@Etienne it is not only about the number of users impcated but also on the impact of the feature. As a host with my apartment listed on other platforms (which allows me to cover expenses and provide a 5 stars experience to homexchangers) itâs very strefful form me to have to synch manually between platforms. The risk of having someone finalizing a stay on he and booking on another platform is too high, and the impact would be having to cancel the finalized exchange.
As a guest it already happened that we had problems with an exchange in Bali because the host had a last minute booking on airbnb on something so we had to start searching an exchange all over again.
To prioritize a feature in a software team you would take into account
number of users (20% is actually a lot)
impact â high
esayness if implementation â this is actually a pretty basic and easy to add feature.
Hopefully the team can tackle it soon!
About this
but adding this feature for me will make more members treating exchanges like rentals, and thatâs not what I want personnaly
you can trust us as members that have rentals and know more about that than you that it wont happen
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Not all second homes are used for rental. We own two, and neither of them is rented out; we only exchange them or lend them to friends and family when we are not using them. Many of our acquaintances in Catalonia also own a second home, either by the sea or in the mountains.
That said, I strongly support the idea that HE should clearly indicate which homes are used for rental, so they can be filtered out during searches. In most cases, these properties use HE simply to fill gaps between rentals, which means they are rarely available during holiday periods. Typically, you are offered the ski apartment in autumn and the beach apartment in winter. Moreover, they often have poorly equipped kitchens and feel quite impersonal.
Unfortunately not everyone is that wealthy to be able to keep several homes without giving them for rent.
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The reality is that most homes used for tourist rentals are not meant simply to cover their running costs, but to generate profit. That is why they are often decorated with furniture that looks pleasant yet fairly simple, and kitchens that are equipped with only the bare essentials. They usually lack books and personal belongings, and are kept neutral and impersonal so they can appeal to almost any tourist.
This is perfectly understandable, but it is very different from exchanging a home that is truly lived in. And owning more than one house does not necessarily mean being wealthyâcertainly not in our caseânor in our country, where families have traditionally had second homes in rural areas, used for weekends and holidays.
In Spain, as in Italy, there are many areas that have lost population over the past forty years, where buying a home can be very affordable. In fact, in many mountain villages or inland towns, houses are sometimes sold for as little as one euro, provided the buyer commits to restoring them.
Well, actually, sometimes I prefer a host that has a little professional background in hosting, than a total HomeExchange novice.
Why?
Because at least they understand about minimal guestsâ comforts and spaces.
At least, I get a little shelving space and not the ownerâs underwear hanging on top of my had, something like this actually happened in HomeExchange.
I have made my best traveling connections with hostel owners and professional airbnb hosts , so for me itâs not about the level of professionalism.
Even many couchsurfing hosts do both hosting for free on CS and on airbnb, like me.
This doesnât not mean that I donât appreciate HomeExchange, I volunteer for this community and I love most aspects of it.
Moreover, everyone can choose in the search results which kind of home they want, if you like to be in an accomodation full of the hostâs stuff, you can choose in the filters âfirst homeâ.
If this is not enough, you could ask for an extra filter to HE âlisted also professionally/on other platformsâ.
This thread isnât meant to be about rental homes vs non-rental homes, or to reopen that debate. Totally understand people have strong feelings about it, but thatâs a bigger topic and probably deserves its own discussion.
Here weâre talking specifically about calendar synchronization, (which now is the 3rd most voted feature) and thatâs actually useful even FOR NON RENTAL USERS
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Synch with your personal ical / google cal etc.
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Helps avoid double bookings between exchanges, friends/family stays, or personal plans
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No more manually blocking dates in multiple places
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Makes it easier (and faster) to reply to exchange requests with confidence
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Reduces last-minute cancellations and awkward misunderstandings
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Keeps things fair: accurate calendars benefit everyone, not just renters
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Useful if your situation ever changes over time
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Gives guests more confidence that dates are really available
So this really isnât about pushing rentals â itâs about making availability clearer and life easier for everyone.
Nonetheless, the feature will hurt nobody, non rental users included.
Letâs keep the conversation focused on the feature itself 
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Hello, I think you need to include an actual link when you put up a poll - not a screenshot please as it does not appear as per the screenshot
You will find this option to vote at the top of this post. All of the posts in the section âSuggestions boxâ has this feature
No problem 
Just a reminder that this Forum is not just for members, it is open to all. So you may not want to share your contact information here.
