Arbnb hosts swap homes all the time! It’s a great way to stay in vacation rentals for free while learning a few tips and tricks from other hosts as well. How does it work? Simply said, if you want to make an Airbnb home swap, you just ask to make an exchange with another host on the48dots. While the exchange may be a simple ask, there are many things you need to know. We break down all the things:

Does Airbnb allow hosts to make home swaps?

No. Airbnb makes money off vacation rental fees, so they don’t encourage hosts to swap homes for free. In fact, you can get kicked off Airbnb’s site if they see you trying to circumvent their system.

Luckily, there are options to swap homes with other Airbnb hosts on the48dots platform.

Do you pay any fees to swap Airbnbs?

No. Home swapping on the48dots is totally free. Other sites like Home Exchange do charge a membership fee, but we like to honor the ethos of home swapping — that ethos being an absolutely free way to stay in another member’s home.

What if the value of my home is different than my home swap host?

Often, Airbnb hosts don’t look at the value of their exchange member’s home. They look at the experience they are about to embark on. That said, if you feel like an exchange isn’t fair value, don’t request or accept it. the48dots has listings that range from $39 - $5000/night+ on Airbnb so your choices are plentiful.

How do you make an Airbnb home swap on the48dots?

1. Signup

2. Enter your Airbnb link and we’ll list your property for you

3. Sync your Airbnb calendar to your home swap calendar

4. Submit a short bio to get approved

5. Once you’re approved, look for listings that have Airbnb reviews

6. When you find a vacation rental you like, fill out the ‘Request Swap’ form

7. The other host will get an email - you can talk through care instructions and get to know the other member

8. Once your trip date approaches, make sure to check in with your host to finalize details like key exchange

What if a host doesn’t want to make a swap with me?

Host won’t always accept your swap request. That’s normal. They might be anticipating bookings and want to keep their calendars open. That said, you have plenty of options:

• You can use points to stay in the other member’s home — when you use points, the host gets paid just like any other booking on Airbnb

• Kindly ask the host why they don’t want to swap — if it’s a matter of timing, try to find a date that works best for both parties

• Simply request a swap with another host!

How do I earn points towards future stays?

If other Airbnb hosts aren’t accepting your request to swap, having an abundance of points is a great option to stay in your desired property for free. The good news is you can acquire points in several ways:

• You get 1000 points when you list your home and create a profile

• You get 3% of the total booking value when you book a vacation rental using dollars on the48dots

• You get 3% of the total booking value when a guest books your rental through the48dots — that’s right, you earn points for bookings just like your guest

• You get 1000 points when you make a successful swap

Ready to start your Airbnb home swap?