NyumbaUG

Help centre

Step-by-step guides for everything you can do on NyumbaUG, organised by what you're trying to get done. Glossary at the bottom for jargon. Search across both, or browse by section. Can't find your answer? Contact us.

What the badges mean

Who is selling

  • Verified user: we checked their photo and national ID.
  • Verified agency: we checked the company's registration.
  • Verified provider: a valuer, surveyor or property manager we checked.
  • Partner lawyer: a lawyer who reviews listings for NyumbaUG.

The property

  • Lawyer verified · Silver: a partner lawyer checked the ownership documents.
  • Lawyer verified · Gold: the lawyer also checked the property in person.

Paid and advertising

  • Promoted: a framed card with a strip. The seller paid for it to stand out.
  • Top of search: paid for one of a few rotating spots at the top of matching results. Named on the listing page.
  • Featured: paid to take turns in the homepage carousel. Named on the listing page.
  • ADAD: every listing is an advert placed by its seller. Tap it for details.

Paying for visibility says nothing about the property; only the silver or gold shield does.

For buyers

Find a home, save what you love, and contact sellers safely.

Find the right property

  1. Use the search bar at the top — type a district, neighbourhood, or a reference code like NYU-XXXXX.
  2. Open the filters panel for price, bedrooms, type, and amenities. Behind the More filters disclosure you'll also find listed-within, verified-only, furnished-only, and the 15 amenity checkboxes.
  3. Switch to Map view to see what's in a specific area, or draw a custom area on the map.
  4. Tap "Near me" to centre the search on your current GPS location.
  5. If a strict query returns nothing, we'll automatically relax the narrowest filters and show close matches — each relaxation appears as a chip you can re-tighten.
Open search →

Use the price histogram

  1. Open the price filter — the bars show how many active listings fall into each band, respecting all your other filters.
  2. Drag either handle on the slider to set min and max, or type figures into the boxes below.
  3. The histogram updates as you change filters — useful for understanding the distribution before committing.

Save & organise into folders

  1. Tap the heart on any listing card to save it.
  2. Open Account → Favourites. Use the per-card "Unfiled" chip to move into a folder (or create one — e.g. Shortlist, Long shot, Investment).
  3. Each folder has a Compare button — opens up to 3 properties side by side.
  4. Add a private note on any favourite (e.g. 'good price, weird kitchen') so you remember why you saved it.
  5. We'll email you when a favourited listing drops in price or sells.
My favourites →

Share a read-only shortlist

  1. On Account → Favourites, find the Share manager.
  2. Pick a folder (or 'All favourites'), give the link a label (e.g. 'For dad'), click Create.
  3. Copy the short URL — anyone with the link can browse your shortlist without signing in. No personal details are shown.
  4. Revoke a link at any time; revoked links show 'no longer available' to anyone who clicks them.
Manage links →

Send an enquiry safely

  1. Open the listing and tap "Send enquiry" — your phone number is required so the seller can call you.
  2. Tick the "What would you like to know?" boxes for faster, more focused replies.
  3. Never send money before viewing the property in person and verifying the title with a partner lawyer.
  4. If you suspect a scam, use the Report button on the listing — admins review reports daily.
  5. You can attach photos (or PDFs) inside an enquiry thread — useful for sharing IDs after the first viewing.

Get notified about new matches

  1. Run a search you like, then click the bookmark icon to save it.
  2. Toggle "Email me about new matches" on the saved search.
  3. Manage all your alerts at Account → Saved searches. We badge new matches per search.
Saved searches →

Verify your identity (KYC)

  1. Open Account → Verify identity.
  2. Enter your National ID or passport number, and upload photos of it plus a selfie holding it.
  3. Once our team approves the check, a Verified user badge (a blue circle with a tick) appears next to your name on your profile and listings.
  4. We never publish the ID itself or the documents; only the badge.
Verify identity →

Compare properties side by side

  1. From Account → Favourites, use the per-folder Compare button (visible when a folder has 2+ items).
  2. Or click 'Add to compare' on any listing card to build a custom set.
  3. The compare view highlights cells that differ — easy to spot trade-offs.
  4. Compare caps at 3 properties to keep the table readable on phones.
Compare →

For individual sellers

List your own property — basic listings are free and you only pay for boosts or higher-tier plans.

