SabbaticalHomes.com, an online listing service for scholars needing to find or offer temporary accommodations, is committed to reasonable rents. Nadege Conger, Sabbatical Homes' founder, strives to make the site accessible to all walks of academia. "My philosophy when building the website was to create an equitable system that supports academic travel within the scholarly community." "I'm focused
more on members finding the perfect match rather than treating a home like a hotel," says Conger. "The idea is to find a like-minded person to make a match with, not making your home an investment strategy." Being part of a like-minded community searching for a match is one of the reasons the majority of listings on the site have very reasonable rents. The site provides a worldwide listing service for minds on the move that need to find or offer temporary accommodations. Academics, scholars, writers, artists, and friends are welcome to join the online listing community. Members can post their property for home rental, exchange, sitting or sharing and can also register as a home tenant and/or sitter. Searching for a match within a like-minded pool of individuals helps keep rents low and hospitality high. "It's important for all scholars to have the opportunity to travel and share their ideas," says Conger. Posting a home offered listing is US$45 for academics (US$65 for non-academics) and it is free for academics to post a home wanted listing (US$20 for non-academics). Listings remain active for up to 14 months, can be updated at any time, and are renewable. "Integrity and privacy are important values to me," says Conger. The site operates without ads or sharing information and no commission fees are collected. Instead, users making a successful match are asked to send contributions based on what they can afford. Conscientious members have sustained the site for 15 years.
