FAQs

With a standard Kindred membership, members pay a service fee + the cost of cleaning to book a stay on Kindred.

However, members who upgrade to a Kindred Passport can enjoy $0 service fees on an unlimited number of trips during a 1 year period.

Kindred Passport holders can save hundreds or even thousands in service fees if they expect to book more than 2 Kindred stays within a year.

Kindred’s margin comes from member Service Fees and Passport purchases. We use these funds to cover the costs of our service, including Host Protection, customer service, identity verification, host kit, and more. What’s left after that is taken as margin and reinvested into the company.

Kindred does NOT make profit margin on cleaning fees – our fee schedule is set up to cover costs only.

We also do NOT make money from advertisements or the sale of data. We will NEVER sell any of your personal data to advertisers or third parties.

No. There is no monetary value assigned to Kindred credits, and they cannot be purchased. Kindred is a give-to-get community, and members can only earn credits by contributing to the community.

We do not allow for the purchase of credits in order to keep Kindred a true peer-to-peer network instead of a platform for rental businesses. If credits were resellable, investors would be incentivized to join. Our belief is that the world doesn't need just another short-term rental platform – it needs an actual peer-to-peer sharing economy.

Members earn Kindred credits in one of three ways:

1. Newly accepted members receive “starter” credits after completing their home profile. This allows new members to try out staying before hosting.
2. Members earn credits by by hosting other members. One night given equals one night earned, regardless of home value.
3. Members can also earn credits by referring friends who are accepted to join Kindred

There are no nightly rental fees when you book a trip. Accepted members only cover the cost of cleaning and a small service fee per stay. This service fee varies by length of stay, but is typically $5-35 per night.

Members also have the option of purchasing a Kindred Passport for $600, which unlocks $0 service fees for an unlimited number of trips booked that year.

The Passport typically makes sense for members who plan to book more than two trips in a year, which is fairly typical usage. You can pay up front or in monthly installments.

Yes. Today, one night given equals one night earned, regardless of the home’s size or resale value.

Giving a night in your personal home to a member of the Kindred community requires generosity and an act of trust. We believe that those who share with this community should be able to receive from the community in return, regardless of their particular home’s size or resale value.

We also are aware that the same home is likely to be valued very differently by different members depending on their preferences, lifestyle, and other options available. Instead of presuming that resale value or square footage is always a fair approximation of value, we simply allow members to confirm trips that they are excited about, and not confirm trips if they feel don’t make sense for them.

On a Kindred trip, you are a houseguest embedding into your host’s home and community while they are out.  It’s normal to run into neighbors!

We encourage you to smile, introduce yourself, and share that you are a friend of the host’s who is looking after their place while they are out. Most of all, be kind and respectful.

Kindred credits represent “earned nights” that a member can spend to stay in a Kindred home. We designed Kindred to be a give-to-get community, where you must contribute the  to the community in order to benefit from it. Members who host others earn credits that they can use to book a stay at a different home at a later time.

Currently, 1 credit = 1 night at any home, anywhere in the world. Credits do not have any assigned monetary value and cannot be purchased or sold.

There are only 3 ways to earn credits:

1. Newly accepted members unlock several “starting” credits upon completing their profile
2. Members earn 1 credit per night that they host another member
3. Members can also earn credits by referring friends who are accepted into the community

If you would like to earn more credits, we recommend referring friends to Kindred, and adding more home availability to increase the chances of a member booking your home. You can also share details about your home on social media and tag our members-only instagram for a feature! Some members also like to post in the community Slack groups to share what’s so special about their city, town, and home.

We try our best to ensure that trips go according to plan, but we know that sometimes life happens! Our cancellation policy is intended to ensure Kindred members have a consistent and predictable experience when booking travel, while also accommodating reasonable flexibility for changing plans.

Any cancellations within 30 days of the guest’s arrival date will be considered a “Late Cancellation”. In the event that a host cancels, Kindred will support the guest in finding alternative accommodations on Kindred, if available. If not available, our trip protection policy will kick in to help offset the costs of the guest finding alternate accommodations or changing flights.