Create your first listing

  1. In the dashboard, tap "List a property" to open the listing wizard.
  2. Step 1 — basics: pick Sale / Rent / Short stay, give the listing a short descriptive title, and write a description (at least 40 characters).
  3. Step 2 — location: drop a pin on the map (this powers the map and the 'near me' search). The other fields fill in automatically. Tick 'Hide exact location' to publish only an approximate marker.
  4. Step 3 — details, then photos (3 minimum, ideally 6+), then a plan, then preview.
  5. Free plans live for 30 days; you can renew or boost at any time.
Start a listing →

Hide your exact location

  1. Wizard step 2 — tick 'Show only an approximate location to buyers' below the map.
  2. Once republished, the public map rounds the marker to roughly 1 km and the street address is hidden.
  3. Buyers get the exact address via the enquiry flow — your privacy is preserved against drive-by scammers.
  4. You, your assigned agent, and admins still see the exact pin in the dashboard.

Get a verified badge

  1. Open the Verify tab in the dashboard.
  2. Pick the listing to verify and upload the title deed, a recent utility bill, and your ID.
  3. Choose a partner lawyer, and the level: documents only, or documents plus a site visit.
  4. Use the chat panel on each request to send extra documents or ask questions. The lawyer sees your messages straight away.
  5. Once payment confirms, your lawyer reviews the documents. You'll be notified when it's decided, and an approved listing gets a public certificate code.
Request verification →

Boost a listing

  1. Pick a listing from the Boost tab.
  2. Choose Top of search (the top of matching results), Featured (the homepage carousel), or Promoted (a framed card with a "Promoted" strip).
  3. Pay by Mobile Money or card. Boost activates as soon as payment confirms.
  4. Or pay with credits from your wallet (1 credit = UGX 1): choose Credits instead of Mobile Money or card. An agency's included boosts are used from here too.
Boost a listing →

Earn credits by referring friends

  1. Open Account → Refer and share your link or code.
  2. When a friend who signed up with it verifies their phone and lists a property or sends an enquiry, credits go into your wallet.
  3. Spend credits on boosts and listing plans (1 credit = UGX 1).
  4. Your balance and every credit in or out are in Account → Wallet.
Refer a friend →

Set a sale price (struck-through)

  1. In the wizard step 1, toggle 'Offer a discount' — this is mutually exclusive with the price-range toggle.
  2. Enter the original (higher) price and the listed (lower) price. The original must be strictly higher.
  3. Public listing pages render the listed price with the original struck through next to it.
  4. Buyers see this as a clear price cut signal in the cards and detail page.

Respond to enquiries fast

  1. Open the Enquiries tab — buyer messages live in a two-pane messenger.
  2. Use the Templates page to save quick replies — Available, Schedule viewing, Location details.
  3. Drop the Paperclip in the composer to attach images or PDFs (5MB max, 5 per message).
  4. Buyers see your typical response time on the listing page. Replying within an hour is the biggest single lever on getting bookings.
Enquiries inbox →

See boost impact

  1. Open Dashboard → Listings → [your listing] → Analytics.
  2. Once a listing has been boosted long enough, the Boost impact card shows views/enquiries before vs during the boost with a % uplift.
  3. Use this to decide whether to renew the same boost type next time.

For agencies

Set up your team, manage your subscription, and share listings across agents.

