Frequently Asked Questions
What services does SabbaticalHomes.com provide?
SabbaticalHomes.com offers a worldwide home and tenant listing service for individuals offering or searching for accommodations for rent, exchange, house sitting, or sharing.
Registered members can save searches, track email queries, make a favorites list, and see how many times their own listing has been viewed.
Who does SabbaticalHomes.com serve?
Our mission is to serve academics that need to find, or offer, temporary accommodations worldwide. Anyone is welcome to use our service if they prefer to work with scholars, artists and writers.
Why should I register with SabbaticalHomes.com?
Registering allows you to utilize all the features our site has to offer. You may post a listing, save listings that interest you, and have a place to store inquiries about your listing. At SabbaticalHomes.com we strive to maintain a legitimate and safe environment for our members. Only information you choose to share is listed on the website. The standard information that is listed publicly on our site is: your alias, your academic status, length of your membership on the site, number of successful matches you have reported, the number of contributions you have sent for these successes, as well as any feedback about you and your properties from other members.
How much does it cost to register?
It is free to register. Fees apply only when you post a listing.
Do you share my email address?
Rest assured, we will never share your email address.
Additionally, your email remains concealed from your public listing.
You control whether to reply to inquiries and whether you would like to share your email address with people who contact you.
Please read our privacy notice for more information.
Who qualifies as an academic?
We consider an academic to be a person whose email comes from a university, college, university hospital, museum, research or other scholarly institution.
An email will be sent to these individuals to verify status.
Academics that do not belong to an academic organization (retired educators, for example) may sign up as Independent Scholars, or should contact us to inquire if they qualify for our academic rates.
There are four categories of academics at SabbaticalHomes.com:
| Academic Title |
Email Verification |
1. Academic Faculty or Staff (Universities, Research Institutes, and Museums)
2. Graduate or Post-Graduate Student |
Must have a current university, research institute, museum or hospital email address |
| 3. School Teacher (Primary and Secondary) |
Must have a current school email address |
| 4. Independent Scholar (working outside traditional academia) |
Please contact us. |
How do I make changes to my profile?
To edit information in your profile, login to your account and click on Edit Profile; Here you can change your email address, password, and update your public profile among other things.
Be sure to click the Update My Account button at the bottom of the page to ensure your information is updated.
I forgot my password, how do I retrieve it?
Click the Forgot your password link under the login information or click here to be redirected to the password reminder page. Once there, enter your email address and your password will be forwarded to the email account you registered with.
Why am I not able to register?
Be sure to fill in all fields marked with an asterisk (*) otherwise the system will not let you register.
Additionally, if you are seeing a 'Cannot be truncated' error this means that too many characters have been entered into one, or more, of the fields. Try re-entering a shorter entry into the form.
Why won’t the site recognize my password and/or email?
If you’ve already registered and paid and are still encountering this problem it might be a simple error. Be sure you are using the same email address you registered with, if you have more than one; try other email addresses you might have used.
If that’s not the cause, sometimes emails are misspelled during registration.
If you believe this might be the case, please contact us for help.
Can I change the email address I use to receive notifications?
Yes, login to your SabbaticalHomes.com account and click on Edit Profile.
There you will have the ability to change your email–address.
Be sure to click the Update My Account button at the bottom of the page to ensure your information is updated. It is important to note that the email you enter will serve as your login.
How much does it cost to post a listing?
There is a nominal fee for posting a Home Offered or Home Wanted listing. Please see the table below for detailed pricing information. Listings remain active for up to 14 months from the date submitted, can be updated at any time, and are renewable.
A Home Offered listing can be a property for rent, exchange, house sitting or sharing.
Home Wanted listings may also be posted for requesting a home to rent or sit. Searching for listings and replying to offers is free.
Our philosophy is to keep fees to a minimum. If you make a match using our site (by finding a home or a tenant), we kindly ask that you send a success-based contribution to help the service grow and improve. Although the amount of your contribution is left to your discretion, typical contributions range from $50- $100.
|
Service |
|
|
Home Offered |
Home Wanted |
|
Currency |
Home to: rent, exchange, sit, or share |
Home to: rent, sit |
|
|
Academic |
Non-Academic |
Academic |
Non-Academic |
|
USD |
$
45 |
$
65 |
FREE |
$
20 |
| FEE |
Euros |
€
35 |
€
50 |
FREE |
€
15 |
| (renewable every 14 months) |
Pounds |
£
30 |
£
40 |
FREE |
£
10 |
|
Canadian |
CA$
45 |
CA$
65 |
FREE |
CA$
20 |
|
Australian |
AU$
45 |
AU$
65 |
FREE |
AU$
20 |
|
New Zealand |
NZ$
50 |
NZ$
75 |
FREE |
NZ$
25 |
How do I pay for a listing?
