Host With All About Homestay
Become A Host
We are currently concentrating on expanding our host database for the Eastern Suburbs, North Shore, Northern Suburbs, Northern Beaches and Hills areas of Sydney due to high student demand for these locations. Our host coordinator is focusing on these areas only at present. To start the process of becoming a member of our Homestay family network, please complete the form below or download and complete the Adobe Acrobat Application form, which you can then print and post to us.
Please Note:
- We will contact you should we require hosts in your area.
- Fields marked with (*) are required.
- There is a $55 processing fee for applicants who meet our criteria and wish to proceed to become an All About Homestay Host
All About Homestay Accommodation Minimum Standards
To host for All About Homestay, your accommodation on offer must meet the minimum standard set by the Australian Education industry for homestay accommodation. All About Homestay requires homestay accommodation to meet the following requirements:
- A safe, secure private bedroom for the student’s/guest’s sole use with suitable storage space for clothes, personal effects and study materials, this includes a wardrobe, bookshelf, extra blanket and pillow, study desk and lamp;
- Your home must be clean and have furniture suitable for a family and students;
- The student/guest has full access to a shared or private bathroom, with reasonable time allowed for showers;
- Meals, including breakfast, lunch and evening meals, are to be provided seven (7) days per week;
- Public liability insurance with coverage extended to cover “paying guests” or specialised Host Liability insurance, please see our page highlighting this coverage;
- Light lunches are to be provided on weekends where requested;
- Fruit, light snacks and noodles should be made available for the guests to snack on;
- Laundry – that is, the student can expect to have access to the washing machine to wash their clothes. Girls typically like to wash their clothes (this varies with culture), while depending on culture, boys would look to have their clothes washed with the family washing;
- Inbound telephone calls – it is advisable that you let the student know that calls must be received by 10:00 PM Sydney time (not reverse charge).
- Students are to receive any keys, alarms or passwords required to have free access to your home.
The following items are not included in the basic homestay fee:
- Internet access, is included in the homestay payments to you;
- Outbound telephone calls, and local calls can be made at your discretion – we advise students to purchase their own mobile phone or telephone calling cards to make mobile, interstate and overseas phone calls.
Additional requirements and responsibilities are set out in the All About Homestay Host Handbook.
Premium Homestay
Many students and hosts ask us what the difference between standard homestay accommodation and premium homestay is.
To be considered Premium Homestay, all the standard homestay must be available as well as:
- A superior quality home with finer finishes and a more spacious home located in an excellent suburb of Sydney;
- A good-sized student bedroom with a double or queen bed;
- The student with either have an en suite or a private bathroom;
- A host home that is within 60 minutes of transport to the student’s school/university;
- The quality of the food is fresh and contemporary;
- The hosts are usually working in well-regarded professions or their own business;
- The weekly fee includes three meals per day.
FAQS For Hosts
Ready to get started?
Are Homestay payments considered assessable income by the ATO?
No. The ATO have reviewed their Interpretive Decision ATO ID 2001/381 and continue to treat amounts received by a taxpayer with regard to a student who is boarding with them under a homestay arrangement as not assessable under 6-5 of the Income Tax Assessment Act (ITAA 1997) Cwth. Facts The taxpayer boards a student in their home under a homestay arrangement. The taxpayer intends to board one or two students at any time. The amounts paid to the taxpayer to board the homestay student are used to pay all of the household expenses of the student (food, electricity, phone, internet etc.). There may be a negligible amount of surplus money after expenses in any particular week. For more information, visit the ATO's website.
Why do I have to pay the registration fee?
We have absorbed the costs associated with the host registration process since we started in 1987, we are unable to absorb these costs any longer and, as of 1 May 2010, have implemented the host registration fee. It covers the cost of the Host Coordinator visiting your home for the first interview and subsequent re-inspections, the fee is payable on or before the interview. All About Homestay reserves the right to charge this fee at its sole discretion.
What happens once I submit my Host Application?