Set up your organisation page

  1. After signing up as Agency / Organisation, open Org → Profile.
  2. Add your firm name, logo, regions served, and a short blurb.
  3. Your public profile is at /agent/your-slug — share that link in marketing material.
Org profile →

Add team members

  1. Open Org → Team and invite agents by email.
  2. Set their role: Admin can manage the whole org, Agent can manage listings.
  3. Each agent's listings show their name, not just the agency.
Org team →

Manage your subscription

  1. Open Org → Subscription to view your current plan and seat count.
  2. Upgrade, renew or downgrade at any time — an upgrade charges the new plan's full monthly price and adds a fresh 30 days on top of whatever time is left.
  3. Optional: enter a promo code for a discount in checkout via the "Have a promo code?" field.
Subscription →

For partner lawyers

Review property documents, sign off verifications, and unlock the gold FULL-tier badge for sellers.

Accept a case

  1. Open Cases in the lawyer portal — you'll see queued verification requests assigned to you.
  2. Click into a case to view the property, uploaded documents, and seller details.
  3. Use "Reassign to admin" if the case falls outside your expertise.
My cases →

Fill out the verification checklist

  1. On a case detail page, the checklist editor sits next to the documents.
  2. Standard items are pre-seeded by tier (BASIC: 7, FULL: 10) — mark each Pass / Fail / N/A.
  3. Add a buyer-visible note per row, and add custom criteria via 'Add custom item' when needed.
  4. Buyers see the complete report on the public /verification/{code} certificate.

Talk to the seller via the request chat

  1. Each verification request has a chat panel below the case detail.
  2. Send a message — the seller receives an in-app notification immediately.
  3. Use the thread to request extra documents (e.g. a recent utility bill) without leaving the platform.

Sign off a verification

  1. Review every uploaded document inside the in-browser viewer (no download needed).
  2. Click "Approve" to flip the listing to verified — your name appears on the public certificate.
  3. Click "Reject" with a clear note if anything is missing or doesn't match.

Account & settings

Things every account needs from time to time.

Reset your password

  1. On the sign-in page, click "Forgot password?".
  2. Enter your email or +256 phone number — an emailed link works once and lasts 10 minutes; an SMS code lasts 5.
  3. If you signed up with Google or Apple, use that button instead of a password.
Reset password →

Change your password

  1. Open Account → Settings (or Lawyer portal → Profile if you're a lawyer).
  2. Find the Change password card — enter your current password plus the new one twice.
  3. We rotate any outstanding reset links the moment you change, so an old emailed link from a phishing attempt becomes invalid.
Account settings →

Choose how we notify you

  1. Open Account → Notifications.
  2. Per event, pick which channels you want — in-app, email, SMS, push.
  3. Critical events like payment receipts and verification decisions stay on across all channels by default.
Notification settings →

Update your profile

  1. Open Account → Settings (or Dashboard → Settings for sellers).
  2. Edit your name, phone, and email; verify your phone or email with a code so buyers see "Contact confirmed" on your listings.
  3. Sellers can also set a profile photo and specialty tags so buyers find them faster.
Account settings →

Switch between UGX and USD

  1. Click the currency toggle in the header (UGX / USD pill).
  2. Every price across the site shows the USD equivalent based on the live rate.
  3. Hover any USD price to see what FX rate the conversion used.
  4. The setting is per-browser (saved in localStorage) — it doesn't change the listing's actual price.

Use dark mode

  1. Click the moon / sun toggle in the header.
  2. Dark mode follows your system preference by default; the toggle is a hard override.
  3. Every page respects the choice — no need to set it per surface.

Glossary

Quick definitions for the terms you'll see across NyumbaUG. Each item is anchorable — share /help#glossary-trust-score to point someone at a specific definition.

