Australian homeowners are making room in their backyards to allow budget travellers to pitch a tent and stay for a few nights.
This is the latest cost-saving travel trend, with each night costing an average of $30.
HomeCamp, which launched in January, has been attracting both backpackers and locals who are looking for cheap and fast accommodation.
One Sydney host, Steve York, has been using the website to connect with potential guests and has already had four successful bookings.
Australian homeowners are making room in their backyards to allow budget travellers to pitch a tent and stay for a few nights
HomeCamp, which launched in January, has been attracting both backpackers and locals who are looking for cheap and fast accommodation
Sydney-sider Steve York (left) used HomeCamp to connect with Rose Smith (right) and let her stay in his backyard for three nights
As a full-time university student, Steve felt the financial burden when he moved out six months ago.
The 20-year-old asked around for any ‘easy money-making methods’ when a friend told him about HomeCamp.
‘I wasn’t too keen at the start but I thought I may as well give it a go to see what it’s like,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘I just wanted a some extra income to help pay for groceries and little things like that because I was struggling financially.’
Steve says he did initially consider placing his rental property in Dee Why, Sydney’s northern beaches, on Airbnb and Couchsurfing but could not warm to the idea of living under the same roof with a complete stranger.
‘I really wasn’t comfortable with people staying inside the house so I guess that’s why HomeCamp appealed to me more,’ he said.
Steve listed his Dee Why home, in Sydney’s northern beaches, on HomeCamp in February and has since had four bookings
There are currently more than 50 Australian homeowners using the website, according to founder David Abitbol
Steve’s first booking was in February with local traveller Rose Smith of Queensland.
Both parties took all precautions to ensure they were reliable.
‘Obviously I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t having some weird person staying in my backyard,’ Steve said.
‘Rose was really great and she even let me speak to her parents. I was really able to trust her for the three nights she stayed.’
For Rose, she was after an affordable place to stay in Sydney and Steve’s home was perfect for the occasion.
‘It was also my first time staying in someone’s backyard so I was a bit scared at the start,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘But after a few conversations with Steve I felt more comfortable and now I’m definitely looking to do it again.’
The 22-year-old says she enjoyed the freedom of having her own space as opposed to ‘staying in a youth hostel in a crowded space and sharing the bathroom with other heaps of other travellers’.
‘I got along with Steve so he allowed me to use the bathroom and other amenities quite freely which made the whole experience even better,’ Rose said.
HomeCamp was launched in Australia but has been used by homeowners worldwide including New Zealand, France, South Africa, USA, Canada and Sweden
Steve believes HomeCamp offers tourists a unique experience.
‘The affordability of it and the location with a great vibe – I think that’s what tourists are looking for these days,’ he said.
‘They’re not really looking for the typical touristy places anymore but want more local and real experiences.’
Rose agrees with Steve and also believes HomeCamp is ‘going to be the next big thing’.
There are currently more than 50 Australian homeowners using the website and that number continues to grow, according to founder David Abitbol.
HomeCamp was launched in Australia but has been used by homeowners worldwide including New Zealand, France, South Africa, USA, Canada and Sweden.