> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.ratemyflat.co.nz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Claiming your home

> How owners and property managers claim a home on ratemyflat to manage its profile.

Any home in Aotearoa can be claimed by its owner, landlord, or authorised property manager. Claiming is the first step toward managing how a home appears to prospective tenants — and putting evidence of its quality where they'll see it.

## Who can claim a home

Claims are restricted to people with a legal relationship to the home:

* **Private landlords:** Owners who manage their own rentals.
* **Homeowners:** Owners who may not currently be renting the home but want to manage its profile.
* **Property managers:** Professionals or agencies authorised by the owner to manage the home and its tenancies.

## How to claim a home

<Steps>
  ### Find the home

  Use the search bar on [ratemyflat.co.nz](https://ratemyflat.co.nz) to find the home by address. If it doesn't appear in search results yet, you can add it.

  ### Initiate the claim

  On the home's public page, click **Claim this home** in the sidebar.

  ### Sign in or create an account

  You need a ratemyflat account to manage a home. If you don't have one, sign up with your email.

  ### Declare your relationship

  Select Owner or Property Manager. You'll be asked for your contact details and a brief summary of your role.
</Steps>

## What happens next

Once you submit your claim, the relationship moves into a **pending** state.

1. **Document upload:** You'll be prompted to upload documents to verify your relationship. See [Verifying ownership](/homeowners/verifying-ownership) for accepted documents.
2. **Review:** The ratemyflat verification team checks your documents.
3. **Approval:** Once confirmed, your status changes to **verified**.

```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart TD
    Start([Start]) --> Search[Search your home]
    Search --> Claim[Claim this home]
    Claim --> Docs[Submit ownership documents]
    Docs --> Review{Documents reviewed}

    Review -- Approved --> Badge[Verified owner badge applied]
    Review -- Rejected --> ReSubmit[Re-submit with correct documents]

    ReSubmit --> Docs
    Badge --> Manage[Manage your profile]

    style Badge fill:#ecfdf5,stroke:#059669
    style Review fill:#fff7ed,stroke:#c2410c
```

## Benefits of verification

While a claim is pending, you don't have access to the home's private management tools. Once the verification team approves your claim, you can:

* **Edit home details:** Update beds, baths, and floor area.
* **Manage photos:** Upload exterior and interior photos.
* **Upload compliance and quality evidence:** Healthy Homes compliance statements, insulation certificates, third-party assessment reports.
* **Report reviews:** If you believe a review breaches the [content guidelines](https://ratemyflat.co.nz/content-guidelines), you can flag it for review.

Good homes stand out. Claiming yours puts the proof where prospective tenants will actually see it — alongside the address, before they apply.