Help Center Find answers to your questions

Register

Registering is free and allows you to utilize all the features our site has to offer. Nominal fees apply only when you post a listing. As a member you may post a listing, save listings that interest you, and exchange messages with other members.

We strive to maintain a legitimate and safe environment for our members. Only information you choose to share is listed on the website. Publicly listed information on our site includes: your alias, your academic status, length of your membership on the site, background information you choose to share, the number of contributions you have sent for these successes, as well as any reviews about you and your properties from other members. Your name, address, and email are not shared on the site.

We take privacy seriously and will never share your email address. Additionally, your email remains concealed from your public listing. You control whether you would like to share your email address with people who contact you when sending or replying to inquiries. Your email will only be revealed to whomever you choose to contact. Please read our privacy notice for more information.

When filling out the registration form, be sure to fill in all fields marked with an asterisk (*) otherwise the system will not let you register.

Who Qualifies as an Academic?

Academic affiliation can be substantiated by using a valid email associated with a university, college, university hospital, museum, research or other scholarly institution. A verification email will be sent to validate academic status. If you are an academic who does not belong to a traditional organization (medical researcher, scientist, writer) you might qualify as an Independent Scholar, please contact us for further details. We welcome retired academics to list with us! When registering, there is a dropdown box to indicate your academic status, select Independent Scholar from the list.
 
There are four categories of academics at SabbaticalHomes.com:

Manage Your 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 (including adding a profile photo) among other things. Be sure to click the Update My Account button at the bottom of the page to save new changes.

Retrieve Your Password

Click here to be redirected to the password reminder page.
You may also retrieve a forgotten password by hovering over the Login button on the top right-hand side of the site and clicking the Forgot Password? link that appears in that box. Enter the email address you registered with on the password reminder page and your password will be emailed to you.

Change Your Password

You can change your password once logged in by navigating to My Profile. Be sure to enter your new password in both boxes (to confirm the change), scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Save My Account.

Change Your Email Address

You can change your email address once logged in by navigating to My Profile. Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Save My Account. IMPORTANT NOTE: The updated email you enter will now serve as your login.

SabbaticalHomes.com Notification

You will receive periodic notification emails regarding your account with us. These range from listing messages received to renewal notices. Because we need to communicate important information about your account with you it is not possible to opt-out of account notification emails. Please be sure to add customerservice@sabbaticalhomes.com to your address book/safe sender list to ensure that important notifications reach your inbox.

We also send out quarterly newsletters to our active members to keep in touch about our latest travel & sabbatical insights. You can choose to opt-out from receiving the newsletter emails by clicking the opt-out link at the bottom of any of these emails.

Referrals (Connected Members)

Connected members have been referred by existing SabbaticalHomes.com members. 

Listing Fee

There is a nominal listing fee to post a Home Offered or Tenant Listing. A Home Offered listing can be a property for rent, exchange, house sitting or sharing. Tenant Listings may also be posted to request a home to rent or sit. Searching for listings and replying to offers is always free.

In order to sustain our services, we rely on all users to send in a Service Fee every time they successfully make a match. Although the amount of the Service Fee is left to the user's discretion based on what they can afford and the value of services rendered, typical amounts range from $50- $150. Your commitment to our accessible, nontraditional, and equitable system helps ensure that SabbaticalHomes.com will be maintained for the benefit of the scholars of tomorrow.

Please see the table below for more detailed information. Listings can remain active for up to 14 months from the date submitted, can be updated at any time, and are renewable.

If you would like to list more than one property, each property will have its own listing number and information. Listing and renewal fees apply to each property.

If you are an agent or broker, or have a property with multiple units, please contact us. Higher rates apply to commercial listings.

Pricing Table

Our philosophy is to keep listing fees to a minimum. There are no hidden costs, such as commission or booking fees. Therefore, if you make a match using our site (by finding a home or tenant), we kindly ask that you give back to help us continue to grow and improve.

How to Pay Your Listing Fee

Paying with Credit Card

• Submit your listing (or if you already have, login to your account)
• Click on My Payments
• Click the Pay Now button next to your listing
• Follow the on-screen instructions to complete your payment
• Quick Tip: To use your credit card without creating a PayPal account, select the Pay with a debit or credit card button. This will eliminate the need to register for a PayPal account while allowing you to use your credit or debit card.

If this doesn't work and the problem persists you can make a direct payment via PayPal to the following email: CustomerService(at)sabbaticalhomes.com. Please enter your listing number in the notes section of your PayPal payment.

Although rare, it's possible to experience a lag in updating payment information. If over 24 hours have passed and the information still hasn't been updated, please contact us.

Paying by Check
Make check payable to "SabbaticalHomes.com" and send to:
SabbaticalHomes.com
P.O. Box 2016
Manhattan Beach, CA
90267 USA

Listings are posted immediately. Most currencies are accepted (international rates may vary).

