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Hous - Portfolio
Hous is a property management platform designed for both property managers and short-term tenants, featuring a mobile app and a web application.
29 October 2024
Artificial Intelligence
15 min reading
About the project
Hous is a property management platform designed for both property managers and short-term tenants, featuring a mobile app and a web application. It aims to streamline the rental process, enhance communication, and provide essential tools for effective property management. The platform addresses the supply-demand imbalance in the housing market, particularly for students and young professionals, by offering integrated solutions that improve user experience.
20+ Features | 3-Month MVP Development
Challenge
The primary challenges identified include a significant supply-demand imbalance in rental accommodations, slow growth in demand due to inadequate awareness and inefficient communication channels, and limited market penetration of effective property management solutions among property managers.
Approach
To tackle these challenges, Hous combines advanced features tailored for tenants and property managers, facilitating easy communication, booking management, complaint submission, document accessibility, and transaction monitoring for tenants. For property managers, it provides unified agreement management, task coordination, advanced analytics, and multi-property management capabilities.
Discovery phase
Market Research
75%
Of higher education students live away from home, with only 20% of current demand met by campus accommodations.
55%
Are seeking private accommodation options as they migrate for job opportunities.
3.42 crore
Higher education students enrollment in 2014-15 is projected to increase to 5.30 crore by 2024-25.
12 million
Young professionals aged 22-35 are actively seeking housing.
8.65 crore
Is the estimated demand for beds for students alone which indicates a clear opportunity for Hous to capture this market.
The Gap
Existing solutions often fail to connect tenants with property managers effectively. Hous aims to fill this gap by providing a comprehensive platform that addresses both tenant needs and property management challenges.
Competitor analysis
| Feature/Platform | Hous | OYO Life | NestAway | Zolo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy Communication | ||||
| Booking Management | ||||
| Complaint Submission | ||||
| Document Accessibility | ||||
| Transaction Monitoring | ||||
| Unified Agreement Management | ||||
| Advanced Analytics | ||||
| Multi-Property Management |
Opportunity
The increasing demand for purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) and co-living spaces presents a significant opportunity for Hous to become a leader in the market. By addressing gaps in competitor offerings and focusing on user-friendly features that enhance the rental experience, Hous can effectively meet its target audience's needs.
Execution Timeline
1. Research & Discovery
2. Structure & Concept
3. Design & Prototyping
4. Development & Testing
Design research phase
In our research, we found that a significant number of higher education students live away from home, with limited university accommodation available to meet their needs. This has driven many to seek private housing options. These findings indicate a substantial market opportunity for Hous to provide effective solutions that connect students with suitable rental properties.
Visual Research
- 80% of users prefer intuitive navigation that simplifies their experience.
- 75% appreciate mobile-first design ensuring accessibility on various devices
- The design features a mixed light and dark theme, with dark jungle green aesthetics for a modern look.
- Both mobile and web apps offer light and dark theme versions.
- Design elements are minimalistic and structured to enhance usability.
Design Overview
330+ Screens Designed
The design process for Hous resulted in over 300 screens to ensure a user-friendly experience across various functionalities.
This includes 10 website screens for essential information and 6 screens for the super admin web app for effective management. For property operators, we created 217 screens that facilitate property management, along with 51 mobile app screens for on-the-go access.
Additionally, 48 screens were designed for the tenant app, providing easy access to profiles and communication channels. This comprehensive design approach enhances usability for all users.
Target Audience
- Students
- Young professionals
- Property managers
User persona development
Shruti Gupta
20
Undergraduate Student
Bengaluru, IN
Background:
Shruti is a third-year college student majoring in Technology who seeks effective housing solutions that cater to her needs as a student.
Goals:
Find affordable housing close to campus.
Easily communicate with landlords regarding issues or inquiries.
Pain Points:
Difficulty finding suitable accommodations that meet her budget.
Lack of transparency in communication with property managers.
