Kindred

About Kindred

Kindred is a member-based home-swapping platform founded by Justine Palefsky and Tasneem Amina, two women who met while working at Opendoor and set out to reimagine home as something you can experience, not just own. Their platform helps trusted members live more freely by exchanging homes for travel, grounded in shared values of trust, comfort, and belonging. Now operating in cities like New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, Kindred needed a way to ensure each home was cleaned to a consistent, high standard—while still respecting each owner's preferences and routines.
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The Problem

Cleaning for Homeowners, Not Just Guests

‍Kindred’s model is different from traditional short-term rental companies. These aren’t investment units designed for travelers. They are real homes filled with personal items, unique layouts, and family routines. Each clean takes place after a guest leaves and before the homeowner returns, which raises the stakes.

Most homeowners are more particular than guests. They expect their space to look and feel just as they left it. Yet every home is different - different appliances, different materials, and different cleaning instructions. That made it incredibly difficult to scale operations without sacrificing the quality of the experience.

Kindred needed a cleaning partner who could standardize results across homes that were anything but standard.

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The Solution

Consistent Results Across Multiple Cities and Hundreds of Homes

‍Slate partnered with Kindred to manage cleanings across hundreds of member homes in multiple cities, with a focus on consistency, care, and adaptability. Unlike traditional vendors, Slate’s Keepers were trained to approach each home with attention to its specific quirks and details. From navigating unfamiliar washer-dryer setups to working around personal belongings and decor, Slate handled every turnover with precision.

Slate developed property-specific training and documentation for each home, allowing Kindred’s expectations to be clearly communicated and executed without micromanagement. Communication was seamless, the scheduling was flexible, and the results were reliably high quality.

No matter the neighborhood, layout, or homeowner preferences, Slate helped Kindred deliver a repeatable, hospitality-grade clean that homeowners could trust.

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The Results

A Scalable - Yet Personal - System

‍With Slate managing the cleaning process, Kindred has eliminated a major operational burden while improving the quality of the member experience. Homeowners return to clean, polished spaces that feel like their own. Guests leave knowing they were well taken care of. And the internal operations team no longer has to chase down vendors, troubleshoot instructions, or question if a home will be ready in time.

Slate’s ability to deliver standardized cleaning in highly personalized spaces has helped Kindred grow with confidence. For a women-led company building the future of living - one rooted in trust, hospitality, and connection - having a dependable partner like Slate has been essential. Together, they’re helping more people feel at home, wherever they go.

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