Host FAQ

Question   1: Should I provide meals to guests/students?
Question   2: Do I have to be living in the home with student/guest?
Question   3: How long is usually student/guest average stay?
Question   4: What do I do if the application will not accept my photos?
Question   5: How many host families do you have?
Question   6: How soon can I expect to have a student placed with me?
Question   7: Do I have to own my home or apartment?
Question   8: Do you check out the student?
Question   9: Does it help to be bi-lingual?
Question 10: Do most of the guests/students speak English?
Question 11: Do your room have flexible rates?
Question 12: How much do I earn?
Question 13: Does HomeStay rate include utilities, and which utilities?
Question 14: What areas of my home the student should have access to?
Question 15: Do you ask the student for a damage deposit?
Question 16: By signing an agreement with your company, do I have to work exclusively with you?
Question 17: How long does it take to process my application?
Question 18: Can I change the information on my application?
Question 19: How many photos can I upload?
Question 20: Can I specify a preferred gender?
Question 21: Will there be any students under age 18?
Question 22: Does your company pay the rent?
Question 23: How many students am I allowed at the same time?
Question 24: Will the student have a car?
Question 25: Does the room need to be furnished?
Question 26: If I have a furnished one bedroom or two bedroom suites in the house, is this suitable?
Question 27: How near should my house/apartment the student’s school?
Question 28: How do I know if my home location is suitable?
Question 29: Can I be a HomeStay host even though I am a single person?
Question 30: Do I get someone to come and visit my home?
Question 31: After completing the application, is there a waiting list?
Question 32: Does NO WAITING LIST mean that I will get a student or guest right away?
Question 33: What if we did not hear from you for a period of time?
Question 34: My place is not ready yet, should I apply now?
Question 35: Is there a fee to apply and permanently add my home to your agency database?
Question 36: What happens after I complete the application?
Question 37: How do you book my guestroom?
Question 38: How does the student or his parents pay me?
Question 39: If the student would like to leave earlier, what should be the arrangement?
Question 40: What do I do when the student arrives?

 
Question 1: Should I provide meals to guests/students?
Answer: NO. This is your choice, however if you can or are willing many students prefer to have their meals supplied by the hosting families. Please note that, in general, when you offer meals, it a good driver for additional occupancy and provides more additional comfort to your guest. Usually, breakfast can be prepared by the student, as it does not require cooking skills. Host or Student can pack lunch to go upon mutual agreement. Dinner is mostly prepared by the host who invites the student to dinner table with the rest of the family. Here are the meal plans that the agency accepts, no meals, breakfast only, breakfast and dinner, or three meals. Meals cost are always accounted for in the price when completing your initial host application form.
 
Question 2: Do I have to be living in the home with student/guest?
Answer: A HomeStay is (a home away from home) International students/guests prefer you to be sharing your home with them, giving you an opportunity to help them from time to time.
 
Question 3: How long is usually student/guest average stay?
Answer: About 6 months, but could be up to 1 or 2 years.
 
Question 4: What do I do if the application will not accept my photos?
Answer: Usually if any of the photos are not of type *.JPG or *.GIF files. Also sometimes it can long time to upload the photos due to site traffic or slow connection from your end. Also, you can also e-mail them to us with your full name and address and we will attempt to upload them for you.
 
Question 5: How many host families do you have?
Answer: Approximately 1,500 and growing very fast on a daily basis.
 
Question 6: How soon can I expect to have a student placed with me?
Answer:  As soon as you fill the application with all or most of the information in the form (e.g. Hosting reasons, Photos, children, pets ….etc). While we guarantee immediate inclusion in the Homestay program, the agency database and websites, we cannot NOT guarantee definitive nor immediate student placements. Your listing will be up for automated and manual matching with International student requests.
 
Question 7: Do I have to own my home or apartment?
Answer: No. but you must have a lease agreement for at least 6 months.
 
Question 8: Do you check out the student?
Answer: Yes, obtain home address information, identification, and more... International students are usually go through a screening process at their home country in order to be granted a study permit by our embassies abroad. We also check out hosts after completing the necessary online application to see if they meet our standard.
 
