Deposit and contract guide for CvSU dorms

The most shared cautionary stories in the CvSU dorm community are about money: a withheld deposit, a verbal deal that changed, a "reservation fee" sent to someone who then went quiet. None of it needs a lawyer to avoid. It needs the terms written down before any money moves. This guide explains the normal terms near CvSU and gives you a simple checklist you can screenshot.

Reminder: CvStay never holds your money. Rent, deposits, and reservation fees are paid directly between you and the landlord (usually GCash or cash). That means the written agreement below is your real protection, not the platform.

What the payments actually mean

The near universal terms around Indang and the satellite campuses are "one month advance, one month deposit." They are two different things.

• Advance (advance rent). Your first month's rent, paid before you move in. It is used up by your first month of staying.
• Deposit (security deposit). Held by the landlord and meant to be returned when you leave, minus any unpaid bills or real damage beyond normal wear. It is not extra rent.
• Reservation fee. An optional hold so the landlord stops offering the slot to others. Get in writing whether it is refundable and whether it counts toward your advance.

Before you send any money

• See the actual room in person or on a live video call, not just old photos.
• Confirm the price is all in or, if not, exactly which bills are separate (electricity, water, WiFi).
• Get the full name and number of the person you are paying, and confirm they are the owner or an authorized caretaker.
• Ask for a written agreement (a clear chat message counts) that lists every term below.
• Never send a reservation fee to a stranger who refuses a call or a signed note. That refusal is the single biggest scam signal students report.

What a fair agreement should say

It does not need to be formal. A dorm agreement, even one typed in a chat and confirmed by both sides, should state:

1. Names of the landlord and the student.
2. The exact unit or bedspace and the address.
3. Monthly rent, and whether it is all in or which utilities are extra.
4. Advance and deposit amounts, and the exact conditions for getting the deposit back.
5. Move in date and the minimum stay.
6. House rules that affect daily life: curfew, visitors, overnight guests, cooking, pets.
7. Notice period before moving out (commonly 30 days).
8. What happens to the deposit if you leave early, and what happens to your slot if the landlord ends the stay.

Getting your deposit back

Deposits are meant to be returned. To protect yours, take clear photos of the room on move in day and again on move out day, keep every receipt (screenshots of GCash count), settle your last bills before you leave, and give notice in writing. If the terms said the deposit is refundable and you left the room in good condition with no unpaid bills, you are entitled to it back.

Kapalitan (slot transfer) notes

A kapalitan is passing your slot to someone else mid contract. Do it only with the landlord's written go signal, and make the deposit handover explicit: who returns your deposit, who collects the new person's, and on what date. Money moving between three people is exactly where kapalitan deals go wrong, so write it down.

If something goes wrong

Keep your evidence (agreement, receipts, photos, chats). For a listing on CvStay you can file a report through our complaints page, and we can act on the landlord's account. For money disputes, your barangay hall offers free mediation, which resolves most dorm cases without going further.

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