Roomly Founder Story — Why I Built It
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This founder story was originally published on Roomly. View the original here.
At a point while building Roomly, I was homeless. Yeah, the very irony of building a housing solution for students while staying with a friend is real. I wasn't homeless because I didn't have money for rent. I had made full payments for rooms in the past. Twice. I never moved into any. I had paid inspection fees twice also, but still had to stay with a friend.
What happened during my house hunt?
First attempt: Paid ₦270,000, room sold to someone else the same morning
I saw an advert in a WhatsApp group and immediately messaged the agent. He said it was still available. I made full payment of ₦270,000 that morning without even knowing if the house existed outside the 2-minute video I watched. 5 minutes after sending the payment proofs, the agent sent a 2-minute voice note: another person just paid for the room that same morning. I was stunned. I received my money back in full after a few days of pressure. Had the agent genuinely had bad intentions, I would have never received the money back.
Second attempt: Paid for a room that didn't match the video
The next time a room caught my attention was in February. It was a nearly finished and fairly spacious room. The ad said a third roommate was needed. The agent advised I paid first so the room doesn't get taken. I paid in full.
On the way there, the agent branched off to settle an existing house case. While there, I heard him convincing three ladies to take a room the landlord had said had to be only 2 in the room. He then told them about another room for ₦320,000 but it was small. As we left, he said jokingly: "People like this, they later come back once houses become scarce. By that time, I would charge them ₦370,000 and they will pay for it." I didn't find that funny. It was preying on innocent students.
We got to the location and my mind was blown — not in the way you'd expect. The room looked nothing like the video. The property had no fencing and just sat in the middle of nowhere. The yellow paint on the lower half of the outer walls was already becoming greenish with mold. I didn't see any well or borehole. This room was not worth the amount I was told and I knew it. I scanned the room one last time and didn't even find a place for my bags. I said: "I don't like the house, and I'd love a refund." He made a call: "How far, the guy talk say he no like the place. Send the money back." I received my money back by midnight. Minus the "inspection fee" — despite footing the transport fare to the house in the first place.
Third attempt: Agent fees on top of rent
Well, now I stay on my own and this didn't come without its own hassles. The deal was simple: the previous tenant was about to leave Minna for good, and had stayed up to 6 months out of the rent already. Simple logic requires I pay half the price and then renew when it expires. Still I received his message stating I pay ₦100,000. ₦25,000 for agent fees. Which agent again? I was writing Roomly's code when I saw that message. I didn't complain. I paid in full. Because I knew, very soon, students would not have to pay a certain percentage of their rent fees on agent fees.
Why did I build Roomly?
When I say "Roomly was built with students in mind," I meant it deeply, because I have lived it.
This is the journey that birthed Roomly, and I hope it solves the problems it was created to solve correctly and efficiently. This is a long read — I know — and I intentionally didn't outsource the writing to AI. Now I will retreat back into my technical role, to keep squashing those bugs, and polishing the UI, so you have the best experience using Roomly. Thank you for reading to the end.
What problem does Roomly solve?
Roomly eliminates the extortion, opacity, and fraud in student housing searches by providing:
- Verified listings with real photos and videos
- Secure escrow payments (money held until you verify the property)
- 24-hour refund window if the property doesn't match
- No agent fees — direct connection between students and caretakers
- Roommate matching without "connection fees"
Who is Roomly for?
- Students at FUTMINNA (and expanding) looking for safe, verified off-campus housing
- Caretakers who want to list properties directly without agent middlemen
- Anyone tired of WhatsApp group housing scams
What's the current status?
Building started in February 2026. Core flows shipped and tested end-to-end: booking, roommate matching, and withdrawals. Real-time chat and Roomly AI are next. See the product roadmap for what's planned ahead.