When booking a vacation we’re typically used to pulling up hotel websites or Airbnb when looking for a place to stay, but this home swapping platform gives you a unique opportunity to explore a new city like a local rather than a tourist! Inspired by the flexibility remote work offers, co-founders Justine Palefsky and Tasneem Amina created home-swapping network Kindred.
During the pandemic, both Palefsky and Amina looked for ways to take advantage of their remote work flexibility and spend more time in different cities, but they quickly realized all existing solutions were either wildly expensive or required giving up their homes completely, they told Forbes. Tackling this issue is essentially what skyrocketed them into creating Kindred, a members-only home swapping network which isn’t like any vacation rental platform you’ve seen before.
For starters, there’s no financial exchange between guests and hosts on Kindred, unlike typical home rental platforms. Rather, the focus is on sharing rather than monetizing, as members “give” nights in their home in order to “earn” nights at others.
That’s to say there are no membership fees on the platform–the only fees you have to worry about are a cleaning and a service fee. To put things into comparison, a 7-night hotel rental can cost upwards of $2,000 while a 7-night home swap could cost less than $500.
Secondly, Kindred’s main focus is trust and they connect members who have something in common, such as mutual friends, and organize a video chat introduction before confirming stays. To ensure they maintain this environment of trust, they primarily grow their network through referrals. Each accepted member is given a unique code to share with others they think would be a great fit. Those who apply using that code will then be added to the top of the review queue.
Those interested in applying that don’t have an invite code can still join the waitlist as the platform accept homes on a rolling basis. And while the network has mostly been used by remote workers so far, their goal is to make it possible for anyone to use the network and share their home.
And now is a better time than ever to explore the platform as, following the law that went into effect restricting short-term NYC rentals back in September 2023, Kindred saw NYC membership increase 3x with trips booked to NYC nearly quadrupling.
Using the Kindred home swap network is as easy as following these steps:
1. Apply to unlock access – they’re looking for safe, well-cared-for homes occupied by people who love to travel
2. Book available homes – new members can book up to 5 nights before they host
3. Host and earn travel credits – earn credits each time you host
80,000+ homes are available to choose from in over 100 cities!
Co-founder and president Tasneem Amina told Forbes:
We started Kindred with the goal of making travel a way of life, not just an occasional escape. Many of our members are drawn to Kindred because they want a travel experience with warmth, character, and the comforts of home. They want to feel like they are really living somewhere, not just traveling there as a tourist.
So if you’re looking to explore new cities without blowing your entire savings and live like a local, Kindred is definitely something worth looking into!
For more information on the Kindred home swap network and to find out if your home is a fit to swap, you can visit their website.