Frequently asked questions

A verified listing has been physically visited by a WALE agent within the last 60 days. We confirm that the address exists, the landlord or agent named in the listing controls it, and the availability date and price are current. The badge does not guarantee the property matches your expectations — only that the information we show is accurate as of the verification date.

We verify every listing that carries our badge. Some listings on WALE are sourced from accredited agents or landlords we know, but have not yet been visited by our team — those show the source but do not carry the verified badge. When browsing, you can filter to verified-only if you want listings we have personally confirmed.

We aim to re-visit every verified listing every 60 days or whenever a tenant moves out, whichever is sooner. A listing that was verified but has since gone more than 60 days without re-confirmation loses its badge until we can visit again.

Browsing, searching, and requesting inspections through WALE is completely free for students. We do not charge tenants, and we do not take a cut from your rent.

Landlords and agents pay a small listing fee to have their properties appear on WALE and go through verification. The fee is annual, so once a property is listed and verified, it stays on the platform for a full year or until it is rented.

The rent shown on the listing is the rent the landlord or agent told us, and we require them to honor it. If you request an inspection and discover the actual rent is higher than what we published, report it to us immediately — we will remove the listing and refund the landlord's fee.

Click the "Request inspection" button on any listing. Fill in your contact details and preferred times, and we forward your request to the landlord or agent. They typically respond within 24 hours to confirm a time. You visit the property directly with them — we do not send someone from WALE unless you ask us to.

Not yet. Right now WALE is a search and inspection platform — when you are ready to pay a deposit or sign a tenancy agreement, that happens directly between you and the landlord. We plan to add escrow and digital agreements in a future release.

Do not pay. Report the listing to us immediately through the contact form. WALE-listed landlords and agents know that asking for money before an inspection will get them removed from the platform. If someone does it anyway, we want to know.

We currently cover the catchment areas around UNILAG, UI, OAU, ABU Zaria, UNN, UNIBEN, FUTA, and BUK. Coverage means we have local agents on the ground who can verify listings, not just a list of properties someone sent us. If your university is not listed, get in touch — we prioritize expansion based on demand.

The catchment area is the set of neighborhoods students from a university typically live in — usually within 30 minutes' transport of campus. For UNILAG, that is Akoka, Yaba, Bariga, and the surrounding area. For UI, it is Agbowo, Bodija, Sango, and nearby zones. Listings outside the catchment still appear in search results, but we flag the commute time.

Yes. If you are a landlord with property near one of the universities we cover, or an agent with access to verified listings, get in touch through the contact form. We will send you the onboarding steps and the verification schedule. Listing fees are paid annually and cover verification visits.

We hire verification agents in each university town we cover. The role involves visiting properties, confirming details with landlords, photographing interiors and exteriors, and filing reports. If you are local to one of our coverage areas and interested, email us at hello@walehousing.ng with "Verification agent" in the subject.