Safety First!

Welcome to the world of hosting and surfing! Here are some safety features and tips that will help you make your hosting and surfing experience yet another safe and successful adventure. We encourage you to look over these features and guides before you surf or host as they will help you make safe, responsible choices about your connections.

Safety Features

• Verification
  Verified members are key to the community’s safety. When you see someone with a verified profile, it means a few different things. First, verified members have all made a donation to help CouchSurfing keep running, so you can feel confident that they care about the community. Second, they’ve confirmed both their name and physical location, so you can feel more comfortable that they are who they say they are. If you’d like to become a verified member, click the link above for more information!


• References
  References are an excellent indicator of the type of experience you can expect to have when interacting with a member. What do fellow members have to say about them? What kind of references do they leave for others?


• Vouching
  The Vouching System is taken very seriously here at CouchSurfing. Users can only vouch for members that they have met face to face and feel are trustworthy people. Respecting the significance of vouching is essential to the integrity of the network.

Safety Guidelines

• Safety for Surfers
  When surfing, be aware of your surroundings. Your safety is your primary concern, and your responsibility.


• Safety for Hosts
  When hosting, evaluate your situation and your guest. Here are some things you might want to think about when meeting guests for the first time.

Use Your Common Sense

Safe surfing and hosting boils down to common sense. If you don't feel comfortable with something, don't do it! By using the features above you can help increase your awareness of potential guests and hosts, but the decision to host or surf is up to you. You never have to let someone into your house who you are not comfortable with, nor do you have to stay somewhere you feel uncomfortable. Make the best choice for you, and keep experiencing new cultures and people around the world!