Home exchanging is fundamentally a trust-based arrangement and as such tends to attract trustworthy, decent, honest people. Your home is less likely to be burgled when occupied by exchangers than when left empty. As home exchange is a reciprocal arrangement, there is a great sense of mutual obligation towards each other's homes, and problems are very rare.
Occasionally there are issues surrounding differing views of housekeeping but these can be largely minimised by good communication and looking closely at photos to see if you are a good match. You can also ask for references from previous exchangers and look at any reviews.
Don't think of your exchange partners as 'strangers'. During the planning process you will have plenty of correspondence and sometimes phone calls with the other member and as a result will get to know the other family well.
