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A new rival is also banking on the trend: the home-swapping platform , launched in 2021. For an annual membership fee of $300 (U.S.), travellers can book vacation homes around the world for just the cost of cleaning (varies by market) and a service fee (varies but $30 U.S. per night at most).

To be a member, however, you must have your own home on ; hosting members in your home is how you earn credits for your own stays.

Kindred鈥檚 slick branding has drawn more than 20,000 applications to date, and they now have a curated membership of just over 2,000 people, including Canadian millennials like Emma Campbell and Sergio Mexia.

Campbell, a Vancouver-based marketer, joined Kindred as a beta tester with her own sunny, plant-filled one-bedroom Kitsilano condo, which offers views of the city and mountains from floor-to-ceiling windows. She was drawn to the platform by the beautiful homes: 鈥淢y business is design-based so I鈥檓 very style-oriented 鈥� I choose based on style. Location comes second,鈥� she says.

Having hosted a few times, Campbell has used her credits for her own travels, including a 10-day visit to a little city near Seattle, where she and her boyfriend stayed in a stunning home on a farm, complete with a hot tub and a horse outside.

More recently, she crashed at a two-bedroom apartment in East Harlem on a five-night trip with her boyfriend and a friend. 鈥淧laces were $500 to $600 a night for a very basic hotel in New York City; instead we paid a cleaning fee of $200 (U.S.) and a $30 (U.S.) per night service fee,鈥� she says.

For would-be hosts who are squeamish about returning home to a mess left behind by a rude guest, Campbell says that in her experience, she鈥檚 always come back to a fresh condo. One of Kindred鈥檚 benefits is that they send a cleaning service, both before and after each stay.

Mexia, a 91原创-based video producer, was also drawn to the esthetically appealing homes on Kindred. Having hosted seven members in his colourful Queens Quay East condo to date, he鈥檚 using his credits on an upcoming trip to Berlin. He was able to book a place close to the train station, museums and landmarks, including the Berlin Wall, and appreciates that the homeowner happens to be queer (as Mexia also is). 鈥淚 feel comfortable staying in a queer-friendly home and neighbourhood,鈥� he says.

Alison Lawler-Dean, a 91原创-based communications executive and mom of one, is practically a home-swapping veteran, having dabbled in it since 2014 via platforms like Love 91原创 Swap (recently acquired by 91原创Exchange).

She appreciates the pros, such as the cost savings, and the conveniences that come with staying at a home where young kids also live. This has eliminated the need to pack a ton of baby gear for her extended trips to Paris, Milan and Barcelona, for example. Some of the people she鈥檚 home-swapped with have even become friends.

Lawler-Dean is, however, also forthcoming about the cons. For one, platforms that focus on direct swaps 鈥� that is, matching exact swap dates with a home in your destination 鈥� can make booking for a specific vacation more challenging.

And since you鈥檙e dealing with individuals versus a smooth hotel operation, you run the risk of encountering flighty people. Lawler-Dean and her partner once had a couple flake out and cancel the swap; the couple then changed their minds again 鈥� and got upset when they learned Lawler-Dean had already pivoted her plans.

Take the time to have video calls to get a sense of who you鈥檙e swapping with, Lawler-Dean advises. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a trust exercise 鈥� you鈥檙e in each other鈥檚 homes.鈥� Her other tip? Try different platforms and look for the more exclusive ones, where members are carefully vetted and the community is smaller. While surprises can still pop up, you鈥檒l lift your chances of a happy (maybe even Hollywood-worthy?) holiday.