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AI guide

Hey — I'm Maya.

I'm Crashmates' AI guide — the student-shaped helper who shows you around. I'm here all the time, on every campus, anytime you need a hand figuring this out. (And on brand-new campuses I also hold the 🏆 Founding Student seat until a real verified student claims it.)

Maya · ✦ AI guideCrashmates AI guide · she/her · always on, every campus, here to help you figure it out
Verify my .edu 🎒I'm heading abroad

First, the honest part.

I'm an AI. Not a real student, not a person on staff — I'm the guide Crashmates built to help you figure this place out. I talk like a student because I'm here for students, but I want you to know exactly what I am up front.

And I'm not going anywhere. I'm here all the time — your first day, your third lease, the random Tuesday you're trying to remember how subletting works. Every campus, anytime. That's the job.

On a brand-new campus, I also sit in the 🏆 Founding Student slot so there's a friendly face on the founding spot from day one. That badge isn't mine — it's reserved for an early verified student at your school, and the second one signs up it moves to them automatically. But I stick around as your guide either way. The badge changes hands; I don't leave.

You won't see me in the Discover swipe deck. You won't get a DM from me. I'm the only AI on here, and I'm wearing a name tag — every single person you actually match with is a verified human at your campus.

What Crashmates is.

One sentence: a free, .edu-verified-students-only marketplace for finding a roommate, a room, a semester sublease, or someone to take over your lease.

What that means in practice:

  • Only verified students get in. Sign-up requires a working .edu email + a magic-link click. We cross-check the email's domain against IPEDS (the federal college database) so we know it's a real school. That keeps out bots, scammers, and randos who don't even go to your school.
  • Free to join, free to post. No subscription. No auto-renewals. No card on file to sign up. You get 10 free credits to start, and you only spend one to send the first message in a new conversation — after that the whole conversation is free for both of you.
  • Built for the four real housing problems college students actually have: finding a roommate, finding a room, subletting a semester (abroad / interning / early grad), and bailing on a lease cleanly.
  • Verified students only. Everyone in here is .edu-verified — no bots, no scammers, no randos who don't go to your school. You message each other directly, and the only people who can reach you are real verified students.

What it's not: not Facebook Marketplace, not Roomster, not Craigslist. The whole point is that those places are infested with bots and scammers and people who don't go to your school — Crashmates is the opposite of that. (Yeah, I'm an AI on a no-bots app. I'm the guide, I'm labeled, and I'm the exception that proves we're serious about it.)

How to use it.

01
Verify your .edu
Sign up with your school email. We send a magic link, you click it, you’re in. No password to remember. We cross-check your domain against IPEDS — the federal database of accredited US colleges — so the only people in here are real students at real schools.
02
Build your profile
Sleep schedule, cleanliness, social vibe, budget, what you’re looking for (roommate, room, sublease, takeover). Takes about 3 minutes. Better profile, better matches.
03
Swipe + browse
The Discover deck shows verified students at your school, sorted by compatibility (sleep + clean + social + budget). Like the ones you’d actually share a place with.
04
Match + message
When two students like each other, the chat opens. You spend one credit to send the first message — then the whole conversation is free for both of you. No subscription, no “upgrade to send.” Work out the dates, see the place, hand off the keys.

That's the whole loop. Start to first match in about 5 minutes. Stuck anywhere? That's literally what I'm here for.

If you're heading abroad.

This is the play most students don't realize Crashmates does. If you're going abroad next semester, interning out of town, or graduating mid-lease — don't eat rent on an empty room.

Leaving
Post your room
Going abroad, on a co-op, interning, or graduating early? Post your room for the semester. Verified students at your school see it instantly — so whoever takes it isn’t a stranger, it’s a classmate.
Arriving
Take a room
Coming to campus for a single term — exchange, transfer, internship? Browse subleases posted by verified students at your school. Move in for a semester without signing a year.

Full walkthrough: how semester subleases work →

What I can't do.

  • I can't DM you back. The chat surface is real-student-to-real-student only. I'm a guide, not a match — if you message me, no one's on the other side.
  • I won't show up in your Discover deck. Only verified students at your school do. (That's the point.)
  • I'm not support. For account, billing (there is no billing), safety, or anything that actually matters — email support@crashmates.com. A real person on the team handles it — I'll point you there, but a human does the fixing.

Maya questions.

Wait — are you a real student?
Nope. I’m an AI — Crashmates built me to help students figure out how the app works, and I’m here all the time, every campus. I talk like a student because I’m here for students, but I’m not a real one and I’m not pretending to be. On brand-new campuses I also sit in the 🏆 Founding Student card until a real verified student at that school signs up; the moment one does, the badge is theirs — but I don’t go anywhere, I’m still your guide. I’m the only AI you’ll meet on here, and I’m clearly labeled — everyone you actually match with is a verified human.
Why is the Founding Student card showing you and not a real student?
Because I hold that seat until a verified student at your school claims it. The badge is reserved — I keep it warm so there’s a friendly face on the founding spot when you show up, instead of a blank slot. The moment a verified student signs up, it’s theirs. (Could be you.)
How do I become the Founding Student at my school?
Sign up with your .edu email and finish your profile. Get in early at your campus and the 🏆 badge transfers to you automatically, plus the featured spot at the top of your campus page. Show up early, it’s yours.
What is Crashmates, in one sentence?
A free, .edu-verified-students-only marketplace for finding a roommate, a room, a semester sublease, or someone to take over your lease — built so you’re never matching with a bot, a scammer, or someone who doesn’t even go to your school.
Is it actually free?
Joining is free, posting is free, and you get 10 free credits to start. No subscription. No card required to sign up. You only spend a credit to send the first message in a new conversation — after that the whole conversation is free for both of you. We built it this way because the existing roommate apps charge you a monthly subscription to message bots, and that’s ridiculous.
How do you verify students?
Two ways. (1) Your school .edu email + a magic-link click that proves you control the inbox. (2) Cross-check of your domain against IPEDS — the federal database of accredited US colleges — to confirm the email belongs to a real, recognized school. We verify the school, not your transcripts. (No platform can promise total safety — still meet in public, still video-chat before signing anything.)
Who can actually message me?
Only verified students — everyone in here cleared the .edu check, so anyone who messages you is a real student at a real school, never a bot or a Craigslist creep. You can message people directly too. (And no, I can’t DM you — I’m a guide, not a match.)
What if I’m studying abroad or interning and need to sublet?
This is the one nobody talks about. Post your room with the dates you’ll be gone — another verified student at your school takes it for the semester. You stop eating rent on an empty room. Walk through it on the /sublet page.
Where do I go if I have an actual problem?
Email support@crashmates.com. A real person on the team will reply — I’m an AI guide, so for anything that actually matters (account, safety, bugs), a human’s got you.
Updated: 2026-06-09 · Real help? support@crashmates.com

Now go claim your spot.

Verify your .edu, build your profile, swipe the deck. If you're the first one at your school, the 🏆 badge is yours. Either way, I'll still be right here whenever you need a hand.

Verify my .edu 🎒