Paying by Credit Card/PayPal

Submit your listing (or if you already have, login to your account)

• Click on My Payments
• Click the Pay Now button next to your listing
• Follow the on-screen instructions to complete your payment
• Quick Tip: To use your credit card without creating a PayPal account, select the Pay with a debit or credit card button. This will eliminate the need to register for a PayPal account while allowing you to use your credit or debit card.

If this doesn't work and the problem persists you can make a direct payment via PayPal to the following email: CustomerService@sabbaticalhomes.com. Please enter your listing number in the notes section of your PayPal payment.

Although rare, it's possible to experience a lag in updating payment information. If over 24 hours have passed and the information still hasn't been updated, please contact us.

How to Pay Your Contributions

Our philosophy is to keep listing fees to a minimum. There are no hidden costs, such as commission or booking fees. Therefore, if you make a match using our site (by finding a home or tenant), we kindly ask that you give back to help us continue to grow and improve.

You can contribute online (via PayPal) or by sending a check to:

SabbaticalHomes.com
P.O. Box 2016
Manhattan Beach, CA
90267 USA

Most currencies are accepted (international rates may vary). 

Please keep in mind that we are only 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 is left to your discretion, typical contributions range from $50- $100.

Thank you for your continued support!

How to Post a Listing

• Login to your account. (If you haven't already, you will need to Register with us)
• Post your Home Offered listing: You may choose to list your home for rent, exchange, sit, and/or share
• Include important information: A catchy title, detailed description, accurate availability dates, and great photos go a long way
• Quick Tip: keep in mind you can post up to 10 photos, so have them handy when you begin the process
• Pay your listing fee to post your listing: Potential tenants won't be able to contact you until this step is completed
• Quick Tip: Get a head start finding the perfect tenant by reviewing our tenant listings

Your listing is renewable every 14 months. While your listing is active you may update it as often as you'd like. You may also pause and reactivate it as needed.

If you would like to post more than one listing, each property will have its own listing number and information. Listing and renewal fees apply to each property.

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.

Updating/Editing a Listing

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, 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.

Adding Photos to a Listing

Click here for a step-by-step "how-to upload photos" guide on our blog.

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 (For example: 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.

You may make minor edits to your photos during the upload process, such as: rotating, cropping, and arranging order.

To help make sure your pictures are great we've put together some helpful photo tips on our blog: http://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/Resources/home-listing-photo-tips/

How Much to Charge for Your Home

In order to determine how much to charge for your listing, conduct a search for comparable homes in the same (or similar) location to yours. Such a search will help you better understand the going rates and set a fair price. Keep in mind that you are opening your home up to fellow scholars who may or may not be able to afford the going rates. At SabbaticalHomes.com our goal is to accelerate travel and accommodate learning. We are not a typical vacation listing service that's focused on profiteering. We want to encourage making the transaction a win-win for both parties. If your rates are negotiable, indicate so by selecting that option box when setting up your listing.

We've created some helpful tips for making your home listing more appealing:
http://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/Resources/how-to-make-home-listings-really-work/

Communications Standards

Once your home is listed, people will begin sending queries about your space. Responding to inquiries promptly and politely welcomes open lines of communication. Take time to ask meaningful questions and expect clear answers. If the replies are not clear, be suspicious. You are not obliged to respond to an unsatisfactory query, and if you feel that it is dubious or inappropriate please contact us.

Developing a relationship is the first step to finding the perfect match (http://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/Resources/finding-the-perfect-match/).

Don't forget to Deactivate your listing, or update its availability dates, after it has been booked.

Messages/Queries

If you are interested in a listing and would like to get in touch with the owner, click the green Contact Member button located to the right of each listing. This will allow you to send a direct message to the party. Allow some time for listers to get back to you before sending additional queries. In your communications be sure to include information about you, your background, and why you are interested in their listing. Or, even better, create a free SabbaticalHomes.com profile for yourself so that fellow members can learn more about you directly on the site. All initial messages sent and received can be seen in the My Messages area of your account. Replies to initial messages are done in your own personal email account and are not recorded in your SabbaticalHomes.com account.

As a courtesy to fellow members, be sure to respond to messages within two business days. Responding to inquiries promptly and politely welcomes open lines of communication. Take time to ask meaningful questions and expect clear answers. If the replies are not clear, be suspicious. You are not obliged to respond to an unsatisfactory query, and if you feel that it is dubious or inappropriate please contact us

If you cannot retrieve your messages this might be due to a payment delay. All queries sent to listings pending payment will be held until the listing is fully paid and active. If you pay via PayPal your messages should become available for viewing within less than one hour. For check payments, please allow 5-7 business days until your payment is received via mail.

Collecting Payment from Tenant

If you are gearing up for hosting a Home Rental, Sit, or Share you will need to arrange collecting payment(s) from your tenant/sitter. You may decide to accept payments via PayPal, check, or other options such as a person-to-person mobile payment service like TransferWise.