Once your listing is submitted, you will be prompted to choose between paying by credit card (via PayPal) or by check.
Listings are posted immediately. Most currencies are accepted, but please note that international rates may vary.
To pay with a credit card: login and click on My Payments and then click the Pay Now button next to your listing.
To pay by check, please make check payable to “SabbaticalHomes.com” and send to:
SabbaticalHomes.com
P.O. Box 2016
Manhattan Beach, CA
90267 USA
Can I use a different currency?
Yes, most currencies are accepted, but please note that international rates may vary.
I’m in a coffee shop on a shared network; can I pay my Setup Fee later when I’m in a place with secure internet connection? And if I pay later, when will my listing be active?
Your listing will be active as soon as you post it. You will receive a grace period to make your payment.
Can I use my credit card to pay for my listing without creating a PayPal account?
Yes, login to your SabbaticalHomes.com account and click on My Payments,
then click the Pay Now button until you get to the PayPal Choose a way to pay screen.
At the bottom of this screen, you can choose to Pay with your debit or credit card as a PayPal guest by clicking Don’t have a PayPal account?. This will eliminate the need to register for a PayPal account while allowing you to use your credit or debit card.
Submitted a credit card payment online when I posted my listing, but it hasn’t registered yet. When will the charge submit?
Don’t worry; your listings will remain active as we update your payment.
Although it’s rare, it’s possible to experience a lag in updating payment information.
If over 24 hours have passed and the information hasn’t been updated, please contact us.
My payment with PayPal isn’t working. Is there an alternative way I can use my credit card to pay?
To make a payment with PayPal, login to your SabbaticalHomes.com account and click on My Payments,
then click the Pay Now button until you get to the PayPal Choose a way to pay screen.
There, you should be able to finalize your payment through PayPal using your credit or debit card.
If this doesn’t work and the problem persists you can make a payment directly with PayPal to the following email: CustomerService(at)sabbaticalhomes.com. Please enter your listing number in the notes section of your PayPal payment.
What if I would like to list more than one property?
Each property will have its own listing number and information. Setup and renewal fees apply to each listing.
If you are an agent or broker, or have a property with multiple units, please contact us for permission prior to posting. Higher rates apply to commercial listings.
What information can be included in a listing?
- 1. A detailed description
- 2. Availability dates
- 3. Up to 10 photos (Home Offered listings only)
- 4. Up to 5 links (5) to relevant web sites
- 5. Up to 3 preferred exchange destinations (Home Exchange listings only)
Can I edit my listing once it is posted?
Yes, you can edit your listing at any time. In fact, we encourage you to update your listing every couple of months.
It is important to keep your availability dates current.
You can also upload new pictures or modify your description at any time.
To edit your listing, simply login to your SabbaticalHomes.com account,
click on My Listings and choose the Make Changes option. Be sure to click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the page to ensure your information is updated.
What if I get a tenant while my listing is still active?
You can pause your listing from public view at any time or change the availability dates.
To pause your listing, login to your SabbaticalHomes.com account, click on My Listings and click on the Pause/Inactivate link found either in the Status or Options column. When your home becomes available again, simply reverse the process and your listing will be made public again.
How do I cancel or pause my listing?
It is important to keep the information on the site current.
If your listing is no longer available, you can easily cancel or pause it.
To do so, login to your SabbaticalHomes.com account,
click on My Listings and click on the Pause/Inactivate link found either in the Status or Options column. When your home becomes available again, simply reverse the process and your listing will be made public again.
How do I contact the owner of a listing?
To the right of each listing is a Contact Party button, click on this and you will be able to email the party directly. Please limit the number of inquiries you send to allow for interested parties to get back to you before sending additional emails. Make sure to give information about your background and why the listing is of interest to you.
How does the feedback system work?
