Why is my post still pending in a Facebook housing group?

Every post in a Housing Rocket group is reviewed by a moderator before it appears, and the regular queue in a busy group can take 2 to 4 weeks. Fast-Track Post Approval ($7.50, one time) moves a post to the front of the queue for review within 1 to 2 hours.

Why was my housing post declined?

The usual reasons are that the post is not about housing in that city or campus, that it was copied into many groups at once, that it asks for a deposit or fee before a viewing, that it is a business or promotional post from an unverified account, or that it describes the tenant it wants in a way that breaks fair-housing rules. Fix the post and submit it again.

Can a business or property manager post in the groups?

Yes, as a Verified Business. Housing Rocket checks the business and pre-approves its profile in the groups it chooses, and its posts carry a verified line. Plans start at $10 for a single post; see housingrocket.com/promote.

What should a rental listing include?

The monthly rent and what it includes, the neighbourhood or cross streets, the move-in date and lease length, the type of place (room, studio, 1BR and so on), whether pets are allowed, three or more real photos, and how to reach you. Listings with a price and photos get far more replies.

How to Write a Housing Post That Gets Approved

Every post in a Housing Rocket group is read by a moderator before members see it. That review is what keeps the groups free of scams, and it also means a post that misses a few basics sits in the queue or gets declined. Here is what the team checks, what a listing needs, and templates you can copy.

What moderators check

It is about housing in this group's city or campus. A listing for another city, a job, a car or a moving company belongs elsewhere.
The profile looks real. A name that matches the profile URL, some history, and membership in a sensible number of groups. Accounts that join dozens of city groups at once are treated as scam accounts.
It is not copied into many groups. The same post in ten cities is a scam pattern, so it is declined even when the listing is real.
Nobody pays before a viewing. Any post that asks for a deposit, application fee or "holding fee" before the renter has seen the place is removed.
It describes the place, not the person. In the United States the Fair Housing Act bars listings that prefer or exclude people by race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or disability, and other countries have similar rules. Say what the place is; leave out who you think should live there.
Businesses are verified. Property managers, agents and anyone promoting a service post as a Verified Business. Individuals renting out their own place or looking for a room post free.

What a listing needs

Members skim. A post gets replies when the price, the place and the date are in the first two lines and the photos are real.

Monthly rent as a number, and whether utilities are included.
Type of place: room in a shared apartment, studio, 1BR, whole house, sublet.
Neighbourhood or nearest cross streets, and distance to campus or transit.
Move-in date, lease length and, for a sublet, whether it is a takeover or a temporary stay.
Furnished or not, pets, parking, laundry, and how many people share the space.
Three or more photos you took yourself. Listings with stock or borrowed photos get declined.
How to reach you: comments and Messenger are enough, and keep it to one contact method.

Template: room or apartment for rent

FOR RENT: Furnished room in 3BR apartment, Allston, $950/month including utilities and Wi-Fi. Available November 1, lease through August with option to renew. 10 minutes on foot to the Green Line, laundry in the building, no pets. You would live with two grad students who keep regular hours. Photos below; message me to set up a viewing this week.

Template: sublet

SUBLET: Studio near campus, $1,300/month, January 5 to May 31 (sublease with landlord approval). Furnished, heat and water included, elevator building, laundry on site. I am on the current lease and will do the walkthrough in person. Photos attached; comment or DM for a tour.

Template: looking for a place (ISO)

ISO: Room or studio, up to $1,100 all-in, moving October 1 for 12+ months, near downtown or along the Red Line. I am a nurse working days, quiet, no pets, non-smoker. Can tour any evening this week. Thank you!

Our guide on finding an apartment through the groups explains what to do once the replies come in.

Why posts get declined

No price, no location or no photos.
The same post copied into many groups, or reposted every day.
Asking for a deposit, fee or ID scan before a viewing.
Off-topic content: jobs, products, services, fundraising or general questions.
Promotional posts from an account that is not a Verified Business.
Wording that prefers or excludes a protected group of people.
A profile that fails the moderator's checks.

A declined post is not a ban. Fix the problem and submit it again.

The queue, and how to skip it

Posts are reviewed in order, and in the busiest groups the regular queue runs 2 to 4 weeks. If your place needs to go live this week, Fast-Track Post Approval ($7.50, one time) gets it reviewed within 1 to 2 hours, and a Featured Post ($32.50) pins it at the top of the group. Either way the same rules apply: fast-tracking a post that breaks them only gets it declined faster.