Question 9: Does it help to be bi-lingual?
Answer: Some time that can be very helpful, but students are expected to learn or improve their English. Most student exchange organizations, schools, colleges, and universities prefer that International students/guests stay in HomeStay for the same reasons.
 
Question 10: Do most of the guests/students speak English?
Answer: Most of them do, but some are beginners, intermediate or advanced. We also accommodate native or advanced English speaking students from other parts of the country and from anywhere in the world.
 
Question 11: Do your room have flexible rates?
Answer: Our rates are intended to be at a fair market value for your area, but ultimately the rate you receive for your room decided by you. It will be the agreed amount. Most homestay rates are based on the amount you indicated at the time of application or updated on your profile. We ask all hosts applicants try and stay within the market rate schedule indicated on our homestay rates pages. This will help you to ensure your room(s) are always occupied.

Question 12: How much do I earn?
Answer: Please review your city market prices on our website's rates page. You will get the rate required in your application.

Question 13: Does Homestay rate include utilities, and which utilities?
Answer: YES, it does include utilities; like hydro, cable, Internet access, heat and hot water. Telephone is not included, but it is up to you.

Question 14: What areas of my home the student should have access to?
Answer: The student should have access to common areas of the house; like a living room, bathroom, garden, and you need to the student how to use your laundry machines and kitchen.

Question 15: Do you ask the student for a damage deposit?
Answer: NO, we do not ask the student for damage deposit. It is not a standard procedure in hosting international students. If you are concerned about this, we recommend that you should have a home insurance policy in place that covers your belonging and your home.

Question 16: By joining your Homestay program with your company, do I have to work exclusively with you?
Answer: No. we would just like to have the opportunity to place students with you if you have a room available and we have the student interested that match your requirements.
 
Question 17: How long does it take to process my application?
Answer: We try our best to get it completed within 72 hours.
 
Question 18: Can I change the information on my application?
Answer: Yes, you will receive an e-mail with all your information, with a link which will take you to your edit page, where you may make all the changes you like.
 
Question 19: How many photos can I upload?
Answer: Up to 10 Photographs that include eight specific by name and two additional of your choice. You can upload at the application time or upload them to your profile at a later date by accessing your profile by browsing your designated URL. Please note that the only format our application accepts is JEPG.
 
Question 20: Can I specify a preferred gender?
Answer: Absolutely, your home is your personal space and comfort zone. We want both you and our guests comfortable. Hosts who are comfortable accommodating both male and female students, may enjoy much better occupancy. You can also specify this in our application so our coordinator officer will take it into consideration when searching for placement students/guests.
 
Question 21: Will there be any students under age 18?
Answer: NO
 
Question 22: Does your company pay the rent?
Answer: NO, the student will pay you directly.
 
Question 23: How many students am I allowed at the same time?
Answer: NO, there is no set limit to the number of students that you can host, but each student/guest must have his own private bedroom with a door and window. With exception to couples traveling together, they may share a room, or in crowded resort areas like Whistler BC or the Rockies in the winter or high season, shared rooms must be agreed upon at the time of reservation by the client.
 
Question 24: Will the student have a car?
Answer: Usually the students rely on public transportation.
 
Question 25: Does the room need to be furnished?
Answer: YES, at least with a bed, dresser, and desk with lamp. The more features the room has the more attractive to students/guests.

Question 26: If I have a furnished one bedroom or two bedroom suites in the house, is this suitable?
Answer: YES, must be fully furnished, have good heating for winter and ventilation in the summary.

Question 27: How near should my house/apartment the student’s school?
Answer: We like to keep it within a 30 minute commute.

Question 28: How do I know if my home location is suitable?
Answer: You need to be with close walking distance to the public transport and within 30 minutes by transit from major ESL, Vocational, Community, or Academic Schools and Colleges.
 
Question 29: Can I be a HomeStay host even though I am a single person?
Answer: YES

Question 30: Do I get someone to come and visit my home?
Answer: NO, we mainly rely on the photographs and your honest descriptions that you provide us at the application time or during updates of your Homestay profile. We also rely on references, student/guest feedback and testimonials. If there were any misrepresentations of what a host or a home would offer, we could send someone to verify if there was any false information provided to us. If false information provided to us, our Student/guest may be removed from your home, and placed with other hosts. We host coordinator reserves right to request an inspection at anytime or require additional information like a criminal record check and/or references when necessary.