The purpose of the feedback feature is to share fair and useful information.
Our members are welcome to post feedback about other members they have dealt with or properties they have rented.
Feedback comments are visible in members’ profiles.
To read a member’s feedback, look for the Feedback link next to the member’s name.
To leave feedback, login to your account and click on My Feedback;
there you will be able to Leave Feedback and view Feedback History.
How do I leave feedback?
We encourage you to use the feedback feature to share fair and useful information.
To do so, login to your SabbaticalHomes.com account and click on My Feedback;
Here, you can select to either Leave Feedback or view your Feedback History.
To view feedback other parties have posted for you, select Feedback History and click Feedback Received.
To view feedback you’ve posted, click Feedback Sent.
You will not have the ability to delete feedback once it is posted (please contact us if you need to do so).
I keep entering price information, but nothing is displaying. How can I edit my listing's price?
Please enter only numbers in the field. Do not use currency symbols (such as $) commas or periods.
Why can’t I see my listings in my account?
It is possible that you might have created two different SabbaticalHomes.com accounts, one with listings and one without.
Try logging in with a different username/email to see if this resolves the issue.
Another possible reason is that your listing’s setup or renewal fee is overdue.
When logged into your account, please check My Payments to take care of the outstanding fee. If you still have questions, please contact us.
Can I see how many times my listing has been viewed?
Yes. login into your SabbaticalHomes.com account and click on My Listings;
In the Info column you will see how many times your listing has been Viewed.
My listing does not display on the proper place on the map—how can I change this?
In order to change the location of your listing on the map, you will need to login to your SabbaticalHomes.com account.
Next click on My Listings then click on Make Changes.
Scroll down to Property Location and either enter a new address or click and drag the locator pin to the proper location. Be sure to scroll down and click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the page to ensure your information is updated.
My listing is labeled Inactive and/or says, This offer has been cancelled or temporarily paused from public viewing. What do I do so prospective tenants may see my ad?
This means that a listing is in inactive mode (paused from public viewing) or no longer available.
To change this, login to your Sabbaticalhomes.com account, click on My Listings and then click the green activate button to reactivate your listing. Your listing will then be visible to the public.
Your advanced search results show me places that are too far away. How can I refine my search?
Our initial search result lists properties within 100 miles radius,
sorted by most recently updated. Once the initial result list shows,
you will have the opportunity to narrow your search by choosing a smaller radius and/or by sorting the listings by distance.
Click the dropdown option sort by to sort by distance and view search results nearest your desired destination.
You can also simply click on the top row to sort by Distance from City Center.
How do I upload photos?
You may upload up to 10 photos per Home Offered listing. Be sure that all images are JPG smaller than 2 MB, and each have their own unique name. Avoid apostrophes, spaces, symbols, and characters in the image filenames.
If you are having trouble uploading photos, try renaming them (photo1.jpg, photo2.jpg...) or try uploading one picture at a time to determine if only one of the images is problematic. If your problem persists, please contact us.
Why are some of my pictures posting sideways?
In cases like these, you will need to open your photos in an image-editing program on your computer, rotate them and resave prior to uploading.
I just paid for my listing, but still can’t get my messages. Is there a lag time between payment and being able to see messages?
If your payment is processed with PayPal your messages should become available for viewing within less than one hour. For payments with checks, please allow a few days until we receive payment.
I replied to listings however, I fear I might have not been logged in to my account before I sent the messages. Will those messages still be delivered? Or should I resend my messages?
Your messages will reach their destination. It’s not necessary to login to your account to send messages,
but it is advisable because by doing so all of your sent messages are saved and viewable on the My Messages page.
You can then track who you have sent messages to or received inquiries from.
I sent a message. Why haven’t I heard back from the other party?
Because Sabbaticalhomes.com is a listing service, we have no control, or information, about why certain parties may not answer emails. Wait a few days and try again. If you still get no answer it is probably best to move on to other listings.
I've been writing messages that don't seem to appear in my message inbox. Does that mean they are not reaching the intended recipient?
Here are the possible causes:
- If you email a party through SabbaticalHomes.com from a different email than the email you registered with,
the messages won't show on your My Messages page. But they may have been sent to the recipient.
- Your messages may be held for review. Your messages are in a queue and will be forwarded once approved on our side, so you do not have to rewrite them - just wait a couple of days until we check the latest messages and update our database.