Before you deposit a certified check, verify authenticity with the issuing bank not just your bank. Make sure the account contains sufficient funds and the issuing bank guarantees payment on the check. It may take a week or more for the check to clear. Realize that it hasn't cleared just because your bank has accepted it and credited your account.

Don't agree to any plan where the tenant asks to send a check for more than the rental price and requests that the seller refund the difference. And be suspicious of any renter who proposes making payment through a friend or agent of the renter. These are usually arrangements from international sources and the scammer fabricates some reason for you to quickly send them money. These are telltale signs of well-established scams frequently used on the Internet.

Because we do not collect payments or take a commission, it is important for successful hosts and tenants to send a contribution based on what you can afford to give. 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 is left to your discretion, typical contributions range from $50- $100. [https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/Donation.aspx]

Contract/Agreement

Once both parties have agreed on dates and details, it's a good idea for both the homeowner and tenant to draft an official contract/agreement. It is always a good idea to write down and sign off on both parties' expectations so that everyone is on the same page.

We strongly recommend using a contract whenever entering a housing agreement with a third party and have posted sample contract agreement guidelines on our blog to help you sort out pertinent information from dates of accommodation and fees, to mail forwarding and vehicle usage: http://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/Resources/home-rental-home-exchange-vehicle-use-agreement-guidelines/#sthash.md2Fz6pO.dpuf

Hosting Standards

A Clean Home
If guests will soon be on their way, be sure it's a comfortable place for them to stay. Cleaning your home before they arrive is an essential ingredient in the recipe for a successful stay. To help you prepare your home, we've compiled a helpful cleaning checklist. The SabbaticalHomes.com scholarly community standard of clean earns an A+. (http://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/how-clean-is-your-home/#sthash.SgcuR2VO.dpuf)

Some Guidance
One way to make your tenant, house sitter or fellow exchanger feel at home is to have a notebook waiting for them detailing the ins and outs of your home, learn more: http://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/Resources/tip-a-notebook-for-your-visitors/

Reporting Your Match

We kindly ask that you report every match you make, there are two easy ways to do so:

To report a match while keeping your listing active:

• Login your account and go to My Listings
• Next to the respective listing, click on Found Match
• Select the name of your match

To report a match and deactivate your listing:

• Login to your account and go to My Listings
• Next to the respective listing, click on Deactivate Listing
• Select the appropriate choice and submit
• Quick Tip: You can always Reactivate your listing later

Deleting or Deactivating a listing

Login to your SabbaticalHomes.com account, click on My Listings and click on the Pause/Deactivate link found either in the Status or Options column. You will be prompted to confirm that you want to deactivate your listing. Once you click the deactivate button your listing will be paused. You can reactivate your listing by clicking the Reactivate link on the listing.

How to Post a Listing

• Login to your account. (If you haven't already, you will need to Register with us)
• Click on Post Tenant Listing to list yourself as a potential tenant and/or home sitter
• Include important information: A detailed description about yourself, where you'd like to go, your travel dates, and your budget
• Pay your listing fee to post your listing: Potential tenants won't be able to contact you until this step is completed
• Quick Tip: If you are an academic, the Tenant Listing fee is waived

Your listing is renewable every 14 months. While your listing is active you may update it as often as you'd like. You may also pause and reactivate it as needed.

If you would like to post multiple Tenant Listings for different locations, each will have its own listing number and information. Respective fees apply to each listing.

Communications Standards

Once you post your Tenant Listing, people can begin sending you queries. Responding to inquiries promptly and politely welcomes open lines of communication. When initially corresponding with another member it's customary to include a brief introduction defining your research/interests, travel dates, flexibility, and why you're interested in a potential match. Take time to ask meaningful questions and expect clear answers. If the replies are not clear, be suspicious. You are not obliged to respond to an unsatisfactory query, and if you feel that it is dubious or inappropriate please contact us.

Developing a relationship is the first step to finding the perfect match (http://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/Resources/finding-the-perfect-match/).

Don't forget to deactivate your listing after you have found a place.

Messages/Queries

If you are interested in a listing and would like to get in touch, click the green Contact Member button located to the right of each listing. This will allow you to send a direct message to the party. Allow some time for listers to get back to you before sending additional queries. In your communications be sure to include information about you, your background, and why you are interested in their listing. Or, if you haven't already done so, create a free SabbaticalHomes.com profile for yourself so that fellow members can learn more about you directly on the site. All initial messages sent and received can be seen in the My Messages area of your account. Replies to initial messages are done in your own personal email account and are not recorded in your SabbaticalHomes.com account.

As a courtesy to fellow members, be sure to respond to messages within two business days. Responding to inquiries promptly and politely welcomes open lines of communication. Take time to ask meaningful questions and expect clear answers. If the replies are not clear, be suspicious. You are not obliged to respond to an unsatisfactory query, and if you feel that it is dubious or inappropriate please contact us.

