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.
For buyers
Find a home, save what you love, and contact sellers safely.
Find the right property
- Use the search bar at the top — type a district, neighbourhood, or a reference code like NYU-XXXXX.
- 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.
- Switch to Map view to see what's in a specific area, or draw a custom area on the map.
- Tap "Near me" to centre the search on your current GPS location.
- 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.
Use the price histogram
- Open the price filter — the bars show how many active listings fall into each band, respecting all your other filters.
- Drag either handle on the slider to set min and max, or type figures into the boxes below.
- The histogram updates as you change filters — useful for understanding the distribution before committing.
Save & organise into folders
- Tap the heart on any listing card to save it.
- Open Account → Favourites. Use the per-card "Unfiled" chip to move into a folder (or create one — e.g. Shortlist, Long shot, Investment).
- Each folder has a Compare button — opens up to 3 properties side by side.
- Add a private note on any favourite (e.g. 'good price, weird kitchen') so you remember why you saved it.
- We'll email you when a favourited listing drops in price or sells.
Share a read-only shortlist
- On Account → Favourites, find the Share manager.
- Pick a folder (or 'All favourites'), give the link a label (e.g. 'For dad'), click Create.
- Copy the short URL — anyone with the link can browse your shortlist without signing in. No personal details are shown.
- Revoke a link at any time; revoked links show 'no longer available' to anyone who clicks them.
Send an enquiry safely
- Open the listing and tap "Send enquiry" — your phone number is required so the seller can call you.
- Tick the "What would you like to know?" boxes for faster, more focused replies.
- Never send money before viewing the property in person and verifying the title with a partner lawyer.
- If you suspect a scam, use the Report button on the listing — admins review reports daily.
- You can attach photos (or PDFs) inside an enquiry thread — useful for sharing IDs after the first viewing.
Get notified about new matches
- Run a search you like, then click the bookmark icon to save it.
- Toggle "Email me about new matches" on the saved search.
- Manage all your alerts at Account → Saved searches. We badge new matches per search.
Verify your identity (KYC)
- Open Account → Verify identity.
- Enter your Uganda National ID number, upload photos of both sides plus a selfie holding the card.
- Sellers and other buyers see an emerald ID-verified badge on your profile once an admin reviewer approves — usually within 1 working day.
- We never publish the ID itself or the documents; only the badge.
Compare properties side by side
- From Account → Favourites, use the per-folder Compare button (visible when a folder has 2+ items).
- Or click 'Add to compare' on any listing card to build a custom set.
- The compare view highlights cells that differ — easy to spot trade-offs.
- Compare caps at 3 properties to keep the table readable on phones.
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
- In the dashboard, tap "List a property" to open the listing wizard.
- Step 1 — basics: pick Sale / Rent / Short stay, give the listing a short descriptive title, and write a description (at least 40 characters).
- 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.
- Step 3 — details, then photos (3 minimum, ideally 6+), then a plan, then preview.
- Free plans live for 30 days; you can renew or boost at any time.
Hide your exact location
- Wizard step 2 — tick 'Show only an approximate location to buyers' below the map.
- Once republished, the public map rounds the marker to roughly 1 km and the street address is hidden.
- Buyers get the exact address via the enquiry flow — your privacy is preserved against drive-by scammers.
- You, your assigned agent, and admins still see the exact pin in the dashboard.
Get a verified badge
- Open the Verify tab in the dashboard.
- Pick the listing to verify and upload the title deed, a recent utility bill, and your ID.
- Optionally pick a partner lawyer — they unlock the gold FULL-tier badge plus a public certificate.
- Use the chat panel on each request to send extra documents or ask questions — the lawyer / admin sees your messages instantly.
- We review within 2 business days once payment confirms.
Boost a listing
- Pick a listing from the Boost tab.
- Choose Top search (priority in matching results), Featured carousel (homepage rotation), or Highlighted (accented border).
- Pay by Mobile Money or card. Boost activates as soon as payment confirms.
- If you have credits (from your plan or referrals), toggle 'Use a boost credit' to activate without charging your card.
Earn boost credits via referrals
- Open Account → Refer or the Boost credits hub at the top of /dashboard/boost.
- Share your personal link or referral code with friends — anyone who signs up via your link is credited to you.
- Each qualifying signup tops up your boost-credit balance — spend it on any boost without re-paying.
- See your balance, history, and active boosts all in one place under Boost credits.
Set a sale price (struck-through)
- In the wizard step 1, toggle 'Offer a discount' — this is mutually exclusive with the price-range toggle.
- Enter the original (higher) price and the listed (lower) price. The original must be strictly higher.
- Public listing pages render the listed price with the original struck through next to it.
- Buyers see this as a clear price cut signal in the cards and detail page.
Respond to enquiries fast
- Open the Enquiries tab — buyer messages live in a two-pane messenger.
- Use the Templates page to save quick replies — Available, Schedule viewing, Location details.
- Drop the Paperclip in the composer to attach images or PDFs (5MB max, 5 per message).
- Buyers see your typical response time on the listing page. Replying within an hour is the biggest single lever on getting bookings.
See boost impact
- Open Dashboard → Listings → [your listing] → Analytics.
- Once a listing has been boosted long enough, the Boost impact card shows views/enquiries before vs during the boost with a % uplift.
- 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
- After signing up as Agency / Organisation, open Org → Profile.
- Add your firm name, logo, regions served, and a short blurb.
- Your public profile is at /agent/your-slug — share that link in marketing material.
