Privacy Policy

Our Commitment to Your Privacy

We pledge that all information provided to us on our web site will not be given, rented, sold or traded with any organization outside of SabbaticalHomes.com. We believe in a strong electronic privacy policy. When you create an account on SabbaticalHomes.com, we require that you register with your full name (will not be displayed). To protect your privacy, you are also required to select an alias that will appear as your username to other members.

You can choose the extent of personal information you would like to share on your profile and/or listing(s). Your email address or contact information will only be shared with other members by you, when you are ready to do so.

Privacy between Members & Trust Scores

The purpose of SabbaticalHomes.com is to enable academics and like-minded individuals to form a circle of trust with people of high ethical standards to help with the ever-difficult task of finding trustworthy tenants and landlords.

We have created a Trust Score for every member on our website as a tool to see how connected others are to the community – before sending any inquiries. Trust Scores reflect the number of years a person has been a member, how often they have found a housing match, written or received reviews and if they have given referrals or invited other members.

When sending messages about a listing, inquiries will be automatically forwarded to the member’s email address unless we suspect a potential risk. Neither person will know the other’s email address unless they decide to share this information after messaging back and forth. If an inquiry seems questionable or fraudulent, you are required to contact us as we monitor this closely.

How We Manage Member Information

Cookies

Like most websites, SabbaticalHomes uses cookies for purposes of authenticating users and remembering user logged-in status. Members are always able to clear or disable cookies if they prefer. Read more here about our Cookie Policy.

IP Address

Your IP address is a numeric code which is assigned to your computer every time you connect to the internet. Typically for home users it will not identify your computer exactly but will identify the service provider you use to connect to the internet.

We do not use IP address information in a form that is personally identifiable except based upon your past interactions with the Site.

Automated Emails

By creating and verifying an account, you will automatically receive email alerts regarding the activity within your account. Members cannot unsubscribe from these emails as they involve the member’s personal actions on our website.

Newsletter and Information Sign Up

You are automatically registered to receive the quarterly newsletter if you have a current listing on SabbaticalHomes. Or, you can sign up for the newsletter. Either way, we will hold your email address securely on a list that is never shared or sold. Each newsletter we send has the option to unsubscribe from our newsletters. Sign up here if you are interested.

Online Forums / Blog Comments

The site mediates online forums like blog comments and will only display comments after review to confirm they do not contain inappropriate information or spam.

Any comments you submit to online forums on the Site become public information. You should exercise caution when including personal information.

Contextual Links

Articles on the Site sometimes contain links to third party websites. These links are provided on a contextual basis and are relevant to the articles they appear within. The Site is not responsible for the content, business practices or privacy practices of these websites.

Common Sense Advice

When starting the conversation with a potential tenant or host, refer to our guidelines of questions to ask. Before renting, subletting, exchanging, or arranging to housesit or share a home, we strongly advise that all parties conduct a thorough reference check.

Landlords should obtain credit checks whenever possible. Even if a trustworthy relationship has been established, a signed lease for rental and home exchange agreements between parties is necessary. Landlords are responsible for checking the provisions of their home insurance to make sure they are covered for any damages caused by a third party. Because rental and real estate laws vary between areas, members must research their local government tenant-landlord law resources.

When it comes time to make payments, never use Western Union money transfer, Venmo, MoneyGram or any other form of online payment for sending money to any person who you do not know personally. Refer to our guidelines for how to make rental payments between members (only after following all the steps above).

Accepting the Privacy Policy

By using the Site, you signify your acceptance of the Site’s Privacy Policy.