If you cannot retrieve your messages this might be due to a payment delay. All queries sent to listings pending payment will be held until the listing is fully paid and active. If you pay via PayPal your messages should become available for viewing within less than one hour. For check payments, please allow 5-7 business days until your payment is received via mail.

Remitting Payment to Host

You should contact your host directly to negotiate fees and arrange payment(s). Most people choose to accept payments via PayPal, check, or other options such as a person-to-person mobile payment service like TransferWise.

Because we do not collect payments or take a commission, it is important for successful hosts and tenants to send a contribution based on what you can afford to give. 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 is left to your discretion, typical contributions range from $50- $100. [https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/Donation.aspx]

Contract/Agreement

Once both parties have agreed on dates and details, it's a good idea for both the homeowner and tenant to draft an official contract/agreement. It is always a good idea to write down and sign off on both parties' expectations so that everyone is on the same page.

We strongly recommend using a contract whenever entering a housing agreement with a third party and have posted sample contract agreement guidelines on our blog to help you sort out pertinent information from dates of accommodation and fees, to mail forwarding and vehicle usage: http://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/Resources/home-rental-home-exchange-vehicle-use-agreement-guidelines/#sthash.md2Fz6pO.dpuf

Tenant Standards

Include information about yourself and what you're looking for in your Tenant Listing so that potential hosts can build a relationship and feel comfortable letting their home to you for an extended period of time.

While staying in their home be respectful of their belongings and neighborhood-- treat the home as if it were your own. Be sure to promptly communicate any issues/questions with them.

Reporting Your Match

We kindly ask that you report every match you make, there are two easy ways to do so:

To report a match while keeping your listing active:

• Login your account and go to My Listings
• Next to the respective listing, click on Found Match
• Select the name of your match

To report a match and deactivate your listing:

• Login to your account and go to My Listings
• Next to the respective listing, click on Deactivate Listing
• Select the appropriate choice and submit
• Quick Tip: You can always Reactivate your listing later

Deleting or Deactivating a listing

Login to your SabbaticalHomes.com account, click on My Listings and click on the Pause/Deactivate link found either in the Status or Options column. You will be prompted to confirm that you want to deactivate your listing. Once you click the deactivate button your listing will be paused. You can reactivate your listing by clicking the Reactivate link on the listing.

Communications Standards

Once you post your Listing people can begin sending you queries. Responding to inquiries promptly and politely welcomes open lines of communication. When initially corresponding with another member, it's customary to include a brief introduction defining your research/interests, travel dates, flexibility, and why you're interested in a potential match. Take time to ask meaningful questions and expect clear answers. If the replies are not clear, be suspicious. You are not obliged to respond to an unsatisfactory query, and if you feel that it is dubious or inappropriate please contact us.

Developing a relationship is the first step to finding the perfect match (http://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/Resources/finding-the-perfect-match/).

Don't forget to deactivate your listing after you have found a match.

Sending a Message

If you are interested in a listing and would like to get in touch, click the green Contact Member button located to the right of each listing. This will allow you to send a direct message to the party. Allow some time for listers to get back to you before sending additional queries. In your communications be sure to include information about you, your background, and why you are interested in their listing. Keep in mind, the other party is not obligated to reply if they feel a query isn't formulated with enough background information.

If you haven't already done so, create a free SabbaticalHomes.com profile for yourself so that fellow members can learn more about you directly on the site. All initial messages sent and received can be seen in the My Messages area of your account. Replies to initial messages are done in your own personal email account and are not recorded in your SabbaticalHomes.com account.

Replying to a Query

As a courtesy to fellow members, be sure to respond to messages within two business days. Responding to inquiries promptly and politely welcomes open lines of communication. Take time to ask meaningful questions and expect clear answers. If the replies are not clear, be suspicious. You are not obliged to respond to an unsatisfactory query, and if you feel that it is dubious or inappropriate please contact us.

Paying for a Home Rental, Sit, or Share

You should contact your host directly to negotiate fees and arrange payment(s). Most people choose to accept payments via PayPal, check, or other options such as a person-to-person mobile payment service like TransferWise.

Because we do not collect payments or take a commission, it is important for successful hosts and tenants to send a contribution based on what you can afford to give. 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 is left to your discretion, typical contributions range from $50- $100. [https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/Donation.aspx]

Collecting Payment From Tenant

If you are gearing up for hosting a Home Rental, Sit, or Share you will need to arrange collecting payment(s) from your tenant/sitter. You may decide to accept payments via PayPal, check, or other options such as a person-to-person mobile payment service like TransferWise.

Before you deposit a certified check, verify authenticity with the issuing bank not just your bank. Make sure the account contains sufficient funds and the issuing bank guarantees payment on the check. It may take a week or more for the check to clear. Realize that it hasn't cleared just because your bank has accepted it and credited your account.

