Homestay Providers Guide

Thank you for the interest that you have shown in providing Homestay Accommodation for overseas and local students. Please take time to read this information as it contains a lot of details that might prove useful to you if you are contemplating offering Homestay Accommodation for the first time. Our students will be studying at local University’s and Colleges.

Students are welcome to join in all aspects of university life. The campus offers a safe and friendly environment to pursue tertiary studies. Students will have use of university resources including cafes, the library, dedicated computing laboratories and sporting and recreational facilities.

Teaching staff are highly qualified and university modes of teaching are used. These include lectures and small group tutorials.

Our Students

Predominantly students requesting homestay come from south-east Asia - Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore. However, as the College grows this ethnic mix will expand to take in students from further a field - Africa, Vietnam, Korea, Thailand and even some European countries.

The majority of students are over the age of 18, having just completed the equivalent of the Australian Year 12 level of education. However, some are under the age of 18 (minors) having completed the equivalent of Australian Year 11. The placement of minors into Homestay Accommodation requires extra care and consideration.

What Is Homestay?

Homestay is a very popular accommodation option available to overseas students in Perth. It is a way of providing good quality, safe accommodation.

Homestay providers may be families, couples, single people or single mothers with children. All are selected to provide good quality facilities and are matched with students depending on the levels of service offered or requested.

Various Homestay provision options exist and they include some of the following: -
Room only
Accommodation and all meals 7 days per week
Accommodation, breakfast and dinner 7 days per week
Any other combinations of the above.

Homestay provision is often used by providers as a way of supplementing household income whilst enjoying the benefits of experiencing the insight into different cultures that such provision might offer. Many people choose to operate their Homestay provision on a more formalized business arrangement and that too, is acceptable; however accepting a student from overseas does mean that students should be made to feel welcome and part of the greater household.

Host families should speak English as this will help International Students improve their English. They should also try to help students with their day-to-day problems such as transport, banking and shopping. The homestay environment should be a place where students can live, relax and study in comfort and security.

Cultural Differences

Students will be made aware that every home is different, and that the Homestay provider might not provide all the comforts of the home to which they are accustomed. However, when we are searching for homes, the safety and comfort level in each place is taken into account and used to match a host family with a student. Host Families can help students when they first arrive by establishing an open line of communication and by remembering to have an open mind to cultural differences and practices which may, at first seem strange to both the Host Family and the Student. It is important to remember that for many students this may be their first time away from home and that they find themselves in a foreign environment which can, at first, seem very threatening. Students are advised prior to their arrival that they could be confronted with values and customs which are different to their own and that they have to come to terms with these differences whilst missing the support of their family and friends. This can be hard for them and Host Families should take care to bear these difficulties in mind.

Many Host Families offer to take more than one student into their homes. This is fine as it may provide some level of extra support to the student. Host Families should bear in mind that Perth Student Accommodation does not enter into a contract with either the student or the homestay family but simply acts as the facilitator for homestay placement. Perth Student Accommodation takes all care when matching Host Families and Students but can take no responsibility (other than counseling) once a placement has been accepted by both the Host Family and the Student.

Length of Stay

The students that accept homestay might change their minds about it once they are here. Some meet friends and want more independence, choosing to live on their own once they have settled into college life. Others are happy with a homestay arrangement and might board with a family for a few years. Those students under 18 years, are not able to live on their own unless the parents and the College approve of the arrangement. We cannot predict what will happen after a student arrives and settles into the homestay, as every student is different and there are many variables to consider.

GIVING NOTICE

If either party wishes to terminate the homestay agreement then the following shall apply:

If the student elects to terminate his/her agreement with the homestay family then the student must give a minimum of two (2) weeks’ notice. Rent shall be paid to the homestay family to cover the period up to and including the date of leaving. If this leaving date is in the first four weeks of the student’s stay with the family the student will forfeit the balance of the four (4) weeks’ advance payment

If the homestay family wishes to terminate the agreement then the homestay family must give a minimum of two (2) weeks’ notice. The homestay family will receive rent to cover the period to the date of leaving. Any surplus rent will be refunded to the student.
In this scenario the family will forfeit the right to retain a maximum of four (4) weeks’ rent.

If the homestay family wishes to terminate the agreement without notice then the family will refund to the student, on a pro rata basis, any monies paid in advance. In this scenario the family will forfeit the right to retain a maximum of four (4) weeks’ rent.

Security

Perth Student Accommodation insists that Police Clearance Certificates are available for all adults resident in the Host Family.

What Do You Do Next?

Included with this information sheet is a Family Profile Form which we ask you to take the time to complete fully. There are many questions on the form which may, initially, seem personal. However, the nature of each question has been given careful consideration. Questions are asked purely to ensure that we are able to provide a good match between Homestay Family and students.

Following are some notes that will help you to complete the profile form and maybe answer some of the questions that might arise.

Once you have completed the Family Profile Form, please return it to Perth Student Accommodation . Once we have received this, we will call you to arrange a time when we can visit you to get to know you, talk about the kind of Homestay you are interested in supplying and answer all the questions that you might have. Please do not be afraid to ask anything that you might find relevant or to advise us of any of the concerns that you might have.

It is recognized and it is acceptable that there are different types of homestay providers.

A = Carer

Some homestay families are natural carers. These are the families that would like to really look after someone else and almost become surrogate parents. They provide a family environment. This type of provider is better suited to a more dependent student or a student under 18 years old. Whilst there is a greater level of care, the students can be expected to undertake tasks that might be asked of a son/daughter.

B = Landlord

Some families enter into homestay to supplement the household income. This is perfectly acceptable, however it should not detract from the quality of service provided. This arrangement is better suited to a more independent student who is not looking for the type of above-mentioned interaction. House rules and what is expected of both student and provider is highly recommended.

C = Housemate

This type of provider is looking for company, yet still has a responsibility to provide a certain level of service. A student in this arrangement is somewhat independent, yet provides companionship. Perhaps the student could even share in some of the household duties, just as a flatmate might do.

D= Learner

Some families enter into homestay to experience a different culture and the student provides the required cultural exchange.

As you might determine from the above-mentioned categories, there are various types of people who enter into homestay. You might be more than one type. If so, please let us know on the profile form.

It is important that both the provider and the student fully understand the relationship that they will have with each other. The College will not discriminate against any of the above categories as we need a good cross section of homestay providers. Please discuss openly and frankly with the Homestay Officer the type of homestay environment that you are providing.

The Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) have made it mandatory, for the purpose of a Student’s Visa, that all students under the age of 18 (minors) are living in approved accommodation. Homestay is perfectly acceptable because all of our providers must supply a Police Clearance and our Homestay Officer visits every home.

If a minor is placed in Homestay accommodation, the College does have an expectation that a special level of care will be afforded to them. This does not mean that the Homestay provider acts as the student’s legal guardian, but more a ‘local carer’. If you take a minor into your home and feel this puts a greater obligation on you as a provider then you need to specify whether or not you would like to charge extra. However, Perth Student Accommodation does expect that the provider take on more of a type A role (carer) and the student’s welfare is uppermost in your considerations if this is the case.