Kindred Home-Swapping Adds Affinity Circles

The home-swapping platform Kindred, founded in 2021, has launched a new feature called affinity 'Circles,' with the first group dedicated to women travelers. This initiative aims to foster deeper connections and community among its members, offering a curated travel experience beyond traditional hotel bookings or standard short-term rentals. Kindred operates on a model where travelers offer their homes to others while they are away, earning credits for future stays. Members pay only for cleaning services and a platform fee, or opt for an annual membership that covers unlimited service fees.

Kindred's platform requires homes to meet specific quality standards, verified through photos, and mandates that properties be vacant during guest stays to ensure privacy. The company was inspired by a desire for more authentic, connection-based, and affordable travel. Co-founder and CEO Justine Palefsky stated that the vision was to create a travel method that provides authentic experiences, human connection, and is significantly more affordable than conventional vacation rentals or hotels. Palefsky's own experiences using spreadsheets for informal home swaps with friends influenced the platform's development.

In February, Kindred announced it had secured $125 million in Series B and C funding. The platform currently boasts over 350,000 members spanning more than 150 cities. According to the company, over 90% of the available properties on Kindred are members' primary residences. To support its users, Kindred provides damage protection coverage and supplemental liability insurance, in addition to requiring hosts to maintain their own homeowners insurance.