Don't agree to any plan where the tenant asks to send a check for more than the rental price and requests that the seller refund the difference. And be suspicious of any renter who proposes making payment through a friend or agent of the renter. These are usually arrangements from international sources and the scammer fabricates some reason for you to quickly send them money. These are telltale signs of well-established scams frequently used on the Internet.

Because we do not collect payments or take a commission, it is important for successful hosts and tenants to send a contribution based on what you can afford to give. 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 is left to your discretion, typical contributions range from $50- $100. [https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/Donation.aspx]

How Much to Charge for Your Home

In order to determine how much to charge for your listing, conduct a search for comparable homes in the same (or similar) location to yours. Such a search will help you better understand the going rates and set a fair price. Keep in mind that you are opening your home up to fellow scholars who may or may not be able to afford the going rates. At SabbaticalHomes.com our goal is to accelerate travel and accommodate learning. We are not a typical vacation listing service that's focused on profiteering. We want to encourage making the transaction a win-win for both parties. If your rates are negotiable, indicate so by selecting that option box when setting up your listing.

We've created some helpful tips for making your home listing more appealing:
http://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/Resources/how-to-make-home-listings-really-work/

Contract/Agreement

Once both parties have agreed on dates and details, it's a good idea for both the homeowner and tenant to draft an official contract/agreement. It is always a good idea to write down and sign off on both parties' expectations so that everyone is on the same page.

We strongly recommend using a contract whenever entering a housing agreement with a third party and have posted sample contract agreement guidelines on our blog to help you sort out pertinent information from dates of accommodation and fees, to mail forwarding and vehicle usage: http://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/Resources/home-rental-home-exchange-vehicle-use-agreement-guidelines/#sthash.md2Fz6pO.dpuf

Hosting Standards

A Clean Home
If guests will soon be on their way, be sure it's a comfortable place for them to stay. Cleaning your home before they arrive is an essential ingredient in the recipe for a successful stay. To help you prepare your home, we've compiled a helpful cleaning checklist. The SabbaticalHomes.com scholarly community standard of clean earns an A+. (http://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/how-clean-is-your-home/#sthash.SgcuR2VO.dpuf)

Some Guidance
One way to make your tenant, house sitter or fellow exchanger feel at home is to have a notebook waiting for them detailing the ins and outs of your home, learn more: http://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/Resources/tip-a-notebook-for-your-visitors/

Tenant Standards

Include information about yourself and what you're looking for in your Tenant Listing so that potential hosts can build a relationship and feel comfortable letting their home to you for an extended period of time.

While staying in their home be respectful of their belongings and neighborhood-- treat the home as if it were your own. Be sure to promptly communicate any issues/questions with them.

Searching for a Tenant and/or Home Sitter on SabbaticalHomes.com

To search for a Tenant to rent or sit your home:

• enter the location of your home into the search bar on the top right-hand side of our site
• select "Tenants" and/or "Sitters" (located above the search bar)
• Quick Tip: Be sure to de-select the default "Rental" checked box above the search bar so that your search results will only include tenants looking for a place in the location of your home.

Deciding to List Your Home

Whether you are traveling for sabbatical, research, or holiday finding a reliable tenant or sitter provides unparalleled peace of mind.

Getting started is quick and easy!

• Register with SabbaticalHomes.com
• Post your home offered listing: You may choose to list your home for rent, exchange, sit, and/or share
• Include important information: A catchy title, good description, accurate dates, and great photos go a long way
• Pay your listing fee to post your listing: Potential tenants won't be able to contact you until this step is completed
• Quick Tip: Get a head start finding the perfect tenant by reviewing our tenant listings

Find a Tenant
SabbaticalHomes.com is your resource to find responsible tenants worldwide who will pay reasonable rent while you are away.

Find a Home Sitter
Finding the right home sitter will allow you to leave for sabbatical knowing that someone will care for your home, water your plants, and pamper your pets. It's customary to offer reduced rent in exchange for their assistance in your absence.

Find Someone for a Home Share
Share your own home with academics needing to be in your hometown. A home share consists of letting a room and sharing your space. Home sharing is a housing alternative that's both economical and relationship building.

Participate in a Home Exchange
Home exchanging can be a win-win for those looking to travel to someone else's home while they stay in your place. Homeowners share peace-of-mind knowing their homes will be well cared for and often make lasting connections with fellow academics through the exchange process.

Updating Your Listing

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 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.

Pausing Your Listing

It is important to keep your information on the site current. If your listing is no longer available, you can easily pause it. To do so, login to your account, click on My Listings and select the Deactivate link (available under both the Status and Options columns). When your home becomes available again, simply reverse the process by clicking Reactivate and your listing will be made public again.

Messages/Queries

If you are interested in a listing and would like to get in touch with the owner, click the green Contact Member button located to the right of each listing. This will allow you to send a direct message to the party. Allow some time for listers to get back to you before sending additional queries. In your communications be sure to include information about you, your background, and why you are interested in their listing. Or, even better, create a free SabbaticalHomes.com profile for yourself so that fellow members can learn more about you directly on the site. All initial messages sent and received can be seen in the My Messages area of your account. Replies to initial messages are done in your own personal email account and are not recorded in your SabbaticalHomes.com account.

