Questions
What you want to know, without small print.
Is your question not here? Mail info@roomalert.nl.
What does Roomalert cost?
Nothing for now. The bot is free at the start, and placing a room is free.
A paid plan for seekers will come later. What it will cost will be stated here when that time comes; you are not tied to anything.
In which cities does it work?
In Amsterdam and Utrecht. Rotterdam, The Hague, Eindhoven and Groningen are on the map already, but are not open yet.
Where do the rooms come from?
From two kinds of supply. Rooms that people place with Roomalert themselves, and rooms from a small number of sites that allow a program to read them. At the moment those are Roofz and Woongroep.net.
That is less than you may expect. We would rather say so honestly than name a large number.
Why no rooms from Facebook, Kamernet, Pararius or Funda?
Because Roomalert does not read those sites. A site that does not allow a program is left alone. If you look there as well, you do that next to Roomalert.
How do I get an alert?
You open the bot in Telegram and tell it your city, your maximum rent and what you are looking for. When a room or studio comes up that fits, you get a message in Telegram. You get one alert per room at most.
If you want the alerts by mail as well, give the bot your mail address with /mail.
What do the labels on a room mean?
Every room shows its rental length: indefinite or longer than three months, temporary, or unknown. And whether you can register at the address: yes, no or unknown.
When it says unknown, ask the advertiser. Roomalert does not leave such a room out, because too little would be left.
How do I spot a scam, and what does Roomalert do about it?
When something looks like a scam, there is a warning above the alert. For now Roomalert looks at one thing: a rent far below what is normal.
A warning is not proof, and no warning is not a guarantee. Never pay before you have seen a room.
How do I respond to a room, and what does the advertiser see of me?
To a room placed through Roomalert you respond in the bot, with the Respond button under the alert. The advertiser sees your first name and your short introduction, and never your Telegram name or your phone number. You do not see the advertiser's either.
If you want to continue outside the bot, you write your details in a message yourself. For a room from another site you get the link to the advertisement and respond there.
What is the introduction letter (hospitatiebrief)?
A short text in which you introduce yourself. You write it once in the bot, with /brief. When you respond to a room, the bot offers it as a draft that you can still change.
I have a room. How do I place it, and what happens then?
You answer a few questions about the room in the bot and add up to four photos. That is free.
Every room is checked before it goes out: automatically first, and by a person in case of doubt. After that, everyone whose search fits gets an alert. Responses come in through the bot, and you decide whom to answer.
A room stays up for 14 days. You can extend it, mark it as rented or take it down with /mijnkamers.
What if someone misbehaves?
Every conversation through the bot has a button to report abuse, for the seeker and for the advertiser. The report goes to Roomalert, which can block the other person. Someone who is blocked can no longer place or respond.
How do I stop, and how do I erase my data?
/pauze stops the alerts and /hervat starts them again. /verwijder in the bot erases everything at once: your profile, your alerts, your rooms and your conversations.
What exactly is kept and for how long is in the privacy statement.
Why Telegram?
Because an alert is on your phone at once there, and because you can respond without sharing your number. All you need is Telegram's free app.
Does this website track me?
No. The website sets no cookies, uses no analytics and loads nothing from other parties. That is also why you see no cookie notice.