The newly launched social market for luxury holiday homes is resulting in a lot of referrals in which many travelers are renting from acquaintances. The Stay One Degree network, which allows you to “rent beautiful homes directly to and from your friends and mutual connections all over the world” is optimizing this added measure of security.

The concept behind Stay One Degree is that properties are only leased to friends or friends of friends, which places most homes one degree away from someone you trust. This is ideal for those who are wary of renting to or from complete strangers.

Founders, Tom Bennett and Jorge Munoz, whose background is in investment banking background, had homes that were often empty yet they weren’t too keen on leasing through an agency. After Bennett traveled to New Zealand with a list of family referrals, it made him realize that there was a market for trustworthy rentals.

According to Bennett, “Our site operates in a similar fashion to LinkedIn. You can connect with your friends and view mutual connections. You also have the added confidence that we hand pick every home to ensure the right quality for our members and we showcase the best homes globally.”

Each property on Stay One Degree, which has over 650 homes in 44 countries, is vetted by the founders and their team in order to ensure they meet their standards. According to Bennett his clients include A-list actors, golf and football stars, a celebrity chef and a supermodel.

And while other sites may demand 50 percent of a rental fee, Stay One Degree only asks for eight percent. “There are no annual fees or setup charges and we do all the work for homeowners creating their home profiles. We wanted to create a scenario where there is zero cost or effort required to become a member and list a home,” Bennett says.

“We vet our homes based on quality, desirability, and location rather than simply price,” Bennett adds. “Ultimately, we want our members to have holiday homes in an exciting and desirable location, furnished with tasteful décor, and have access to a day-to-day contact.

“The quality and style of the home interiors are part of our selection process and reflect the fact that most of our residences are real homes and have not been furnished at the lowest cost solely for mass rentals.”

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Stay One Degree offers members some of the world’s most exclusive villas, townhouses, apartments and ski chalets in over 40 countries worldwide. Prices start at £100 per night and can exceed £10,000 per night. The properties selected by the site are chosen because of their architecture, interiors, locations, and amenities, including infinity pools, mountain hot tubs, and villas with vineyards.