Verification
A lawyer-verified badge means one of our partner lawyers checked the property's ownership documents against the listing. At the higher level the lawyer also visited the property. Every approved listing gets a certificate code (VRF-XXXXX) that anyone can look up at /verification. Verification is a documents check, not a guarantee of clean title, the property's condition or the outcome of any deal. See /safety#verification for the full list of what's checked.
Boost (paid placement)
A paid, time-limited push for one listing. Top of search puts it at the top of matching results (a few places, shared in turns when several listings have it). Featured puts it in the homepage carousel. Promoted gives its card a frame and a "Promoted" strip so it stands out wherever it appears. Only Top of search changes where a listing sits in search results.
Credits
NyumbaUG's wallet currency: 1 credit = UGX 1. You get credits by buying a credit pack, from a promo code, from referrals, and (for agencies) each paid month of an agency plan. Spend them on boosts and listing plans instead of paying by Mobile Money or card. Your balance and history are in Account → Wallet.
Listing plan
Sets how long the listing stays live, how many photos it can carry, and which boosts come with it. The Free plan lives for 30 days; paid plans last longer, allow more photos, and include boosts every time you buy them, renewals too. You can upgrade a live listing at any time — you pay the new plan's full price, and its full term is added to the time you have left.
POA — Price on application
Hides the exact price from buyers — they see “Price on application” and have to enquire to learn the asking price. Useful for high-end or sensitive listings. The price you entered is still stored so the listing sorts and filters properly; only the display is hidden.
Price range
Displays the listing as a band (e.g. UGX 300M – 380M) instead of an exact figure. Buyers see flexibility; sort and filter still work using your lower bound.
Approximate location
Sellers can tick a wizard checkbox to publish only an approximate marker on public maps — rounded to roughly 1 km from the actual pin, with the street address hidden. Useful for owners worried about drive-by scammers. The exact pin stays available to assigned agents and admins; buyers learn the address through the enquiry flow.
Reference code (NYU-XXXXX)
A short, phone-dictation-friendly code we mint for every published listing. Use it on a poster, WhatsApp message, or printout — buyers can paste the code into the search bar and get sent straight to the listing.
Verification certificate (VRF-XXXXX)
Every approved verification gets a public certificate at /verification/{code}. The certificate names the verifier, the property, and the date it was signed off, plus the lawyer's checklist responses (pass/fail per item). Anyone can open the URL — useful for sharing with cautious buyers.
Trust score
A 0–100 blend of a seller's rating, share of reviews from verified buyers, response time, average listing quality, verification status, and how long they've been on NyumbaUG. Higher is better, but always check the individual listing too.
Reviews vs verification
Reviews are star ratings (with optional comments and photos) from people who dealt with the seller: how easy they were to work with and how accurate the listing was. Verification is a documents check by a partner lawyer: that the seller owns or may list the property, and that the listing matches the documents. A listing can have great reviews and no verification, or the other way round. The strongest signal is both.
Verified user (ID check)
The Verified user badge shows the seller completed the identity check at /account/verify-identity: they submitted their National ID or passport and a selfie holding it, and our team confirmed the match. We never publish the document itself. It covers identity only, not the listings.
Response time
The median time a seller takes to reply to a buyer enquiry across their last few conversations. Faster responders close more deals — buyers see this on every listing page.
Listing quality score
Recomputed live as you build a listing. Weighted by photo count, description length, amenity coverage, whether you've pinned the map, whether you've uploaded documents, and whether the listing is verified. In search, listings whose title matches the buyer's words come first, then higher-quality listings, then newer ones (unless the buyer picks another order). A higher score also puts the listing earlier in buyers' For You recommendations.
KCCA divisions
Kampala is split into 5 administrative divisions: Central, Kawempe, Makindye, Nakawa, and Rubaga. In the listing wizard, the City field is relabelled Division when the district is Kampala — pick the division your property is in.
Shareable shortlist
A read-only public link to one of your favourite folders (or all of them). The recipient sees the listings but no personal details — useful for sending shortlists to family or a co-buyer who isn't on the platform. You can revoke any link at any time; revoked links display 'no longer available' to anyone who clicks them.
Relaxed filters
When a search returns zero matches, we automatically loosen the narrowest filters (e.g. drop bedrooms, then bathrooms, then neighbourhood) and re-run. Each relaxation appears as a chip above the results — click it to re-tighten that constraint. The search keyword is never relaxed, so a zero-keyword query stays empty.

Still stuck?

Reach the NyumbaUG team, and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

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