One of the hot new trends is “house sharing” or “couch surfing”. People are renting out unused bedrooms in homes and apartments to travelers who are looking for lodgings that are less expensive (and sometimes more personal) than hotels. The big questions are: is it safe and is it legal? Different cities have different rules. Chicago requires a license for a “vacation rental”. What does that entail? We talk with housing reporter Dennis Rodkin about these rules. Photo: Flickr/longlostcousin