Answered plainly
Questions guests ask
These are the questions we are asked most often, with the real answers. Anything that depends on the apartment is answered on that apartment's own page.
Things we should tell you before you book
All of this is answered below or on the apartment's own page. It is gathered here because the things worth knowing before you pay should not have to be hunted for.
- Check-in and check-out times are fixed. We do not offer early check-in, late check-out or luggage storage. The apartments are often booked back to back, and the hours between stays are needed for cleaning.
- There is no reception and nobody will meet you at the apartment. Every stay is self check-in. If you need help, a real person answers on WhatsApp.
- A booking is confirmed only when it is paid in full. We do not hold dates without payment, so they remain available for someone else to book until payment is complete. Booking and payment
- The full address is sent after registration. Before you book, you will see the neighbourhood and the part of it the apartment is in, but not the exact building or door.
- Cancellations within seven days are non-refundable. Cancel more than fourteen days before arrival and 80% is refunded. Cancel between seven and fourteen days before arrival and 50% is refunded. Cancellation policy
- Only registered guests can stay overnight. Visitors need prior approval. Our apartments are in residential buildings, so everyone entering the property needs to follow the building rules. Visitor policy
- No smoking, no parties and no pets. This applies to every House Oona apartment. House rules
- Parking, lifts and desks vary by apartment. Some homes have all three; some have none. Each apartment page tells you exactly what is available, above the booking calendar. See the apartments
- Two of our Khar homes share an external washing-machine area. In these apartments, the washing machine sits just outside the front door in a utility area shared with the neighbouring House Oona flat. The relevant apartment pages say this clearly.
- In BKC, a building water-supply cut can temporarily stop the kitchen tap. The apartment's backup tanks continue supplying the bathrooms and showers, and refill automatically when the building supply returns. Every BKC apartment page states this above the booking calendar.
Booking with us
Is House Oona a hotel, an agency, or an Airbnb host?
None of those exactly. House Oona owns and runs every apartment itself: cleaning, linen, check-in and guest support are all in-house, not subcontracted and not franchised. The same apartments are also listed on Airbnb, but this website is the direct channel. House Oona is the hospitality brand of Eliko Living LLP, Mumbai.
Why book direct instead of through Airbnb?
Every booking platform takes a cut, either as a fee added to your bill or as commission built into the rate. Booking direct, there is no cut, so our rate is always lower than the same apartment on any platform for the same dates. You also deal with us straight away rather than through a platform, which matters most when something needs sorting out mid-stay.
How do I pay, and when is my booking confirmed?
Payment is online through Razorpay, and the reservation is confirmed only once full payment is received. Dates stay open to others until that happens, and we do not hold dates without payment.
What happens if I need to cancel?
You get 80 percent back if you cancel more than 14 days before check-in, 50 percent between 7 and 14 days, and nothing inside 7 days. Cancellations must come by email so there is a record.
Do you take long stays, and is there a monthly rate?
Yes. Enter your full dates and a long-stay rate applies automatically from 30 nights onward. Shorter stays are at the standard rate.
Can I get a GST invoice?
Yes, on request after checkout. Ask us and we will raise it from Eliko Living LLP with your billing details.
Arrival and access
What time is check-in and check-out?
Check-in is from 2 PM and check-out is by 11 AM. Arriving late in the evening is fine, just tell us in advance so your entry instructions reach you in time.
Can I check in early, check out late, or leave my bags?
No, none of the three. The apartments are often booked back to back and the hours between stays go on cleaning and preparation. There is no reception and no luggage room. We would rather tell you that plainly than leave you hoping on the day.
How does self check-in work, and when do I get the address?
Every apartment has self check-in, so nobody has to meet you. The listing shows the area before you book; the full address and entry instructions are sent once guest registration is complete, closer to your arrival.
What ID do you need?
Every guest staying in the apartment must be registered before check-in with valid government-issued ID. Only registered guests may stay. It is a legal and building compliance requirement, not a formality we invented.
The apartments
Will I have the apartment to myself?
Yes. Every apartment listed here is booked whole and is private to your reservation. Where anything at all is shared, such as a utility area outside the front door, the apartment page says so before you book.
Is there parking?
It depends on the building. All of our BKC apartments have free parking inside the premises, as do a couple in Bandra and Khar. The rest have none, and street parking in Bandra and Khar is limited. Each apartment page states which.
Is there a lift, and which floor is the apartment on?
Both are stated on every apartment page, and where there is no lift we say so plainly in the panel above the booking calendar. Several of our Bandra and Khar apartments are in low-rise buildings without one.
Can I cook?
Yes. Every apartment has a kitchen or kitchenette with an induction cooktop, fridge, microwave, kettle and basic utensils. Inventory varies a little between apartments, so write to us before booking if a particular item is essential.
Is there a washing machine?
Yes, in every apartment. The apartment page tells you where it is, because in a couple of our Khar homes it sits in a shared utility area just outside the front door rather than inside the flat.
Do any apartments have a pool or a gym?
Yes. Our BKC apartments are in a building with a pool and a gym that guests can use, at set hours, with no pass or sign-in needed. The apartment page lists the timings. The Bandra and Khar homes are in smaller residential buildings without shared facilities.
Who can stay, and the rules
Are unmarried couples welcome?
Yes. Any adult guests with valid ID are welcome, and we do not ask about your relationship. Everyone staying needs to be on the booking and registered before arrival, which is the same rule for every guest.
How many people can stay?
It depends on the apartment, and the maximum is on every apartment page. Our studios and one-bedroom apartments sleep two, the two-bedroom apartments sleep four, and the three-bedroom homes sleep six. Travelling with a child, get in touch before booking and we will tell you what works in the apartment you have in mind.
Can friends or family visit me at the apartment?
Generally no. These are residential buildings and visitors are not permitted inside the apartment or the premises without prior approval, so please check with us before making plans.
Smoking, parties, pets?
No to all three. No smoking inside the apartment, no parties or events, and we cannot accept pets at any of our apartments.
During your stay
How does housekeeping work?
Complimentary housekeeping once every four days on longer stays: sweeping and mopping, bathroom cleaning, linen change and rubbish removal. Extra visits can be arranged at cost. Housekeeping enters only with your approval.
Something has stopped working. Who do I contact?
Message us on WhatsApp or write to bookings@houseoona.com, and say at the start if it affects entry, water, power or safety. Support is 10 AM to 8 PM and maintenance 10 AM to 6 PM, with urgent situations covered outside those hours.
Can I extend my stay?
If the apartment is still free, yes. Tell us before your check-out time. Extensions are subject to availability and are not held without payment.
Still unanswered
Write to bookings@houseoona.com or message us on WhatsApp. A real person answers, and usually quickly.
The full terms, including cancellation and house rules, are on the guest terms page.