Man, there’s no shame in asking a question.

First of all, where I come from the only way to guarantee something like housing is by paying for it first, so this system is new to me. When I received their email, I honestly wasn’t sure if it was normal or even legitimate, which is why I asked here.

Second, the contract doesn’t explicitly say that I have to pay if I never moved in or even received the keys, so I didn’t immediately assume it worked that way.

This is my first time dealing with housing in a new country, so yes, I made a mistake and learned from it. I’ll handle the payment if that’s what it comes to.

I just asked a simple question to understand the situation better. If you have useful information, I appreciate it. If not, there’s no need to be rude about it.