In the event of a host repeatedly making Late Cancellations without good reason, Kindred may review their standing as a member of the Kindred network.

Guest-initiated Late Cancellations may result in the guest having to forfeit their service fee and their credits.

Please review our full Cancellation Policy here.

Our goal is for Kindred to be a friendly, safe, and inclusive environment for all members, including those who are assisted by service animals. If you travel with a service animal or require any other kind of accommodation, we’d love to give you special attention to find home swap options that work well for your needs.

Service animals must be disclosed to the host as part of the original trip request. If you travel with a service animal, we invite you to register them to your account by sending an email to hello@livekindred.com with their name, breed, size, and shedding/non-shedding status. Our concierge will help you find fabulous swapportunities that can accommodate your service animal.

Unlike hotels or vacation rentals, Kindred homes are private places of residence not bookable by the general public, and regulations like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) do not cover private residences. Just as each person's private residence is not required to be wheelchair accessible, it is similarly not legally required that Kindred members accommodate service animals in their homes, so we must always get the host’s permission in advance.

That said, we find that most Kindred members are happy to accept animals in their homes, and we strive to foster an environment of mutual respect, earnest effort, and open communication to help members find home swaps that work for their particular needs, whatever those needs may be.

Members can bring pets on a Kindred stay if that is expressly discussed and agreed upon by the members ahead of booking, and if pets are allowed in the hosting member’s building or lease.

If members request to bring their pet on a trip, they must share a picture of their pet and details about their pet care arrangements in the video introduction (must include pet age, type, shedding/non-shedding, level of training if relevant, whether they will be leaving the pet unaccompanied in the home without a crate or enclosure, and whether they will need to grant home access to a dog walker or similar).

Bringing pets requires informed and enthusiastic host consent each and every time. One of our member conduct values is to over-communicate, and this is especially important with pets. Any inaccurate or omitted information about bringing a pet is considered a Major Code of Conduct violation and may result in removal from the network.

You can read more about our pet policy in our Terms of Service.

Yes! We know that travel is always better when you can share it with your people.

When booking a stay with travel companions, members must disclose any overnight guests ahead of time, and register them by sharing their contact information with the Kindred team and host in the group chat. It is ultimately up to the host to approve of overnight guests. This is critical to ensure members are always kept up-to-date on who is staying in their home, and helps us deliver a safe and consistent experience for all members.

When bringing guests, members are responsible for educating them on all house rules and Kindred’s Code of Conduct, and will be held accountable for the behavior or actions of any of their guests.

Finally, Kindred has a “no party” rule. We limit overnight guests to 6, and prohibit any large gatherings of 10 or more people in a Kindred home at any given time without explicit prior permission.

If you are looking for a venue to host a party, we have a few ideas for some other platforms you can use :)

At this time, Kindred only facilitates whole home swaps and stays, in order to provide a safe and consistent user experience for traveling members. That means members must be out of the home to host a Kindred-coordinated stay.

Kindred is all about human connection, and we love when members get to know one another personally. Those who become friends or have existing relationships are welcome to arrange guest bedroom stays on their own time. Of course, Kindred will not provide services, cleanings, or Host Protection coverage for visits arranged off of the Kindred platform.

We are looking forward to launching houseguest and roommate swaps in the future.

In advance of a stay, members may agree between themselves for a guest to care for their host’s pet on their stay, but this is NOT a service facilitated by Kindred and is NOT covered by Kindred’s Host Protection policy.

Any pet sitting or pet care arrangements made by members is strictly between them directly as individuals. Kindred is not responsible for caring for any member’s pet, and will not be held liable for any injury or damage to a member’s pets or involving the pets.

We do require that members inform Kindred if they have made a pet care arrangement between themselves.

Before a member’s first time hosting, Kindred provides a Host Kit that includes all the essentials needed to make preparing your home for a Kindred stay quick and easy.

