Information we collect

We collect information you provide when creating an account, contacting support, subscribing to updates, submitting a review or report, or registering and managing a hostel listing.

• Account details such as name, email address, optional phone number, account type and verification status.
• Hostel-owner and listing details, including contact information, address, map coordinates, rooms, prices, facilities, rules and uploaded photos.
• Content you submit, including reviews, reports, change requests, contact messages and newsletter preferences.
• Technical and security information such as IP address, browser or user-agent information, authentication sessions and timestamps.

How we use information

• Create, secure and maintain HostelSpace accounts.
• Verify, review, publish and moderate hostel listings and photos.
• Show approved public listing details to students and calculate nearby-university distance.
• Process support messages, reports, reviews, notifications and requested emails.
• Prevent abuse, duplicate submissions, unauthorized access and security incidents.
• Improve platform reliability and understand how core features perform.

What becomes public

Only information intended for a public listing is displayed after review. An account email remains private unless a user explicitly chooses a feature that publishes it.

• Approved hostel name, category, description, location, public contact details, facilities, rules, rooms, prices, availability and approved photos.
• Approved platform reviews display the reviewer’s name and rating, but not their email address.
• Reports, private owner information, admin notes and moderation reasons are not published as listing content.

Service providers and sharing

We do not sell personal information. We may use service providers needed to operate HostelSpace, such as hosting and database infrastructure, Cloudinary for images, email delivery, Redis-backed queues, authentication services and mapping providers. They receive only the information needed to provide their service.

• Information may be disclosed when reasonably necessary to comply with lawful requests, protect users, investigate misuse or enforce these terms.
• Students who call or message a hostel use the public contact details chosen by the owner; that communication occurs outside HostelSpace.

Storage, security and retention

We use password hashing, protected refresh cookies, access controls, account-role checks, session revocation and moderation controls. No internet service can guarantee absolute security.

• Account and listing records are retained while needed to provide the service, protect listing history, resolve disputes and meet legitimate operational or legal needs.
• Archived or moderated records may be retained to prevent abuse and preserve an audit trail.
• When information is no longer reasonably needed, we may delete or anonymize it.

Your choices

• Update your name and optional phone number from your profile.
• Change your password and revoke active sessions.
• Remove wishlist items, comparison selections and newsletter subscription.
• Ask about correction or deletion of personal information by emailing support@hostelspace.pk.
• Hostel owners may request changes to verified sensitive listing sections through the owner portal.

Children and student safety

HostelSpace is intended for university students, prospective students, parents or guardians, and hostel operators. Users who are not legally able to agree to these terms should use the service with a parent or guardian.

Policy changes and contact

We may update this policy as HostelSpace features or legal requirements change. Material updates will be posted on this page with a revised date. Privacy questions can be sent to support@hostelspace.pk or HostelSpace, Lahore, Pakistan.