Question 31: After completing the application, is there a waiting list?
Answer: NO, we depend on a matching process between host and guests. We utilize a State-of-the-Art method to match preferences and requirements of both parties in terms of requirements and availabilities.

Question 32: Does NO WAITING LIST mean that I will get a student or guest right away?
Answer: Possibly, it depends on matching your geographical location, room amenities, and hosting preferences with those from students/guests. We do NOT utilize a waiting list nor first come first served bases policy; however, we are loyal to homestay hosts who have established a great track record of hosting our students and guests and we intend to keep their rooms busy for years to come if it is all possible.

Question 33: What if we did not hear from you for a period of time?
Answer: It could be simple of low market demand at certain times of the year or we could be missing necessary information from you profile, like photographs or contact email, phone number, etc... We encourage you saving access (URL) information to your profile that we first email you immediately after creating completing your application. You will need this information to access your homestay profile and keep your information and photographs up to date.

Question 34: My place is not ready yet, should I apply now?
Answer: YES, you should if you are sure about your plans, please specify the date each guestroom will be available ready in your application and update your profile regularly with photographs when your rooms are ready. Also you can update your profile and make your Room(s) Availability to No when it is available you can switch it to Yes.

Question 35: Is there a fee to apply and permanently add my home to your agency database?
Answer: YES, there are different options for the agency fees to host families in order to stay in our database, get listed on the agency websites and in the Homestay program.

Question 36: What happens after I complete the application?
Answer: Your profile will be entered in our list of contacts immediately and will be reviewed within 72 hours by a homestay coordinator. Please insure that you profile is complete in order to stay in our list for matching with students and guest. Remember to add good images to your application as soon as you are able to. Each time you update your profile, a Homestay coordinator will review your application for changes being made and validate your listing. Avoid adding contact details; i.e. telephone or email address in description text boxed, you profile may get deleted altogether or banned. You can only add contact details in designated fields of your profile application as required.

Question 37: How do you book my guestroom?
Answer: We will email you a request regarding a specific student or guest; we will include pertinent information, and ask you if you would like to host the student. We require answer from you within 24 hours as we need to meet deadlines; however, if you were late in reply, please reply anyway since we could still be looking for available hosts.
You may also receive a call from the Homestay coordinator if we do not get your response in time to ask you about your availability and discuss the request with you. When you accept a student or a guest, we contact the student with summary information about your home and what you offer. In the meantime, you will need to hold the room tentatively until we firm up a booking for you with the student or parents by asking for minimum 10% down payment.
If you receive any offers in the meantime for the room from another party, we would appreciate if you let us know first, before we over book your room. When we firm up the booking the student or guest, we will contact you with the student travel information to expect the student upon arrival.

Question 38: How does the student or his parents pay me?
Answer: The student or guest is expected to pay the monthly Homestay fee/rent to you directly in Cash or by personal check upon arrival in advance for the upcoming month. Some exceptions may apply with those students who wish to pay their hosts through the agency bank account with prior arrangement.

Question 39: If the student would like to leave earlier, what should be the arrangement?
Answer:  The student/guest should give the host four-week prior notice to find alternative accommodation or vice versa, unless it is an emergency whereby a two-week notice or less should be sufficient. At such time, the host will be required to refund used prepaid portion of the stay.

Question 40: What do I do when the student arrives?
Answer: To a student or guest, first impression is very important; therefore, we highly recommend that you take the time out of your busy schedule to show your new student or guest around your neighbourhood and show where to catch the bus and get school. Some students would also like to open bank account at a bank branch nearby or get to know how to do their basic shopping.
As host, you also need to show your guest or student around your home and let them know how to use your kitchen equipment, laundry machines, and give them tips on how to stay safe in and outside your home and what to do in case of any emergency. Students normally get very busy later one when they start school, so first week is a great time to bond and know each other.