Our host kits include:

• A fresh set of guest linens, including sheets, a duvet cover, bath and hand towels, and a bath mat, for you to leave out. The cleaners will make the bed.
• A Guest Essentials pouch packed with toiletries and items for your guest to enjoy. We partner with fantastic consumer brands like Malin & Goetz to provide high quality, travel sized essentials.
• A Kindred lockbox, if needed, so you can securely leave key
• A new, individually wrapped kitchen sponge that you can leave out for your guest (we know that sometimes having someone else use your sponge can give people the ick!)
• A set of removable “Privacy Please” stickers that you can use on drawers, cabinets, or doors to indicate if you’d prefer a guest not use something
• A set of removable blank stickers that you can use to leave any specific notes or instructions for your guest around the house

💡 You can read more about preparing your home in the **How To Prep Your Home** guide

Yes. You are always in control of whether a member stays at your home – we will never book a trip without your permission, and there are no minimum hosting requirements to be a Kindred member.

Additionally, any pets and overnight guests a member brings to your home must be shared in advanced and approved by you.

💡 Please read out Member Code of Conduct for more details on our policies on guests.

Kindred coordinates professional cleaning before and after each Kindred stay to make the experience effortless, consistent, and trustworthy for both parties.

Being able to count on a professional cleaning means members don’t have to stress about cleaning their own home before leaving on a trip, and allows us to ensure they can return to a sparkling home that’s cleaner than they left it.

It also means that when arriving on a Kindred stay, members know the home will be cleaned and ready for them with fresh guest linens, each and every time.

For housecleanings, Kindred leverages our network of vetted preferred cleaners. We both source and onboard cleaners ourselves, as well as partner with professional cleaning services.

When preferred by a member, we are also happy to work with their existing housecleaner for the cleans at their home. If you have a house cleaner you love, just let us know!

Because Kindred is based on reciprocity, it fosters a community with a higher level of trust & mutual respect for one another's home than a rental platform. That said, we know that accidents happen!

Kindred automatically includes $100,000 in Host Protection Coverage for each trip in the event of any accidental damage. If something comes up on a trip, we only ask that you let us know as soon as possible, whether as a host or a guest. Our dedicated team will work with you to make things right.

In addition to our Host Protection policy, we also require that all members have an active renters or homeowners insurance policy for additional coverage. We’re happy to share recommendations if you’re uncovered!

💡 Feel free to read more about Host Protection and our conflict resolution policies in our Terms of Service.

Absolutely not! Our members understand that this is a home and not a vacation rental - so don't worry about having clothes in your closets, pictures on your walls, or stuff in your drawers.

We only ask that any unnecessary clutter be tucked away. Kindred will organize professional cleanings before & after each trip to ensure a seamless hosting experience.

💡 For a step-by-step guide, check out our How To Prep Your Home guide.

We take member privacy very seriously. The Kindred app is only accessible to approved members. On the app, home profiles include interior photos, the city and neighborhood, your first name, and any profile information you add when setting up your account (this typically includes a profile picture and a short written bio). On the app, you can click on your home profile to preview how your home will appear to others on the app.

We ONLY share your home address, home guide, and access information with a member you have agreed to host after the booking has been confirmed and approved by all parties.

You will have access to the full name and contact information of any members you host or swap with once the trip has been confirmed.

Please refer to our Property Requirements:

Property Requirements

As a membership network based on trusted community, our top priority is to ensure that Kindred continues to provide a safe, consistent, and friendly home swapping experience for all members. Because of that, our bar for trust and member conduct is extremely high.

To join, a prospective member must have a home that meets our minimum standards for safety and quality.

Before taking a trip, Kindred verifies member identity with government issued IDs. We also connect with members on social media, and send photographers to member homes to ensure images are accurate representations of the home.

In addition to vetting, we also personally onboard new members before their first time hosting or booking a Kindred stay to ensure that all members know exactly what to expect, what’s allowed and what’s not allowed, and have reviewed our Member Code of Conduct.

During a trip, the Kindred concierge is a text away should members need any support. We monitor group chat conversations and gather feedback after trips, and we do remove members who do not adhere to the Member Code of Conduct. We have extremely high standards for trust and conduct.

💡 Please read about Host Protection and our conflict resolution policies in our Terms of Service.

