Ask The Expert

André Roque, co-founder of Homeit, is here to help.

Q WHAT’S the best way to find out if the sharing service I want to use is trustworthy?

A THE sharing economy allows us to help others while earning ourselves some extra cash, and being part of a wider sharing and skill-swap culture. But it only works if there’s trust. We have to trust that our Uber driver will get us home safely; we have to trust that the cleaner or guest coming into our home will respect our property.

Trust is a big barrier to overcome when it comes to choosing the right sharing economy platform, so my advice to people who are trying to select the right one for them is to look for the signals that reinforce its trustworthiness.

Customer support is incredibly important, so look for answers to all your queries, and a way to reach out to the platform to clarify any that may still remain. User reviews are the other key element of trust, so make sure you read what people who have used the service say about it.

In the grand scheme of things, no amount of legislation or government influence will change that. It all comes down to a combination of finding a platform that works for you, and acting with the same care you would when entrusting anyone with anything.

A little research can go a long way.

● André Roque is co-founder of Homeit, a platform that allows guests, tenants and tradespeople access to property remotely. To find out more, visit www. homeit.io/en/.