Frequently asked questions

CoBunkie is a private coordinator for the time you spend with your people: brunch dates, birthday parties, open invitations, road trips and houseguests. Plan an event and choose who can see it, or share a guest space and the dates that work for you. Guests RSVP, request a stay, or both, and everyone ends up with the same plan.

CoBunkie is for people who genuinely mean “we should get together” or “come visit sometime” but need a little help turning it into a plan. You might be a writing group that keeps missing brunch, the friend who always organizes the birthday, siblings in different cities, a grandparent who wants the family to use the cabin more often, or an empty nester with a newly free guest room. It’s also for generous hosts who find it hard to say what works for them, and for guests who don’t want to impose. Everyone already knows each other; CoBunkie helps you see when things can happen and make them happen. It isn’t a marketplace for stays with strangers.

CoBunkie is pronounced “co-BUNK-ee.” A bunkie is a little place for someone to stay. Here, it could be a cabin, spare room, RV, or even a couch. CoBunkie started with that little place to stay and grew to cover the rest of the time you spend together. The “Co” is for coordinating with your people… and it’s fun the way it bounces in the mouth. Try saying it five times fast! CoBunkie boots and cats, CoBunkie boots and cats… now you’re beatboxing.

We want you to see each other in person. CoBunkie just makes it easier to get there. Share what works, make a plan, and spend your time together instead of spending an afternoon comparing calendars over text.

A shared calendar can show that a weekend is open. CoBunkie also knows who each plan is for. Every event can be for just the people you invite, for your family and connections, or public, and every guest space shows who is welcome, how many people fit, and what the host expects. Guests can RSVP to a party and request a stay with a nearby friend in the same place. Add your private CoBunkie calendar to Apple, Google or Outlook to see your plans alongside everything else, and choose what goes on it under Profile → Notifications.

No. You can join to go to events and visit people you know, plan get-togethers of your own, offer a space, or any mix of those with one account.

If there’s room for someone you know and you’re comfortable sharing it, it counts. A bunkie might be a couch, spare bedroom, cabin, RV, or other guest space. Describe it honestly so guests know what to expect.

Anything you’d invite people to, from a casual hang to a big gathering. “We’re going to the pumpkin patch, anyone want to come?” “I’ll be at the park Saturday.” “Come over Sunday afternoon.” Or a birthday, a potluck, or a family reunion. All you need is a name and a time. Everything else is up to you.

You choose for each event: only the people you invite, your family and everyone connected to it, or the public. A public event is one anyone nearby can find, like a block party or a garage concert.

What, when, and where, so people nearby can find it. Who’s coming stays private, and places to stay are only offered to people the hosts already know.

Only if they want them to. When you RSVP, you decide whether just the hosts see your answer or the other guests can too.

Yes, if the host invites people to stay over. Friends and family near the event can offer their guest rooms, couches, or cabins. When you RSVP yes, you can ask to stay with someone you already know. Each host still decides who stays at their place.

Yes. Add co-planners to help invite people and figure out the details. If you’re still deciding when, suggest a few times and let your co-planners say which ones work before you send the invitations.

Plans change. Guests who replied will hear about it. Anyone who planned to stay over can still keep that visit if they and their host would like to.

A title, a description, a valid address, and a start date. A start time helps too, so people know when to show up.

Yes. Each space can be available to family only, approved friends only, or both. You choose when it’s available. You can also set relationship preferences, including whether a person’s stays need confirmation and how many nights they may stay.

Their invitation lets you see the spaces they’ve chosen to share with you. It doesn’t automatically share your spaces with them. If you’d like to host them too, send your own invitation with Relationships → Invite Someone and make sure your guest room is active and available to their relationship type. Each family chooses what to share in each direction.

Yes. Being happy to host someone doesn’t mean offering every person the same space, dates, or length of stay. You might welcome one relative for a week, invite a friend for a weekend, and keep a cabin open while your guest room stays private. Set the limits that feel comfortable to you, and change them when your circumstances change.

That’s okay. Connecting with someone isn’t a promise of a stay. You decide when your space is available, and you can make it inactive when you aren’t accepting new visits.