Because Kindred is based on reciprocity, it fosters a community with a higher level of trust & mutual respect for one another's home than a rental platform. That said, we know that accidents happen – and we are dedicated to supporting all members in the event of accidental damage.

Kindred automatically includes $100,000 in Host Protection Coverage for each trip in the event of any accidental damage. If something comes up on a trip or you find something has been damaged, we only ask that you let us know as soon as possible. Our dedicated team will work with you to make things right.

In addition to our Host Protection policy, we also require that all members have an active renters or homeowners insurance policy for additional coverage. We’re happy to share recommendations if you’re uncovered!

Yes, you are welcome to list two homes as long as they are a personal place of residence, and not a full-time investment property.

Our app does not yet accommodate seeing both homes in your home profile, but we are working on it! In the meantime, please work with our concierge team to add availability or manage the calendar for your second home.

Kindred is free to join!

Members must apply and be accepted, but there are no hosting requirements or fees required to keep your membership active.

When accepted members decide to take a trip, they will then pay a service fee to book a stay. Members also have the option to purchase a Kindred Passport, which unlocks $0 service fees for an unlimited number of trips over a 1 year period.

There are no minimum hosting requirements for members. When, whether, and with whom to share your space is always entirely up to you.

Kindred is a give-to-get network, and we hope for all accepted members to be both guests and hosts at some point in time. However, home sharing is new to many people, and we understand some may want to “dip their toe in” to home sharing by going on a Kindred trip first before they host. To do this, we gift new members several starting credits to book a stay before their first time hosting.

In order to earn more nights, though, members will have to host other members.

Yes, absolutely. Kindred welcomes both owners and renters, as long as their home is used as a primary residence. Kindred is for real homes, not short-term rentals. We find that home swapping can be a fantastic option for renters looking to travel more affordably.

Unlike subletting or rentals, home swapping involves no monetary exchange between members. Kindred helps members meet others and coordinate staying as houseguests, not as renters, in one another’s vetted primary residences. Home swapping and house sitting in primary residences is generally considered by most jurisdictions to be distinct from renting or subletting, though this can vary.

While it's important to carefully review your lease agreement and any HOA rules that may apply to your rental property before participating, our members who rent typically find that neighbors and landlords are comfortable with them letting a trusted friend housesit when they are gone, as long as they are not turning their home into a rental.

Yes, although at this time Kindred only facilitates whole home swaps. This means that you and your roommates will need to all travel together on a swap, or otherwise all be out of the house for you to host a Kindred member.

If you have completed your application and have not heard back from us, you might be on the waitlist.

There are a number of reasons why your membership application may be waitlisted:

1. We are not yet operational in your city
2. We have too much inventory relative to demand for your specific city
3. Your home doesn’t meet our home guidelines
4. Your photos or video walkthrough were incomplete, or some of the information in your application incomplete or unverified (for example, submitting a false phone number)

We review the waitlist frequently as we expand our service areas. You’ll receive an email as soon as we’re able to accept your home. You’re also welcome to submit new photos or re-apply if you feel your original photos may not have appropriately represented your home.

Kindred accepts homes and apartments that are located in one of our active service areas and meet our minimum requirements for being safe, functional, and thoughtfully furnished.

1. Safe: Homes must have an active renters or homeowners insurance policy, must be secure and lockable, and cannot have any obvious health or safety hazards present. For a full list, please see the Property Requirements in our Terms of Service.
2. Functional: Given that the average Kindred swap is 5-7 nights, we seek to ensure all Kindred homes would serve as functional accommodations for an individual who may need to work remotely during the week. This means we require wifi, comfortable seating, access to kitchen appliances and basic cooking utensils, desk or tabletop space, and natural light.
3. Tastefully furnished: Kindred homes look and feel like real homes, not half-empty vacation rentals. We accept homes with tasteful and contemporary interior decoration. If you have art on your walls, mirrors, plants, window dressings, rugs, and a bed frame, you’re on the right track. We want homes with soul, and so please don’t feel the need to take down your family pictures or unique decor, or remove your socks from your sock drawer – we like the things that make your home a reflection of the creative, generous, kind person who lives there.