As a courtesy to fellow members, be sure to respond to messages within two business days. Responding to inquiries promptly and politely welcomes open lines of communication. Take time to ask meaningful questions and expect clear answers. If the replies are not clear, be suspicious. You are not obliged to respond to an unsatisfactory query, and if you feel that it is dubious or inappropriate please contact us.

Communications Standards

When initially corresponding with another member it's customary to include a brief introduction defining your research/interests, travel dates, flexibility, and why you're interested in a potential match. Responding to inquiries promptly and politely welcomes open lines of communication. Take time to ask meaningful questions and expect clear answers. If the replies are not clear, be suspicious. You are not obliged to respond to an unsatisfactory query, and if you feel that it is dubious or inappropriate please contact us.

Developing a relationship is the first step to finding the perfect match (http://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/Resources/finding-the-perfect-match/).

Payment

If you are gearing up for hosting a Home Rental, Sit, or Share you will need to arrange collecting payment(s) from your tenant/sitter. You may decide to accept payments via PayPal, check, or other options such as a person-to-person mobile payment service like TransferWise.

Before you deposit a certified check, verify authenticity with the issuing bank not just your bank. Make sure the account contains sufficient funds and the issuing bank guarantees payment on the check. It may take a week or more for the check to clear. Realize that it hasn't cleared just because your bank has accepted it and credited your account.

Don't agree to any plan where the tenant asks to send a check for more than the rental price and requests that the seller refund the difference. And be suspicious of any renter who proposes making payment through a friend or agent of the renter. These are usually arrangements from international sources and the scammer fabricates some reason for you to quickly send them money. These are telltale signs of well-established scams frequently used on the Internet.

Because we do not collect payments or take a commission, it is important for successful hosts and tenants to send a contribution based on what you can afford to give. 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 is left to your discretion, typical contributions range from $50- $100. [https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/Donation.aspx]

Contract/Agreement

Once both parties have agreed on dates and details, it's a good idea for both the homeowner and tenant to draft an official contract/agreement. It is always a good idea to write down and sign off on both parties' expectations so that everyone is on the same page.

We strongly recommend using a contract whenever entering a housing agreement with a third party and have posted sample contract agreement guidelines on our blog to help you sort out pertinent information from dates of accommodation and fees, to mail forwarding and vehicle usage: http://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/Resources/home-rental-home-exchange-vehicle-use-agreement-guidelines/#sthash.md2Fz6pO.dpuf

Hosting Standards

A Clean Home
If guests will soon be on their way, be sure it's a comfortable place for them to stay. Cleaning your home before they arrive is an essential ingredient in the recipe for a successful stay. To help you prepare your home, we've compiled a helpful cleaning checklist. The Sabbatical Homes scholarly community standard of clean earns an A+. (http://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/how-clean-is-your-home/#sthash.SgcuR2VO.dpuf)

Some Guidance
One way to make your tenant, house sitter or fellow exchanger feel at home is to have a notebook waiting for them detailing the ins and outs of your home, learn more: http://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/Resources/tip-a-notebook-for-your-visitors/

Reporting Your Match

We kindly ask that you report every match you make.
If you were successful finding a tenant but you don't have your own listing, we ask that you send a success-based contribution (https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/Donation.aspx) to help sustain our service. You will be able to indicate information about your match during this process.

If you do have a listing, there are two easy ways to report your match:

To report a match while keeping your listing active:

• Login your account and go to My Listings
• Next to the respective listing, click on Found Match
• Select the name of your match

To report a match and deactivate your listing:

• Login to your account and go to My Listings
• Next to the respective listing, click on Deactivate Listing
• Select the appropriate choice and submit
• Quick Tip: You can always Reactivate your listing later

Searching for a Home

To search for a Home to Rent, Sit, Exchange, or Share:

• Enter your desired location in the search bar on the top right-hand side of our site
• Quick Tip: You can enter the city, university, or address in the search bar
• Select as many options as apply: Rental, Exchange, Sitting, and/or Sharing
• Quick Tip: "Rental" is selected by default, but selecting more than one option is OK
• Click Search
• Use our powerful filters to narrow down search results based on criteria that's important to you (including dates, rate, and more).
• Quick Tip: You can also create a Tenant Listing that lets our community of members know exactly what you are looking for and when.

Deciding to Post a Tenant Listing

To post a Tenant Listing:

• Login to your account. (If you haven't already, you will need to Register with us)
• Click on Post Tenant Listing to list yourself as a potential tenant and/or home sitter
• Include important information: A detailed description about yourself, where you'd like to go, your travel dates, and your budget
• Pay your listing fee to post your listing: Potential tenants won't be able to contact you until this step is completed
• Quick Tip: If you are an academic, the Tenant Listing fee is waived

Your listing is renewable every 14 months. While your listing is active you may update it as often as you'd like. You may also pause and reactivate it as needed.