No. If guests can use a separate cabin or another space while you’re away, you can share it with people you choose. Explain how they’ll get in, which parts of the property they may use, and what to do when they leave. You decide whether hosting while you’re away feels right for you.

Hosts can list chores required for every stay, such as tidying up before leaving, and optional one-time projects. Guests can see both lists on the space page before requesting a visit. One-time projects are invitations to help, not a condition of staying.

Not always. Some hosts like to approve each visit, and some let close family plan a stay without asking first. Your request shows whether it’s confirmed yet. Being connected with someone doesn’t hold any dates on its own.

Plans change. Either the host or guest can cancel from the stay, which frees up the date and notifies the other person right away — no separate message required. Since there’s no money involved, there’s nothing to refund; just let each other know as soon as you can so the date stays useful to your circle.

Yes. If someone invites you into their family, like a relative whose cabin you help host, you can join it alongside your own household. Starting a second family of your own is something we turn on for your account, so just ask through Help. You can also be connected to other families to visit them without joining their family.

So an old or forwarded link can’t be used forever. Anyone you send it to can use it in those 10 days. If it runs out, just make a new one. People who already joined stay connected.

Hosts should describe their spaces accurately and explain any house rules, property boundaries, and checkout chores before a stay. Guests should read those details, respect the space and neighbors, and follow the limits the host has set. If plans change, tell each other promptly.

That’s their choice. A host may have different comfort levels with different guests, and an invitation to one space or one weekend doesn’t extend to other spaces or dates. Please accept a “no,” a shorter visit, or a request to ask first without treating it as a judgment about the relationship. Clear limits make it easier to keep welcoming each other.

Ask your host first. A stay should match the guest count in the request, and a gathering at someone else’s space needs their OK. Respect the boundaries they set for their home and property.

Report safety concerns or misuse through Help. Harassment, threats, deceptive listings, and disregard for a host’s rules aren’t acceptable. CoBunkie may restrict access or remove an account when necessary.

No. CoBunkie helps coordinate plans; it does not provide insurance or a damage guarantee for hosts or guests. Before hosting, check with your insurance provider about coverage for your space and the kinds of guest visits you plan to offer. Coverage depends on your policy and circumstances.

Yes, if your assistant supports a CoBunkie connection. After you connect and approve permissions, you can ask things like “Where can I stay next weekend?”, “What visits do I have coming up?”, or “Who’s staying at our cabin this month?” See Connected Apps for available connections and setup instructions. You never need an assistant to use CoBunkie.

With your permission, it can find places you’re welcome to stay, check dates, and help request or manage visits. It can only see what you can see, and it can’t get around a host’s limits.

Yes. In Profile → Family → Settings, turn off “Allow AI assistants to show our listing details and photos.” Assistants will then just link to your space instead of describing it, and the people you’ve invited can still see everything on CoBunkie.

You control who can see your spaces and events, and CoBunkie does not sell your personal data. Assistants do not automatically get access to your account: you choose whether to connect one, approve its permissions, and can revoke future access in Profile → Connected Apps. No online service can promise zero risk. Information an assistant already received is also subject to that provider’s privacy practices; disconnecting it cannot erase earlier copies.

Only to keep you signed in and remember an invitation you’re in the middle of accepting. They’re never used for ads. If you sign in with Google, Apple, or Facebook, or use a map, those companies may use their own cookies.

No. There are no subscription or booking fees for planning events, adding spaces, or coordinating stays with your people.

CoBunkie exists to help people spend time with friends and family. Charging each time someone sends an invitation or offers a guest bed would get in the way. If CoBunkie helps your circle, you can support it with an optional donation or by shopping through clearly marked affiliate links. Neither is required to use it.

We don’t put ads in your events, guest spaces, or stay requests. There’s an optional shopping page with disclosed affiliate links for people who want to support the service that way.

Go to Profile → Danger Zone → Delete account. Deletion is permanent. You’ll need to resolve pending or confirmed stays first. If you’re the only member of your family, its spaces will be deleted too. If you’re the only owner of a family with other members, transfer owner access before deleting your account.