The fastest way to join Kindred is to apply with a valid invite code here. Don’t have an invite code? You can still join our waitlist! We accept qualified homes on a rolling basis based on where we're seeing the most demand. If we’re not serving your city yet, hang tight – we’ll be sure to reach out as soon as we expand to your area.

We currently accept homes in approximately 50 cities across North America, and are expanding to Europe soon.

Our active locations include (but are not limited to):

Large metropolitan cities

USA

• Atlanta
• Austin
• Boston
• Boise
• Charleston
• Charlotte
• Chicago
• Dallas
• Denver
• Houston
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• Nashville
• New Orleans
• New York City
• San Diego
• Santa Barbara
• Salt Lake City
• San Francisco
• Scottsdale
• Seattle
• Portland

Mexico

• Mexico City

Canada

• Quebec
• Toronto
• Vancouver

Europe

• London
• Amsterdam
• Berlin

Nature, beach, or winter sports destinations

Winter & Mountains

• Aspen
• Banff
• Bend
• Boulder
• Breckenridge
• Bozeman
• Jackson
• Lake Tahoe
• Park City
• Vail
• Victor
• Whitefish

Beach

• Cabo San Lucas
• Hawaii
• Half Moon Bay
• Malibu
• Tulum
• Puerto Escondido
• Santa Cruz

Desert

• Palm Springs
• Joshua Tree
• Marfa

Weekend destinations

• Napa
• Sonoma
• Healdsburg
• The Hamptons
• Nantucket
• Cape Cod

Select European cities (Coming Soon)

• Berlin
• Amsterdam
• London
• Paris
• Milan
• Lisbon
• Barcelona
• Zurich
• …and more

Yes! Kindred works on both Android & iOS devices. Our Android app can be found here while our iPhone app can be found here.
Additionally, our concierge team can work with you over text and email to find and book stays.

Kindred is the first company that makes home swapping both trusted and convenient.

Home swapping has been around for a long time in the form of websites or chat groups where unverified users can post their own listings. With platforms like this, users don’t know if the posted homes are real, and it can be very hard to sift through listings to find a good match. If you find a stay, there are a ton of logistics to deal with to set up the trip, and the experience is high risk and unpredictable.

Kindred, on the other hand, is a vetted community that offers a full service travel experience, including matchmaking and 24/7 trip support, delivered through an elegant mobile app. We seek to make every step of the journey thoughtful, reliable, and simple. That means providing members with sheets, towels, and other essentials to make hosting easy, providing complimentary toiletries for each stay, and taking on the burden of coordinating cleaning before and after each stay so you don’t have to stress.

Kindred is a closed network for home exchanges between vetted residents, not a vacation rental or short-term rental platform.

On Kindred, there is no financial exchange between guest and host. Members are trusted peers looking to travel more vs. professional hosts running a rental business, and the homes are real residences vs. investment properties.

Kindred seeks to connect members who have something in common (like a mutual friend, a shared network, or similar quality homes) who welcome one another as guests. You can swap homes 1-for-1, or earn nights by hosting and use those nights to stay somewhere else later.

Kindred credits represent “earned nights” that a member can spend to stay in a Kindred home. We designed Kindred to be a give-to-get community, where you must contribute the  to the community in order to benefit from it. Members who host others earn credits that they can use to book a stay at a different home at a later time.

Currently, 1 credit = 1 night at any home, anywhere in the world. Credits do not have any assigned monetary value and cannot be purchased or sold.

There are only 3 ways to earn credits:

1. Newly accepted members unlock several “starting” credits upon completing their profile
2. Members earn 1 credit per night that they host another member
3. Members can also earn credits by referring friends who are accepted into the community

No, they do not. In fact, most of our trips do not include two members staying in each other’s homes at the exact same time.

Our “give a night to get a night” policy gives members greater flexibility by allowing members to host others and bank those nights, later using them to stay at a different member home later on.

Today, one night given equals one night earned, regardless of the city or home size, and there is no way to purchase nights – members earn nights only by contributing to the community.

We believe that giving a night to a member of the community is a gift, regardless of your square footage – and we believe that those who give to the community should be able to receive from the community in return.