Jay Kumar
45
Real Estate Agency Owner
Delhi, India
Goals:
Get complete data of all the properties owned at one place.
Pain Points:
Managing numerous properties manually can cause human errors.
Keeping track of multiple leases and tenant details.
Ideation
- Easy communication between tenants and landlords.
- Comprehensive booking management tools for inspections and maintenance.
- Advanced analytics for property managers to track performance metrics.
Feature concepts
For Tenants
Easy Communication
Tenants can directly contact landlords or property management teams via the app or web portal to resolve issues quickly or ask questions about their properties.
Booking Management
Tenants can arrange inspections or maintenance at their convenience through an easy-to-use scheduling interface that syncs with their calendars.
Complaint Submission
A streamlined process allows tenants to report issues and track resolutions in real-time, ensuring accountability from property managers.
Document Accessibility
Tenants can access important documents such as lease agreements and maintenance reports anytime through their secure online portal.
Transaction Monitoring
Tenants can keep track of rent payments and other financial transactions for full transparency regarding their financial commitments.
Service Requests
Tenants can submit requests for services such as repairs or maintenance directly through the portal, enhancing responsiveness from management teams.
Property Details
View vital information about the property including amenities, rules, emergency procedures, and contact information for management.
Renew Lease
Initiate the lease renewal process within the portal to secure continued tenancy without hassle.
Notice Submission
Tenants can provide notices of intent to vacate or other important notifications easily through the platform.
Community Interaction
Engage with other tenants through dedicated message boards or forums within the app to foster community connections.
For Property Managers
Unified Agreement Management
Centralize rental agreements making them easily accessible for review and updates while ensuring compliance with local regulations.
Task Management
Plan, coordinate, and monitor tasks related to property management from maintenance schedules to tenant move-ins/move-outs efficiently.
People Management
Efficiently manage all contacts including tenants, contractors, and staff in one place with easy access to contact details.
Transaction Management
Keep track of all transactions ensuring complete records for future reference or dispute resolution between tenants and landlords.
Record Creation
Record all financial transactions related to rent collection or maintenance costs effortlessly within the platform’s dashboard.
Booking Management
Simplify the booking process for tenant viewings or inspections ensuring efficient use of time and resources.
Complaint Handling
Manage tenant complaints effectively ensuring all issues are promptly addressed with tracking capabilities for accountability.
Multi-property Management
Manage multiple properties seamlessly allowing property managers to scale operations without losing oversight on individual properties.
Advanced Analytics and Reporting
Gain valuable insights into operations with advanced analytics tools that help generate reports on occupancy rates, maintenance costs, etc., aiding strategic decision-making.
Lease Renewal Management
Streamline lease renewals through an automated process that notifies both parties ahead of expiration dates ensuring smooth transitions between leases.
Notice Submission Tracking
Keep updated on tenant notifications regarding intent to vacate or other significant matters ensuring timely responses from management teams.
User flow
Tenant
Property Manager
Wireframing
High fidelity designs
Property Manager Onboarding Dashboard
Property Manager Web App Dashboard
Property Manager Rental Dashboard
Property Manager Mobile App
Tenant Mobile App Light Mode
Tenant Mobile App Dark Mode
Prototyping
Development
We have used the most suitable technologies that would meet the requirements of this product. We have chosen this tech stack on the basis of scalability and efficiency.
Frontend:
AngularBackend:
Node.jsDatabase:
MySQLCloud Infrastructure:
AWSDesign tool:
Figma
Illustrator
Photoshop
The result
The design process for Hous resulted in over 300 screens to ensure a user-friendly experience across various functionalities.
This includes 10 website screens for essential information and 6 screens for the super admin web app for effective management. For property operators, we created 217 screens that facilitate property management, along with 51 mobile app screens for on-the-go access.
Additionally, 48 screens were designed for the tenant app, providing easy access to profiles and communication channels. This comprehensive design approach enhances usability for all users.