About StayCloseBy

The honest truth about where we're at

We're two people (Isa and Ollie) who accidentally started this because we had a problem that needed solving. We're not a big tech company with millions in funding. We don't have a fancy office or a team of 50 people. It's literally just us, working from cafes in Rotterdam, trying to figure this out as we go.

What we're actually doing

We started with a WhatsApp group in our neighbourhood because subletting through Facebook groups felt sketchy, and Airbnb was turning every apartment into a soulless rental. We wanted something in between - a way for locals to help each other out without the usual headaches.

Right now, we're testing this in Blijdorp and Rotterdam West. We know about 12 hosts personally, we've facilitated maybe 3 successful stays this month, and we're learning something new every day. Some things work, some don't. We're being honest about that.

What we're not

• We're not trying to disrupt the entire travel industry
• We don't have venture capital breathing down our necks
• We're not promising to make you rich from subletting
• We don't have all the answers (yet)

What we hope to become

A simple, trustworthy way for neighbours to help each other out. Maybe that means helping you cover your rent while you're travelling. Maybe it means giving visitors a real local experience instead of another generic hotel room. Maybe it just means building a stronger community.

We're starting small because we want to get this right. If it works in Rotterdam, maybe we'll expand to other cities. If it doesn't work, well, at least we tried something.