Frequently Asked Questions

Students, on both sides. Every account is verified with a .edu email — the subleaser holding the lease and the subleasee looking for housing. We don't onboard landlords, property managers, or homeowners.

The subleaser holds the lease and wants to sublease their unit out. The subleasee is the student seeking short-term housing from a subleaser. You'll see these exact terms everywhere on PeaPods.

No. Browsing and searching are completely open. You only need a verified account to save favorites, request a match, or message a subleaser.

Before any money moves, the subleaser and subleasee meet on a video call with a PeaPods team member present. It confirms both people are real, the place is real, and the terms are understood. Chat unlocks only after this intro is scheduled.

It's our safety model. Open DMs are where scams happen — pressure to pay off-platform, fake urgency, phantom listings. Routing every match through a moderated introduction removes that failure mode.

Subleasees see one all-in monthly price (the subleaser's rent plus a 2.5% PeaPods service fee). At checkout you pay the first month's rent plus an equal security deposit. Bank transfer (ACH) is the lower total; card costs slightly more due to processing.

One day after move-in is confirmed. PeaPods holds the money until then, so neither side is exposed.

PeaPods holds the security deposit for the full stay. It's returned to the subleasee seven days after checkout if no damage is reported.

Reputation you can count. Every completed sublease earns the subleaser a badge, shown on their listings — so you can see at a glance whether they've done this before.

Austin, Dallas, and Houston — the campus markets around UT Austin, SMU, UT Dallas, Rice, and the University of Houston. Texas only, for now.

Not yet. Both parties confirm the terms during checkout with an explicit confirmation step. Always check your original lease for its subletting policy.