but this is only as an extra help. Remember that keeping the flat clean is still the responsibility of the tenants.
Which services are included?
The price shown is only for the rent. Besides that you have to pay the bills for electricity, gas and water. Remember that all our flats have free WiFi connection and that we offer a free cleaning service once a week for the common areas.
Is there any parking place around?
We do not provide parking place, but if you are interested in it, let us know! We can help you find a place to park your car.
Can I lock my room?
Yes, all of our rooms have a lock.
Do you provide maintenance service?
In case something doesn’t work or is broken, you can contact directly your Flat Manager via Whatsapp or email, or you can send an email at:
- Madrid: infomadrid@helphousing.com
- Barcelona: infobarcelona@helphousing.com
- Valencia: infovalencia@helphousing.com
- Florence: infofirenze@helphousing.com
- Milan: infomilan@helphousing.com
We will send someone over as soon as possible to fix the problems.
We run out of hot water.
Remember that the flat has an electric water heater, that works by accumulating water. Therefore, once the volume of the tank heats up, you can use this quantity of water and as the cold water gets in the heater, it needs a while to get warm. Probably, some of your flatmates had a shower before you and you need to wait a little bit in order to make the water warm again.
The light bulb in my room doesn't work.
Our maintenance service does not cover damaged bulbs for each tenant's room. If the ceiling in your room is very high, we can send someone to replace it, but you should buy it and let it in your room, so that the maintenance staff can fix it. Send us a picture of the current bulb in your room and we will let you know which one you have to buy.
House rules
What are the basic rules in the shared flats?
The most important for us is that there is a good atmosphere in the house. Basic rules are: no parties, no smoking and no pets. * Hosting parties (in the rooms or apartments) is strictly forbidden and it can cause the termination of the contract between the tenant and the company.
Can I have friends and family over?
You can invite friends or family to stay over in your flat. The only conditions are that the visitors sleep in your room, that you inform your flatmates and that it is for a short period of time.
Can I furnish my room?
All of our rooms have a bed - single or double -, a wardrobe, a desk and a chair. You can decorate your room as you want and fill it with all you need, but be careful not to damage anything (furniture, paint, etc.). If you want to buy an extra piece of furniture, please let us know beforehand.