If you would like to post multiple Tenant Listings for different locations, each will have its own listing number and information. Respective fees apply to each listing.

Messages/Queries

If you are interested in a listing and would like to get in touch, click the green Contact Member button located to the right of each listing. This will allow you to send a direct message to the party. Allow some time for listers to get back to you before sending additional queries. In your communications be sure to include information about you, your background, and why you are interested in their listing. Or, if you haven't already done so, create a free SabbaticalHomes.com profile for yourself so that fellow members can learn more about you directly on the site. All initial messages sent and received can be seen in the My Messages area of your account. Replies to initial messages are done in your own personal email account and are not recorded in your SabbaticalHomes.com account.

As a courtesy to fellow members, be sure to respond to messages within two business days. Responding to inquiries promptly and politely welcomes open lines of communication. Take time to ask meaningful questions and expect clear answers. If the replies are not clear, be suspicious. You are not obliged to respond to an unsatisfactory query, and if you feel that it is dubious or inappropriate please contact us.

Booking a Place

To the right of each listing is a green Contact Member 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. Be sure to give information about your background and why the listing is of interest to you.

Payments

You should contact your host directly to negotiate fees and arrange payment(s). Most people choose to accept payments via PayPal, check, or other options such as a person-to-person mobile payment service like TransferWise.

Because we do not collect payments or take a commission, it is important for successful hosts and tenants to send a contribution based on what you can afford to give. 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 is left to your discretion, typical contributions range from $50- $100. [https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/Donation.aspx]

Contract/Agreements

Once both parties have agreed on dates and details, it's a good idea for both the homeowner and tenant to draft an official contract/agreement. It is always a good idea to write down and sign off on both parties' expectations so that everyone is on the same page.

We strongly recommend using a contract whenever entering a housing agreement with a third party and have posted sample contract agreement guidelines on our blog to help you sort out pertinent information from dates of accommodation and fees, to mail forwarding and vehicle usage: http://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/Resources/home-rental-home-exchange-vehicle-use-agreement-guidelines/#sthash.md2Fz6pO.dpuf

Your Stay

While staying in their home, be respectful of their belongings and neighborhood-- treat the home as if it were your own. Be sure to promptly communicate any issues/questions with them.

Reporting Your Match

We kindly ask that you report every match you make.

If you were successful finding a home but you don't have your own listing, we ask that you send a success-based contribution (https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/Donation.aspx) to help sustain our service. You will be able to indicate information about your match during this process.

If you do have a listing, there are two easy ways to report your match:
To report a match while keeping your listing active:

• Login your account and go to My Listings
• Next to the respective listing, click on Found Match
• Select the name of your match

To report a match and deactivate your listing:

• Login to your account and go to My Listings
• Next to the respective listing, click on Deactivate Listing
• Select the appropriate choice and submit
• Quick Tip: You can always Reactivate your listing later

Review Guidelines

The purpose of the Review feature is to share fair and useful information about other members and their listings. As a member, you are welcome to post reviews about other members you have dealt with or properties you have rented.

Comments are visible in members' profiles. To read a member's review, look for the Reviews link next to the member's name. Any review you leave or receive is stored in your account for future reference. You do not have the ability to delete a review once it is posted (please contact us if you need to do so).

How to Submit a Review About a Member and/or their Listing

We encourage you to use the Review feature to share fair and useful information about other members and their listings.

How to Leave a Review:

• Login your account
• Click on My Reviews
• Follow the screen prompts to find the person or listing you'd like to review
• Quick Tip: Keep in mind that a person needs to be a member to receive feedback and the parties involved need to have exchanged at least one email as members.
• When you click on Leave Review, a form will appear.
• Rate your experience and fill out that form carefully, leaving fair and useful information.
• When you are finished, click on Post Review.
• Your review will immediately be posted on the other party's profile.
• Quick Tip: Reviews cannot be edited.

SabbaticalHomes.com reserves the right to edit or cancel reviews it deems inappropriate.

How to Edit a Review

Please contact us [https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/Contact_Us.aspx] directly if you would like to make an edit to an existing review.

How to Submit General Feedback About SabbaticalHomes.com

If you would like to share general feedback about your experience with SabbaticalHomes.com, please don't hesitate to contact us [https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/Contact_Us.aspx]

How to Submit a Compliment or Complaint

If you would like to submit a compliment or complaint directly to the SabbaticalHomes.com team, please contact us [https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/Contact_Us.aspx] and share your experience.

Hosts

Be sure to communicate clearly with your potential matches and prepare a contract ahead of time. Be sure to communicate any changes or specific requirements directly with the tenant. We also highly recommend a Skype conversation to get to know each other better. It's important to check references [https://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/Resources/checking-references-the-first-step-to-a-successful-stay/ ] for potential tenants/sitters. Remember, you both are able to leave feedback about your experience.