- Always be sure you are logged into your account for messages to be transferred to your inbox.
Success-Based Contributions back to top
Why should I contribute?
Our philosophy is to keep fees to a minimum. If you make a match using our site (by finding a home or a tenant),
we kindly ask that you send a success-based contribution to help the service grow and improve.
We are able to keep our low-fee, advertisement-free, specialized website service as a direct result of donations from conscientious members of the SabbaticalHomes.com community. Contributions make up a large part of our revenue and allow us to keep the site running smoothly as well as expand the services we offer our members. This equitable system depends on your generosity. Although the amount of your contribution is left to your discretion, typical contributions range from $50- $100.
Thank you for your support.
How do I send my contribution?
We love to hear about success stories in our SabbaticalHomes.com community. Success-based contributions can be made via PayPal
by using our Contribute link.
You may also send a check to:
SabbaticalHomes.com
P.O. Box 2016
Manhattan Beach, CA
90267 USA
How do I delete or inactivate my listing?
Login to your SabbaticalHomes.com account, click on My Listings and click on the Pause/Inactivate link
found either in the Status or Options column.
You will be prompted to confirm that you want to inactivate your listing. Once you click the inactivate button your listing will be paused. You can reactivate your listing by clicking the activate button on an inactive listing.
I am a retired academic and no longer have an academic email address. How can I register as an academic?
When registering you can select the Independent Scholar status.
In the About You section of the registration form, you are welcome to offer some background information about which institution(s) you were affiliated with before retiring.
When I try to edit my listing, I receive an Invalid Listing error. Why can’t I edit and save my changes?
Sometimes the cookies can be corrupted. Clean your cookies or try logging out and login again to SabbaticalHomes.com. Edit, and then save your listing again. The methods to clear cookies are slightly different depending on the browser you use.
Why can’t I login into my account?
You may have registered with your academic email or misspelled your email address on your registration.
In the latter case, please contact us to find your account.
You may have also forgotten your password. Go to our Forgot Password page by clicking here.
Why can’t I logout from my account?
If you do not see the Sign Out link on the top right,
clear all the cookies from your web browser. The methods to clear cookies are slightly different depending on which browser you use.
Why can’t I upload my pictures?
Be sure that all images are JPG smaller than 2 MB, and each have their own unique name. Avoid apostrophes, spaces, symbols, and characters in the image filenames.
If you are having trouble uploading photos, try renaming them (photo1.jpg, photo2.jpg...) or try uploading one picture at a
time to determine if only one of the images is problematic. If your problem persists, please contact us.
I received the error message: A database error has occurred, what should I do?
Please contact us and tell us what occurred in as much detail as possible so we can resolve the issue.
I’m trying to post a listing, but see the error message: String or binary data would be truncated, what should I do?
This is caused when too many characters are entered into a field. Try abbreviating your content to be sure you do not input more than the text boxes allow.
My listing disappeared from the website, how do I correct this?
Login to your SabbaticalHomes.com account and click on My Listings: Check that the status of your listing is Active. If it is red and Inactive, click on the green Activate link to activate it again.
Why are my pictures too small and fuzzy? And why do they have a large SabbaticalHomes logo on them?
As an added level of security, our program adds a small SabbaticalHomes.com logo and listing # on your images after you upload them. This helps prevent spammers from re-purposing your images on other websites. In order to add the information, your photos have to be a minimum size. Please be sure the images you upload are not tiny thumbnails. Re-upload larger images to the site and the problem should be resolved.
Why do I keep seeing an Invalid date error?
Enter the dates in the following format: MM/DD/YYYY. For instance July 30th 2011 has to be entered as 7/30/2011 (and not: 30/7/2011, July 30, July 2011...)
Why can’t I receive emails from your website?
Please be sure to add customerservice@sabbaticalhomes.com to your contact list in your email account. Some service providers block email addresses until you add them as contacts in your account. It’s also a good idea to check your spam folder and add our email to your safe sender list.
Why am I getting an error message that my email address is invalid?
Make sure you do not enter a space before or after your email address. Your email should be recognized as long as you use the format xxx@xxx.xxx
Why am I unable to select a party that contacted me as a match?
In order to add a party as a match, the person has to have a SabbaticalHomes.com account.