How verification works
A house appears in search only after somebody at Shopika has read the property's documents. Each badge means one thing, and only that thing.
What Shopika checks
The owner sends us documents and says how they are connected to the property. We look at:
- the title deed or the lease for the property;
- a letter of authority, when the person asking is managing it for the owner;
- the owner's ID.
We read them together and ask whether this person can really let these houses. Until that is decided, the property's houses do not appear in house search.
What each badge means
Property verified
Shopika has seen documents for this property and accepted that the person listing it may let it.
Vacancy confirmed
The manager said this house is empty, and the badge shows the date and time they last said so.
Those are the only two badges. There is no identity badge yet. When we add one, we will say exactly what it checks.
What a badge does not mean
- It is not a promise that the house is in good condition. We check documents, not walls.
- It is not a recommendation of the landlord or the manager as a person.
- "Property verified" does not mean the house is vacant, and "Vacancy confirmed" does not verify anybody's identity or any payment.
- It is never a reason to send money before you have seen the house.
How long it takes
Somebody at Shopika reviews every request. We do not promise a time, because a clear set of documents is quick and an unclear one means going back to the owner with questions. The owner hears the decision by email and in the app, and a rejected request can be sent again with better documents.
Why a vacancy expires after 7 days
Houses get taken and nobody remembers to take the advert down. That is why almost every listing you see elsewhere is stale.
Here, a listing shows only while the vacancy was confirmed in the last 7 days. After that it drops out of search by itself until the manager confirms again. So the date on a listing is a real date, not the word "available".
Late rent never makes a house vacant. A house is listed only when it is genuinely empty, the property is verified, and the vacancy was confirmed in the last 7 days.
How to report a listing
Open the listing and use "Report this listing" on the page. Tell us what is wrong: the house is taken, the price is not what you were told, somebody asked you for money, or anything that does not add up. You do not need an account to report.
A report goes to Shopika, not to the landlord. We can suspend a property while we look into it. You can also write to support@shopika.com or call or WhatsApp +254 712 095 031.