To file a complaint or report a scam please contact us. https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/Contact_Us.aspx

Learn more about Searching Safe online: https://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/Resources/scam-prevention-search-safe/

Tenants

Be sure to communicate clearly with your potential matches and prepare a contract ahead of time. We also highly recommend a Skype conversation to get to know each other better. It's important to check references [https://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/Resources/checking-references-the-first-step-to-a-successful-stay/ ] for potential hosts.

If the property is not as described or you need to cancel your trip, communicate promptly and directly with the homeowner. Remember, you both are able to leave feedback about your experience. To file a complaint or report a scam please contact us. https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/Contact_Us.aspx

Search Safe online--learn more: (https://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/Resources/scam-prevention-search-safe/)

Online Security

Whether you are searching for a home or a tenant we want you to feel secure. Taking some basic precautions, as you would with any important transaction, can help you search safely. Listen to your intuition, review profiles prudently, communicate, check references, and report fraud.

Search Safe online--learn more: (https://blog.sabbaticalhomes.com/Resources/scam-prevention-search-safe/)

Taxes

Be sure to check with your tax professional as to any applicable tax laws in your area and how it may affect your particular situation.

Permits and Regulations

It is important to know what laws may affect you when listing a home for temporary stays (length of time varies depending on locations).

Current and Proposed Zoning
Before you begin renting, check with your local authorities about the zoning requirements for short-term rental properties. You should check not only on the current zoning status of the area where your home is, but also any proposed changes that may affect your home. To investigate the status of short-term rentals in your area, consider contacting other owners who are currently renting in your immediate area.

Homeowners' Association Rules
Your homeowners' association may also have rules regarding rentals within your complex or subdivision. Typically, these rules are found in your Covenants, Conditions and restrictions (CC&R's).

Business Licenses and Permits
Many areas require "vacation" rental owners to apply for a business license or permit to rent homes on a short-term basis (typically, those less than 30 days).

Safety Requirements
In some markets, vacation rental homes have to follow the same basic safety requirements as long-term rentals (sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, deadbolt locks, etc.) and may also be required to complete safety inspections.

Local Health Code Regulations
Some areas also have specific rules and regulations around health codes. The most common areas of regulation involve well water testing, and pool and spa maintenance.

By doing a bit of homework, you can comply with local rules and regulations affecting short-term rentals and continue to have successful bookings with your home.

My email and/or password aren't recognized by the site

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.

Click here to be redirected to the password reminder page. You may also retrieve a forgotten password by hovering over the Login button on the top right-hand side of the site and clicking the Forgot Password? link that appears in that box. Enter the email address you registered with on the password reminder page and your password will be emailed to you.

If none of these solutions resolve your issue, please contact us for help.

Registering as academic without an affiliated email address (for Retired Scholars)

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 the institution(s) you were affiliated with before retiring.

Cannot see listing(s) 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 or renewal fee is overdue. When logged into your account, check My Payments to take care of any outstanding fees. If you still have questions please contact us.

Listing disappeared from the website

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 Deactivated, click on the green Reactivate link to activate it again.

Receiving an Invalid Listing error

Sometimes cookies can be corrupted. Clean your cookies or try logging out and back in again to SabbaticalHomes.com. Edit, and then resave your listing. The methods to clear cookies vary depending on the browser you use. A quick google search for "clearing cookies" that includes your current browser should prove a helpful tool to solve this issue.

Unable to 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 vary depending on the browser you use. A quick google search for "clearing cookies" that includes your current browser should prove a helpful tool to solve this issue.

Unable to upload 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.

Receiving the error message: A database error has occurred

Please contact us and let us know what happened (in as much detail as possible) so that we may resolve the issue.

Receiving the error message: String or binary data would be truncated

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.

Pictures are small and fuzzy, and have a SabbaticalHomes.com logo on them

As an added level of security, we add a small SabbaticalHomes.com logo and listing # on your images after you upload them. This helps prevent scammers from re-purposing your images on other websites. The optimal image size to upload is 590 x 442 pixels. Please be sure the images you upload are not tiny thumbnails. Re-upload larger images to the site and the problem should be resolved.

Invalid Date error

Enter the dates in the following format: MM/DD/YYYY. For instance, July 30th 2018 has to be entered as 7/30/2018 (and not: 30/7/2018, July 30, July 2018...)

Not receiving emails from SabbaticalHomes.com

Please be sure to add customerservice [AT] sabbaticalhomes.com to your safe sender 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.

Receiving the error message: 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

Unable to select a party that contacted me as a match

In order to add a party as a match, they must also have a SabbaticalHomes.com account.

Terms of Use

https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/termsofuse.aspx

Privacy Policy

https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/TermsOfUse.aspx?pp=pp

Contact

Contact Us! We look forward to hearing from you. https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/Contact_Us.aspx