Question 1

How do I find a sublet?

Accepted Answer

Open the map and look around. Filter by neighborhood, price, the dates you need, or how close a place sits to wherever your life happens. See something you like? Message the host, ask for a tour, or send an offer right there. No essays, no application fees, no waiting in line. And if nothing quite fits, the Wanted Board flips the whole thing around and brings hosts to you.

Question 2

What is the Wanted Board?

Accepted Answer

It is the marketplace in reverse. Instead of digging through listings, you post what you are after, your neighborhood, your budget, your move-in date, as picky or as flexible as you like. Hosts with a place that matches see your post and reach out to you. Think of it as letting the right sublet come find you while you get on with your day.

Question 3

Can I see the place first?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and you do not have to leave your couch to do it. Ask for a virtual tour right inside your chat with the host. If they are up for it, Merriday sets up a live video walkthrough at a time that works for both of you, so you can check the light, the space, and ask the slightly awkward questions before you commit to anything.

Question 4

How does making an offer work?

Accepted Answer

If a host has offers switched on, you are not stuck with the sticker price. Name an amount, add a short note on why, and send it over. The host can say yes, say no, or come back with a counter, usually within a day. One thing worth knowing. An accepted offer simply locks in that price for you. It does not book the place. You still have the final say when you go to confirm.

Question 5

What will it cost me?

Accepted Answer

That depends on how you choose to pay, because checkout gives you two options.

If you reserve first, day one is a reservation payment equal to one month's rent, plus a one-time $50 booking fee. Your first month's rent and our 5% service fee come later, before your rent deadline. Once your lease is signed and your rent clears, that reservation payment becomes your security deposit, which is the most New York law lets a host collect.

If you pay everything together, one transaction covers your security deposit, your first month's rent, the 5% service fee, and the $50 booking fee, and you sign your lease right at checkout.

Either way, the price on the listing is exactly what the host set. Our 5% service fee sits on top of each month's rent as its own line, never hidden inside the price. After move-in, every month is simply rent plus that 5%.

Question 6

Is my money safe?

Accepted Answer

It is. Every payment runs through Merriday, never straight into a stranger's account. We hold your first month's rent until you have moved in and confirmed the place is what you were promised. Your deposit sits in a separate, protected account the whole time you are there, and you get it back after you move out, minus only what you and the host agree you owe.

Question 7

Do I have to sign a lease?

Accepted Answer

You do, and it is the good kind of paperwork. Your host builds the lease right on Merriday, so every term you agreed on ends up in writing, and they sign it the moment they accept your booking. By the time you reach checkout, the lease is already waiting with your host's signature on it, and you can read every word before you pay a dollar. You sign on the platform too. It is a proper, legally binding agreement rather than a handshake and a hope, which is exactly what protects you if anything ever gets strange. Signing takes about a minute.

Question 8

Who am I renting from?

Accepted Answer

Real people, not faceless property companies. Every host proves who they are with a government ID before they can list a thing. Before you ever say hello, you can see their profile, how long they have been on Merriday, and how quickly they tend to reply. No mystery landlords, no surprises.

Question 9

What if the host cancels?

Accepted Answer

It depends on where you are in the process. Before you move in, everything you paid comes back to you from Merriday, your reservation payment or deposit, the rent you paid ahead, even the $50 booking fee. If it happens close to your move-in date, the host owes you a penalty on top, paid to you, not to us. And after you move in, a host cannot cancel at all. You have a signed lease, and that lease means the place is yours for the term. If you ever do need somewhere new, the Wanted Board and the rest of the marketplace are right there.

Question 10

What if I need to cancel?

Accepted Answer

Life happens, and the earlier you tell us, the gentler it goes. Cancel more than 30 days before your move-in date and your reservation payment comes back in full. Closer than that, a portion goes to the host for the trouble, and the rest still comes back to you. Once your lease is signed, it is a real agreement with real terms, so reach out early and we will walk you through your options for ending it the right way.

Question 11

How do I list my place?

Accepted Answer

Tap 'List your place', add a few good photos, and if you can, a short video walkthrough, since nothing sells the vibes of a place like video. Then describe the place: what the light does, what the block is like, what sets it apart. Set your rent and verify yourself once with a government ID, which is what keeps everyone on Merriday real. We give every new listing a quick look before it goes live, the same care that keeps the scams out, and once it clears, you are up.

Question 12

How does pricing work?

Accepted Answer

You set the rent you want to take home, and that exact number is what renters see on your listing and what lands in your pocket. Our 5% service fee is added on the renter's side of each month's rent, so our cut never comes out of your earnings. Want a little flexibility? Switch on offers and renters can propose a number, which you are free to accept, counter, or wave off right in the chat.

Question 13

When do I get paid?

Accepted Answer

Every payment runs through Merriday, so you are never chasing anyone down or sorting out awkward Venmo requests. Your first month is released to you once your renter confirms they have moved in, and after that the rent comes through on a regular schedule. Predictable, hands off, and yours.

Question 14

What about the lease?

Accepted Answer

Easier than you might think, because your listing does most of the work. Everything you told us when you listed, from utilities to house rules, flows straight into your lease, and the lease builder walks you through the handful of things we could not know, like who to call for repairs. When a booking request comes in, accepting takes you straight to your lease. Everything from your listing is already filled in, so you add the few details we could not know and sign electronically right there. Your renter signs on their side, and their right to move in only takes effect once their money has cleared and move-in day arrives.

Question 15

Can I choose who rents my place?

Accepted Answer

Completely. Every renter verifies their identity with a government ID before they are allowed to request your place, so there are no anonymous strangers in the mix. You see their profile and whatever note they send with their request, and the yes or no is always yours to give.

Question 16

What if my renter stops paying?

Accepted Answer

First there is a short grace period, then a one-time late fee if rent is still missing. If it keeps not showing up, we send reminders, can pause the renter's account, and at your written request can put the deposit toward what you are owed. We will be straight with you. Merriday is a platform, not a landlord, so only a court can actually order someone out. If it ever comes to that, we hand you a complete payment record to back up your case.

Question 17

What if my renter leaves early?

Accepted Answer

They can, but not on a whim. Ending the lease early takes 30 days' written notice through the platform and an early termination fee of one month's rent, paid to you, and rent stays due through the notice period. Once they are out, New York law asks you to make a good-faith effort to re-rent, and the marketplace is right there to help: relist in a click, and we will boost your listing so it gets seen quickly. A few legally protected situations, like active military orders, waive the fee, and we will let you know if one applies.

Question 18

What about the security deposit?

Accepted Answer

The deposit is held safely by Merriday the entire time, never floating around between you and your renter. On move-in day, your renter photographs the place room by room and submits a timestamped condition report, so there is a clear baseline from day one. When the stay wraps up, if there is damage beyond ordinary wear and tear, you photograph it and file an itemized claim against the deposit. Whatever is not in dispute goes back to the renter within 14 days of move-out, the deadline New York law sets, and if the two of you cannot agree, there are clear next steps waiting.

Frequently asked questions.

If you're looking for a place

If you're listing a place

Still have questions?