Are you looking for a really cheap and exciting way to spend your summer? How about swapping your apartment! Imagine swapping your apartment in muggy Washington, DC for a really neat apartment close to the beach in San Francisco or Los Angeles. All for the price of a plane ticket. Must be a catch - right. Well, sort of. You have to swap your furnished apartment for a few months or weeks. Well, if that did not scare you off then read on.

Http://apartmentswap.com is a free listing service. They currently have swaps listed in Paris and Copenhagen but most of their listings are in the United States. So if you are ready for a travel adventure check their site out. But remember that there are precautions to take. A stranger will be living in your apartment. To ensure a relaxed vacation for yourself make sure that you are 100% comfortable with whom you intend to swap.

Some things to keep in mind:

• You will still need to have a written lease and credit check for your swap mate.
• Have your long distance service disconnected. Only leave the local service on your phone.
• Take an inventory of what you are leaving in your apartment and have your swapper sign it.
• Put valuable items in storage or under lock and key.
• Notify your apartment management office.

Greg Bartalos of ApartmentSwap.com makes the following suggestions:

• Start planning as soon as you can. The earlier you begin, the better. Details and other considerations are often overlooked when working in a time crunch.
• Discuss towels. Do you bring one or use the other person’s? Discuss sheets and whether you will replace things like tissue, toilet paper, food, etc. The more you talk the better.
• Smoking? Non smoking? Set ground rules (if any).
• Tell a neighbor or two so they are not surprised at seeing a strange person in your home. Likewise, if you have a doorman, give them specific information regarding your quest, mail, packages and newspapers.
• Discuss toothpaste and other mundane toiletries. Much of it really doesn’ t have to be carried along. If you agree with your swap mate to use the other person’s stuff, you both will have less to carry.

Note: If your apartment is located outside the United States, please check your local rental laws.