I (Thomas) have traveled all over the US frequently sleeping in my car (and occasionally getting woken by cops wanting to know what I'm up to!) and 'bathing' in bathrooms in the morning. I know how nice it is to have a place to sleep and take a hot shower is. It drives me crazy to think that I have to pay $40 a night or more just to have a place to sleep in a place like Boston (and that's in a hostel, which are frequently not available leading to expensive hotels as the only option!). All I want is a little floorspace and a shower in the morning!

If everyone in this world shared what they had, in cases where it doesn't cost them much, we could all live like kings. I have a some unused space in my condo where a couple people can sleep every night. It doesn't cost me hardly a thing to let people do so (a little more electricity, and the added cost of cleaning sheets, towels, and toilet paper, plus a little bit of my time).

So why not act like traditional 'hosts'? I have a busy life in Boston. I meet people constantly due to the activities that I engage in. When I come home, I just want to relax and chill out. Having to play host to a couple of world travelers is not what I'm looking to do on a nightly basis. That's why the place is designed to run by itself (people letting themselves in, knowing the house rules, booking online, etc...)