UniStay

UniStay is a full-stack smart hostel management mobile application designed to modernize and digitize the entire student accommodation experience. Built using the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React Native, Node.js), UniStay streamlines traditional hostel operations by replacing manual processes with an efficient, secure, and user-friendly mobile platform.

The application solves common challenges in hostel administration such as inefficient room allocation, disconnected payment handling, delayed complaint resolution, poor communication between management and students, and lack of transparency in attendance and leave tracking. UniStay brings all of these operations into one centralized ecosystem for students, hostel managers, and security staff.

At its core, UniStay provides smart room management and booking, allowing students to browse available rooms, submit room requests, upload payment proofs, and track approval statuses in real time, while managers can review requests, allocate rooms, and manage occupancy dynamically. The platform also includes a digital payment management system where students can upload hostel fee receipts, monitor payment history, and receive verification updates directly through the app.

To improve student support, UniStay features a complaint and request management module, enabling residents to submit maintenance issues or concerns with image attachments and track resolution progress transparently. A built-in announcement system keeps students informed with important notices, updates, and hostel communications delivered instantly through the app.

One of UniStay’s standout features is its QR-powered attendance and leave pass system, designed to improve security and movement tracking. Each student receives a unique QR code used by security guards to monitor hostel entry and exit, while students can request leave permissions digitally by uploading supporting documents, creating a secure and automated attendance workflow.

The system implements role-based access control, supporting multiple user roles including students, hostel managers, and security guards, each with dedicated dashboards and permissions tailored to their responsibilities. Features such as JWT authentication, protected routes, file uploads, RESTful APIs, and cloud deployment ensure both security and scalability.

Beyond being a management system, UniStay is designed as a real-world digital transformation solution that improves operational efficiency, transparency, communication, and student convenience. The project demonstrates full-stack mobile development, API architecture, database design, authentication, file handling, and user-centered product thinking — combining practical software engineering with a meaningful solution to a real-world problem.