How to make an app for a PG hostel

A PG owner keeps track of every bed: who is in it, when they joined, what deposit they gave, who has paid this month and who has given notice. An app keeps rooms, tenants and rent in one place, instead of a register and a long list of UPI screenshots.

Updated 2026-11-09

Who uses the app

Usually just the owner, or the owner and a caretaker. If one phone does everything, the data stays on it. If the caretaker uses another phone, or tenants should see the menu, raise complaints or check vacant beds, connect your own Supabase database.

The screens a PG hostel app needs

Rooms and beds: Every room with its beds, who is in each bed, and which beds are empty or free from next month
Tenants: Name, phone, home address, parent's or emergency number, joining date, deposit, and ID type noted
Rent: This month's rent for each tenant: paid, part-paid or due, with a WhatsApp reminder button
Electricity: Meter readings for AC rooms each month, with the units and the amount added to that room's tenants
Food menu: The weekly menu by day and meal, ready to share in the tenants' WhatsApp group
Complaints: Repairs like a leaking tap or a slow Wi-Fi router, who reported it, and when it was fixed
Move-outs: Tenants on notice, their last date, and the deposit to return after any deductions

Features worth asking for

A bed-wise view that shows which beds fall empty next month, from the notice dates
Rent reminder on WhatsApp with the tenant's name, month and amount filled in
A 'Pay via UPI' button and your UPI QR code on the rent screen
A rent receipt as a PDF to share with the tenant or their parent
Electricity units split between the tenants of a room
A reminder on your own phone on the 5th of each month to collect rent
A deposit register: amount taken, date, and amount returned at move-out

Where the data lives

If only you use the app, the data stays on your phone and works offline. If a caretaker uses it too, or tenants check the menu, raise complaints or see vacant beds, connect your own Supabase database; to take rent online, also connect your Razorpay account.

How to make it with AppCub, step by step

Decide what the app does. List the screens you need, for example: Rooms and beds, Tenants, Rent, Electricity, Food menu.
Describe it to AppCub. Paste the request below, changed to your own business and details.
Check the plan. AppCub shows the screens and features it will build. Change them in the chat until they are right; seeing the plan is free.
Try it on your phone. The app runs live next to the chat. Scan the QR code to install it, and ask for changes.
Share it. Share it as a web link, an APK file, or publish it on Google Play from your own developer account.

Copy this request, change the details to match your PG hostel, and paste it into AppCub:

Make an app for my PG, Annapurna Ladies PG in Pune, with 12 rooms and 30 beds. Screens: rooms and beds, tenants, rent, electricity, food menu, complaints and move-outs. Each tenant has phone, parent's number, joining date, deposit and ID type. Rent is due on the 5th; show paid and due, with a WhatsApp reminder and a UPI QR. AC rooms have a meter; split the units between the tenants of that room. Show beds that will be free next month from the notice dates. Make rent receipts as PDFs. Green and white colours.

Tips for a PG hostel app

Start with rooms, tenants and rent. Add electricity and complaints once the first month's rent is in the app.
Note each tenant's ID type and a copy of the ID. Many owners also get tenant verification done with the local police; check what your area asks for.
Write your deposit and notice rules in the request, so the move-out screen works them out the way you do.
Keep tenants' ID copies and parents' numbers private. Use sign-in if anyone other than you can open the app.
Ask for Hindi or Marathi labels if your caretaker prefers them.

What it costs

Describing your app and seeing AppCub’s plan for it is free.
A new app usually takes 60 to 110 credits. Start with the 2-day trial for ₹99 (150 credits, enough for one app and a few changes) or the one-time App Pack for ₹499. Starter is ₹1,599 a month for 700 credits.
Google Play needs a paid plan (it includes the Play Store bundle and your app’s signing key) and your own Google Play developer account, a one-time US$25 fee to Google.
Work that fails or is rolled back costs no credits.

See all plans

Good to know

AppCub doesn't connect to electricity meters, biometric locks or CCTV, and it doesn't send rent reminders by itself. You tap the WhatsApp button and send them. It also can't tell you what your rent agreement should say.
AppCub builds Android apps. You can also share the app as a web link that opens on any phone; for the iPhone App Store, AppCub’s team can do it for you.

Questions

Can tenants see vacant beds in the PG app?

Yes, if the app is connected to your own Supabase database. Everyone then sees the same list, and a bed shows as taken as soon as you assign it.

Can the app work out each tenant's share of the electricity bill?

Yes. Enter the meter reading for the room each month and the rate per unit, and the app splits the amount between the tenants of that room.

Can tenants pay rent inside the app?

Yes, through your own Razorpay account once Razorpay and Supabase are connected; the money goes to you. A simpler start is a UPI QR and a 'Pay via UPI' button.

Can the app remind me when a tenant's notice period ends?

Yes. The installed app can show a reminder on your phone on the tenant's last date, so you can check the room and settle the deposit.

Can I manage two PG buildings in one app?

Yes. Each room belongs to a building, and the rent screen can show one building or both. If a caretaker runs the second building, connect a database.

Is a PG app useful with only 10 beds?

Often yes, because rent, deposits and notice dates are what owners lose track of. Start with those three screens and add more later.

Make your PG hostel app

Seeing the plan is free. Building starts with a 2-day trial for ₹99.

Start building