Add team members
- Open Org → Members and invite agents by email.
- Set their role: Admin can manage the whole org, Agent can manage listings.
- Each agent's listings show their name, not just the agency.
Manage your subscription
- Open Org → Subscription to view your current plan and seat count.
- Upgrade or downgrade at any time — the difference is pro-rated.
- Optional: enter a promo code for a discount in checkout via the "Have a promo code?" field.
For partner lawyers
Review property documents, sign off verifications, and unlock the gold FULL-tier badge for sellers.
Accept a case
- Open Cases in the lawyer portal — you'll see queued verification requests assigned to you.
- Click into a case to view the property, uploaded documents, and seller details.
- Use "Reassign to admin" if the case falls outside your expertise.
Fill out the verification checklist
- On a case detail page, the checklist editor sits next to the documents.
- Standard items are pre-seeded by tier (BASIC: 7, FULL: 10) — mark each Pass / Fail / N/A.
- Add a buyer-visible note per row, and add custom criteria via 'Add custom item' when needed.
- Buyers see the complete report on the public /verification/{code} certificate.
Talk to the seller via the request chat
- Each verification request has a chat panel below the case detail.
- Send a message — the seller receives an in-app notification immediately.
- Use the thread to request extra documents (e.g. a recent utility bill) without leaving the platform.
Sign off a verification
- Review every uploaded document inside the in-browser viewer (no download needed).
- Click "Approve" to flip the listing to verified — your name appears on the public certificate.
- 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
- On the sign-in page, click "Forgot password?".
- Enter your email or +256 phone number — we send a reset link that works once for 60 minutes.
- If you signed up with Google or Apple, use that button instead of a password.
Change your password
- Open Account → Settings (or Lawyer portal → Profile if you're a lawyer).
- Find the Change password card — enter your current password plus the new one twice.
- We rotate any outstanding reset links the moment you change, so an old emailed link from a phishing attempt becomes invalid.
Choose how we notify you
- Open Account → Notifications.
- Per event, pick which channels you want — in-app, email, SMS, push.
- Critical events like payment receipts and verification decisions stay on across all channels by default.
Update your profile
- Open Account → Settings (or Dashboard → Settings for sellers).
- Edit your name, phone, and email; verify your phone or email via OTP to earn a green pill on your profile.
- Sellers can also set a profile photo and specialty tags so buyers find them faster.
Switch between UGX and USD
- Click the currency toggle in the header (UGX / USD pill).
- Every price across the site shows the USD equivalent based on the live rate.
- Hover any USD price to see what FX rate the conversion used.
- The setting is per-browser (saved in localStorage) — it doesn't change the listing's actual price.
Use dark mode
- Click the moon / sun toggle in the header.
- Dark mode follows your system preference by default; the toggle is a hard override.
- 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 (BASIC and FULL tiers)
- A green checkmark badge on a listing means the property documents have been reviewed. BASIC tier is reviewed by the NyumbaUG admin team. FULL tier (gold badge) is reviewed by a partner lawyer with an on-site visit and includes a public certificate buyers can look up at /verification/{code}. Verification is a guide based on documents — not a guarantee of clean title, property condition, or the outcome of any transaction. Always do your own due diligence. See the full breakdown of what we check vs what we don't guarantee at /safety#verification.
- Boost (paid placement)
- A paid time-limited push for a listing. Three types: Top search pins the listing to the top of matching search results; Featured carousel rotates it through the homepage hero rail; Highlighted adds an accent border so it stands out in any list.
- Boost credits
- Free boosts you can spend like a stored balance. Earned via your subscription plan (each tier bundles a number) and via referrals (every signup via your /account/refer link tops you up). One credit covers one boost activation regardless of type — spend them at /dashboard/boost via the 'Use a boost credit' toggle. They never expire and don't reset when your plan renews.
- Listing plan
- Sets how long the listing stays live, how many photos it can carry, and whether a free boost is bundled. Basic plans are free and live for 30 days; premium plans last longer, allow more photos, and rank higher. You can upgrade at any time — the difference is pro-rated.
- 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
- Two different signals about a seller / listing that look similar but mean different things. Reviews are 1-5 star ratings (with optional comments and photos) submitted by past buyers — they capture how easy it was to work with the seller, how accurately the listing was described, and how responsive the seller was. Verification is a structured document check carried out by NyumbaUG admins or a partner lawyer — it confirms that the seller owns (or is authorised to list) the property, that the title document is real, and that the listing matches the documented property. A listing can have great reviews but no verification (the seller is well-regarded but hasn't paid for the document check yet), or vice versa. The strongest trust signal is when both are present. Verification doesn't guarantee a clean title, the absence of disputes, or the outcome of any transaction — always do your own due diligence before paying anything.
- ID-verified
- An emerald badge on a seller's profile / listing that confirms they completed the KYC flow at /account/verify-identity — they submitted their Uganda National ID (NIN + photos of both sides + a selfie holding the card) and an admin reviewer confirmed the match. We never publish the ID itself; only the badge. The check covers identity only and doesn't guarantee the quality of any specific listing, the cleanliness of the title, or the outcome of any transaction — pair it with the listing verification badge (which checks ownership documents) for the strongest signal.
- 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. Higher quality listings rank higher in search.
- 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.
- Boosted vs Featured
- Boosted means the seller paid for time-limited placement (visible as a sparkles badge). Featured means the listing is on a higher-tier plan that includes baseline priority. Both can apply to the same listing.
- 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 — we usually reply within one working day.