How we check homes
Every Listing on Pillow says what we checked and when. Here is what each check means, and what it doesn't.
Visited
Someone from Pillow went to the Property and saw the vacant home in person. The Listing shows the date of that visit.
Some Listings say "Not visited yet". That means nobody from Pillow has seen the home in person.
Sometimes a photo shows an identical home in the same Property, not the vacant one. We label those photos.
What it doesn't promise: Visited doesn't tell you who owns the Property. It also doesn't mean the home is still vacant today. Check the vacancy date too.
Vacancy confirmed
We ask the Landlord, Caretaker or Agent every week, on WhatsApp, how many homes are still vacant. The Listing shows when they last told us.
Once the last answer is a week old, the date changes colour so you can see it is getting old. If nobody confirms for 14 days, we take the Listing down.
What it doesn't promise: This is what the Lister told us. We don't go back to look. A home can be taken between one answer and the next.
Who can rent it out
When we visit, we note who we spoke to and whether they are the Landlord, the Caretaker or an Agent. We also check whether the name on the payment account matches the person renting out the home.
An Agent, property managers included, can list a home only after we have checked their registration. Each home type has one Listing, from the person closest to the Property: the Landlord, then the Caretaker, then an Agent.
What it doesn't promise: We don't look at title deeds or land records. We can't tell you who legally owns the Property.
Keeping your money safe
- No fee is allowed before a viewing. Don't pay anything before you've seen the home.
- Before you pay a deposit, check the name on the payment account.
- Pillow never holds deposits or rent. You pay the Landlord, Caretaker or Agent directly.