A hostel management system built for private student hostels

Hostelnet helps reception and management map beds, track students, collect rent and send payment confirmations — all from one fast, mobile-first dashboard.

Everything you need to run a student hostel

Replace spreadsheets and paper registers with a live system that stays accurate.

Visual bed map

See every block, room and bed at a glance. Premier and Prestige blocks are colour-coded, and occupancy status updates instantly as students check in or out.

Rent collection

Charge semester rent automatically based on bed category and room size. Record M-PESA payments, track balances and flag arrears before they become problems.

Booking calendar

Assign beds with check-in and check-out dates. Tenure is calculated in nights, so partial payments produce proportional stays that extend when more rent is paid.

Student register

Store full names, admission numbers, phone numbers, universities, courses and guardian contacts. Search, filter and export the register anytime.

M-PESA payments

Generate a personalised Pay Bill payment instruction for each student. Confirmation codes are linked to receipts so balances stay accurate.

WhatsApp confirmations

Send a pre-written bed-assignment message to students or guardians via WhatsApp or SMS, complete with room, bed code, rent due and payment deadline.

Bulk import

Paste or upload a CSV to import dozens of students in one step. The importer validates bed codes, duplicate admission numbers and payment amounts before creating records.

Role-based access

Administrators control layout, fees, imports and revenue. Management staff get a focused view of day-to-day bed and student operations without sensitive financial data.

Built around the way hostels actually work

Hostels are not hotels. Students stay by the semester, pay in instalments and sometimes switch rooms. Hostelnet handles partial payments, proportional nights and room moves without breaking the rent ledger.

  • Configurable fee tables per block and bed count
  • Real-time dashboard with occupancy rate and arrears alerts
  • Physical room register that matches your actual building layout

Example fee setup

Premier 2-bed roomKSh 9,000 / semester
Premier 4-bed roomKSh 8,000 / semester
Prestige 2-bed roomKSh 12,000 / semester
Prestige 4-bed roomKSh 10,000 / semester

Fees are configurable in Settings. The example above reflects a typical private student hostel in Kenya.

Ready to organise your hostel?

Open the secure workspace, sign in with your access code and start adding students or importing your existing register.