Housing

Pittsburghers interested in guest hosting, please volunteer to provide housing for our traveling guests. for further details or become a host by making this housing offer!

If you are travelling with a group:

Group size will be limited to a maximum of 5 people. This is the maximum number of guests most of our hosts can accommodate.

Instead of giving us a complete list of all your friends, please choose ONE person to be your "group leader," and give us their FIRST and LAST name. Everyone in your group should list the same group leader. If we have any questions, they will be our point of contact. This will prevent the housing coordinator from having to reconcile many overlapping lists. This also means you'll have to talk with your friends and get organized ahead of time!

If we don't hear from you, we'll assume you're a wonderful lindy hopper who has flexible carpool arrangements and is comfortable making new friends and bonding over a mutual love of social dancing.

Everyone who wants housing (even if traveling in a group) must register and request housing individually!

Housing requests will close on Monday, November 4th so please plan to register early!

Answers to your housing questions!

How does housing work?

To get your name on the housing list, you must do the following: 1) Register for the entire weekend, 2) Request housing, and 3) Submit full payment. The moment you complete these three items, your name will be added to the bottom of the housing list. Those who got on the list first will receive first priority for housing assignments. If you do not complete all three items, YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE HOUSING.

Am I guaranteed housing?

Housing is provided on an as-available basis. First come, first-served. This means that our wonderful Pittsburghers will offer whatever spaces they have available, and when they're gone... they're gone. If we don’t have enough spaces available, those who haven’t gotten a housing assignment will be put on the wait list.

What is the deadline for housing requests?

Deadline for housing requests from paid registrants is November 4th. After November 4th, you will be placed on a wait list. Most, if not all, of these requests will be honored but we will only be taking smoking/allergy preferences into consideration. You may not get to stay with your friends. So register and pay by November 4th!

How many people do you have room for?

The number keeps changing. Some hosts decide they can take one more person, some decide they might not finish renovating that spare room in time, and sometimes we just find extra hosts at the last minute. As a rough estimate, we can pretty much guarantee housing for the first 100 applicants, but we found spaces for more than that last year.

When will I receive my housing assignment?

The number of people requesting and offering housing changes often (right up to the day dancers start arriving), so final housing assignments are not made until approximately one week before the event. Make sure you have a backup plan (i.e., hotel) in case we have more housing requests than offers, especially if you are registering late.

What if I got put on the wait list for housing?

Don’t panic. If we have extra requests we can’t fill, we will keep asking around to find more hosts and try to convince current hosts to take one more. Some people also e-mail in and say they found a friend to stay with, they booked a hotel, etc., so extra spaces may open up. Again, make sure you have a backup plan (i.e., hotel) in case we don’t find housing for everyone.

I forgot if I requested housing! (or volunteered or ordered a shirt!)

If you forget whether you requested housing or wish to know if we received your payment, use check registration status to see what’s recorded in our database. Please if you have any additional questions or wish to make changes.

I paid but is my payment confirmed?

Please check registration status. It will show your payment method and payment status, housing request, shirt order and volunteering.

Can you put me in a housing group with my friends?

Yes, but we're doing things a bit differently this year. Instead of listing all of your friends and hoping to get paired with some of them, you'll need to figure out your group in advance. (Limit 5 people max per group.) Talk with your friends, figure out who'll be in your group, and select a spokesperson or "group leader." You'll give us this person's name during registration. If we have questions, we'll contact this person to clear things up.

If you wish to be housed in a group with your friends, include the name of your group leader on the housing form. If you forgot to do this during registration, with your request.

What will my host provide?

All your host is obligated to provide is a shower and floor space for your sleeping bag. Anything else is icing on the cake. Please plan to bring a sleeping bag, air mattress if you want one, towel, washcloth, toiletries, etc. Contact your host early to introduce yourself and find out what "extras" they are willing to provide. And don’t forget to thank your host for their generosity!

Will the person next to me snore?

Some people leave early to set up for each dance, some stay out late to clean up after each dance. Some are Pittsburgh residents, some are your fellow attendees volunteering, and they may include your host or the person in the next sleeping bag. Consider bringing earplugs if you're a light sleeper, or if you really need your nine-hour beauty rest. Please be considerate of everyone organizing and attending PittStop—we’re all here to have a good time!

I found someone else to stay with—can you take me off the housing list?

Awesome. If you’re staying in a hotel, let us know. If you've found alternate housing and will be staying with someone else in Pittsburgh (i.e., not in a hotel), and let us know who you're staying with. That way we can make sure 1) we don't plan a host for you separately, and 2) your host doesn't double-count that spot when informing us how many people they can take!

Any other good ideas I should consider?

Yes! Your host is opening up their home to you out of the goodness of their heart. A host gift would be a great way to show your appreciation and encourage them to host again in the future. Some ideas of appropriate host gifts: baked goods (who doesn't love food?), a box of chocolates, bottle of wine, something special from your hometown, or a CD of your favorite local band from home. Also, please try to be a conscientious and non-disruptive guest i.e., follow all house rules, clean up after yourself, keep the noise level down while others are sleeping, not hog the bathroom, etc.

with any subsequent changes, comments, additions, deletions, clarifications, etc., so that we can do the best job possible housing as many people as possible!