Frequently Asked Questions About PhillySpaceFinder

General

Does it cost anything to use PhillySpaceFinder?
Nope! It’s free to search and free to list your rentable space.

Do I need to register to use the site?
That depends on what you want to do. If you want to list your space, you will need to register. If you want to search the directory for a space there is no log in or registration required. Of course, registration only takes a minute and gives you access to additional features such as saved searches and favorite spaces, and allows you to review spaces you’ve previously rented so that other users of the site can benefit from your experience!

About Searching

I’m looking for a long-term lease or a permanent space; can I find that here?
Right now the spaces listed here are available for hourly, daily, weekly, and/or monthly rentals, but we are investigating the possibility of including longer term rentals at some point in the future.

What about space for other disciplines?
PhillySpaceFinder was designed to accommodate spaces for music, dance, theatre, and event rentals, but we hope to expand the resource to include other disciplines at some point in the future.

How do I save a search?
You need to be registered and logged in to save searches. At the bottom of the search results list, you’ll see an option to “Save this search.” Visit your dashboard to see a list of all your saved searches.

How do I save a space?
You need to be registered and logged in to save spaces. Click on the star icon next to a space in the directory to make it as a “favorite.” (You can also add a space to your favorites list using the link in the sidebar on any space detail page.) Visit your dashboard to see a list of all your favorite spaces.

Why was the review I wrote removed?
If another user flags your review as inappropriate the review will be removed from the site temporarily for review by a site administrator. If your review is deemed inappropriate it will be removed from the site. Examples of inappropriate reviews include:

• Reviewer has conflict of interest
• Review consists of second-hand experiences or hearsay
• Review contains personal attacks, threats, or hate speech
• Review is not relevant to the space (this includes commercial solicitations)
• Review is plagiarized or includes copyrighted material without permission

For Spaces

I have a space available for rental. How do I add it to the directory?

1. If you aren’t registered already, sign up for an account.
2. After you’re registered, follow the instructions on your dashboard to add your space to the directory.
3. Fill out a short form with information about your organization.
4. After that, you’ll be taken to another form where you can describe your space. If you have more than one space available for rental (e.g. multiple studios, rooms, theatres), you can create separate profiles for each space.
5. Take your space online when you’re finished editing.
6. That’s it! If your organization is new to PhillySpaceFinder it must be approved by a site administrator before any of your spaces will appear publicly in the directory. Approval can take anywhere from 1-5 days; you’ll be notified via email once it’s done.

Once your space is listed in the directory, you can log in anytime to update your profile.

What information do I need to create a profile?
At minimum, you’ll need to provide an address, rental contact information (phone or email), permitted uses (e.g. rehearsal, performance, special events), dimensions, disciplines allowed (music, dance, theatre), and the type of flooring. You can also fill out information about equipment, instruments, rental policies, type of stage, rates, etc. Remember that the more information you enter about your space, the more often it will show up in searches.

How do I know which disciplines my space is suitable for?
There are some commonly accepted guidelines in determining a space’s appropriateness for music, dance, or theatre. For dance, sprung wood floors and a ceiling height of at least 14 feet are desired. For music, acoustics and sound bleed should be considered. These aren’t requirements though, so use your best judgment. If your space isn’t primarily for any of those disciplines, just indicate what is allowed. In the future, we hope to expand to include other disciplines.

What should I do if I have more than one space available for rental?
You should add each individual studio, room, theater, etc. that you offer for rental as a separate space. That way artists searching for space can get as detailed and accurate information as possible (e.g., dimensions, rates, equipment, photos) about each of your spaces. There is no limit to the number of spaces you can add. There are a couple of ways to add additional spaces to your profile:

1. Add a new space Click the link to “Add a Space” on your dashboard (it’s next to the name of your organization). This creates a new space profile.
2. Cloning If you have multiple spaces that are similar you can use the “clone” feature to make an exact copy of an existing space. Once a space is cloned, you can change its name and any other relevant information.

What if I have spaces at more than one address?
Spaces can have different addresses from your organization. If you have multiple spaces at different locations, just enter the appropriate address when you create a new space profile.

Why isn’t my space appearing in the directory yet?
When you add or clone a new space it is automatically “offline.” This simply means that it does not show up publicly in the space directory. Before you can bring your space “online” you’ll need to fill out all the required fields. Once you’ve finished editing your profile, use the link in the sidebar to “Take space online.” Keep in mind that your space won’t appear in the directory until your organization has been approved for the first time by a site administrator. Approval can take up to 5 days. After your organization has been approved, additional spaces you add will not require administrator approval.

Why was my space taken offline?
There are a couple of reasons your space might be taken offline.

1. A site administrator may take your space offline temporarily if there are questions about the appropriateness or the space for the directory, or the accuracy of the information contained in the listing
2. If at any point your space listing becomes “incomplete” (e.g. required information is deleted) the space will automatically be taken offline.

Can I give multiple people at my organization access to my PhillySpaceFinder account?
Absolutely. If there is more than one person in your organization that needs to edit your listings you easily can add them to your account. Here’s how:

• From your dashboard, click the “edit” link next to the name of your organization.
• Click the Members link under this “Modify this Organization” menu in the sidebar
• Use the space provided to enter the email address of the user you would like to add; this will automatically generate an email which will allow the user access to your account. You may also remove users from your account through the Members section of your organization profile.

Someone wrote a negative review of my space; can it be removed?
If you feel that a review of your space is inappropriate, flag it for review by a site administrator. If the review is negative but not inappropriate, it may not be removed from the site. (See examples of inappropriate reviews above.) Keep in mind that you can always respond to a review yourself.

Have a question that isn’t answered here? Contact us