Sinoik, a new Spanish platform for flatsharing, is now available at sinoik.com. It has been created for those looking for a room, those who have one free, and those who want to set up a flat with someone from scratch.
Each listing includes the profile of the person posting it, and some accounts carry a verified identity badge. The idea is simple: anyone looking for a room should know who they are going to live with before writing to them, not after signing. Posting an ad and contacting other users is free, and messages go directly between the two people, without intermediaries or commissions.
Three types of listing
The platform distinguishes between three types of listing. The first is for someone who has a spare room and is looking for the right person. The second is for someone looking for a room who introduces themselves so that others can get in touch with them. The third is for someone looking for a flatmate to rent a flat together from scratch, something common among students and young professionals who move to a new city and do not yet have a place to live.
Areas, neighbourhoods and map
Sinoik has a catalogue of neighbourhoods and areas in large cities and university towns, such as Murcia, Valencia, Barcelona, Granada, Bilbao or Salamanca, and allows searching by map. Each listing indicates the area, so that the searcher can focus on the neighbourhood they are interested in and not just the city.
Useful information for each profile
In addition to the listings, the website publishes information pages with practical tips tailored to each profile. For students, they recommend clarifying before signing the duration of the contract, whether it covers the summer, who signs it, how expenses are shared and how to get to campus. For those who work, they suggest talking about schedules, remote working, internet connection and weekday visits. And for those who prefer to share a flat with female flatmates, they explain how to indicate that preference and how to feel at ease when going to view a property.
Security and trust
Sinoik insists on a basic rule to avoid fraud: do not pay any deposit or down payment before viewing the property and meeting the person. The profiles, the verified identity badge and direct contact between users seek to help both parties make decisions with more information.
The approach
"Flatsharing works when living habits fit, not just the price," explains Toni Sánchez, founder of Sinoik. "That's why we put the person's profile in front of the listing, and that's why we wanted contact to be free: no one should have to pay to find out if they get along with their future flatmates."[Revisar y aprobar la cita antes de enviar.]
How to get started
Listings can be viewed without registering. To post a listing or write to other users, you access it with a Google account, and the posting process is designed to be completed in a few minutes. Each listing can include photos, a description, the price, the area and the living preferences of the person posting it, such as the preferred gender of the new flatmate or if they prefer not to share with students.
Sinoik is in its first few weeks of life and continues to incorporate improvements based on the opinions of those who use it. Those who want to try it out or make suggestions can do so at sinoik.com or by writing to hola@sinoik.com.
About Sinoik.Sinoik is a free Spanish platform for flatsharing, with listings for rooms, people looking for a room and people looking for a flatmate to rent together. More information at sinoik.com.