We will review your application and if you meet our criteria, we will contact you to arrange a family interview, home inspection and completion of the Working with With Children Check. If all goes well, you will be able to receive students from us on an ongoing basis. We have many hosts who have been hosting students for us since our inception.
Do I need a background check to host for All About Homestay?
Hosting students falls under the Childrens and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998, NSW and other similar Acts in all Australian states and Territories. As a prescribed service provider All About Homestay takes its legal obligations very seriously, therefore, we conduct Working With Children Checks and National Police checks on ALL our families. Before we can place students or guests with any host family, we require the Working With Children Check to be conducted on all persons living in your house who are over 18 years of age. We ask for your understanding with this process.
Do I need specific Host Liability Insurance?
It depends if your home and contents insurer will cover you for liabilities that arise from having a paying guest in your home. We need to sight confirmation of coverage from your insurer and the certificate of currency for your home and contents insurance. Please read our Host Insurance page for more information. All About Homestay can recommend a supplier of this type of coverage. Contact our office for more information.
How much notice is the guest to provide me on leaving?
We advise guests to provide two (2) weeks' notice in advance or pay two weeks' fees in lieu of notice.
Can I access the guest’s bedroom at any time?
No, this is the guest’s private space. We don’t allow hosts to enter the student's room without knocking and waiting for a reply and in turn, we don’t expect students to be entering any other family member's bedroom as a habit. The student's room should not be used as storage and should not be accessed whilst they are out of their room.
What about food?
The biggest adjustment to life in Australia for most students is getting used to Aussie food. We expect students to eat the food that families eat in Australia, however, it’s always nice to accommodate their taste by including a meal from their home once a week.
Should I be concerned with food preparation, handling and storage?
We cannot stress enough that you take additional steps and care when preparing food for guests in the home. This is very important for all guests All About Homestay offers you. Australia has one of the best and safest food supplies in the world, but a lot can happen between when it leaves the producer and arrives in your home for preparation and cooking and for food they may purchase away from the home. We have researched the following links to help you, they are from the NSW Food Authority:
What meals are included in Standard Homestay?
Guest’s midday meals are not supplied by the host family. Standard Homestay includes 7 (seven) breakfasts and dinners each week. If a guest requests lunches during the week, you can provide this for an extra cost. Always check with the guest if they have any food dislikes or allergies. They may hint to you about their favourite foods. Additionally, we suggest that hosts indicate a space in the cupboard where students could put their own noodles, special snacks etc...
What about housework?
Guests are advised to be courteous and helpful in their new environment to ensure they have a happy Homestay experience, being positive always helps. Each morning the guest should make their bed and tidy their room. You may be asked to help guests change bed linen if the bed is difficult to make. It is the student's responsibility to wash their clothes, change the bed and keep their room clean. Guests are advised to never hang wet clothes in the bedroom or bathroom. They are also advised to look for ways to help the host family and that you will appreciate their willingness and consideration to help and be part of the family.
What if the guest wishes to smoke?
Guests need to advise All About Homestay if they smoke, as we will need to ensure they are placed with a family that is okay with smoking. Guests are advised that smoking is never permitted inside their bedroom as it could cause a fire and will make the house smell. They may be able to smoke outside the house or on a veranda or balcony if you are in agreement.
Will I provide house keys to the guest?
Homestay guests are to be given a house key as this is their home too, whilst they are here. If they are the last person to leave the house, please make sure they know how to make sure all exterior windows and doors are closed and locked for security reasons.
Will the guest be able to access the telephone and internet?
Intrenet access is included in the homestay fees. Telephone use will be at the discretion of the host parents, guests should seek permission to make calls to mobiles and overseas and reimburse the host family for the cost of calls or purchase their own telephone or Internet service. If using a host telephone, students should keep a list of any local phone calls they make on your telephone as should you, this way you can compare when the bill arrives and be reimbursed for these costs.
What if I have problems with the guest?
We advise that the host and the student try to resolve any matter that may arise as soon as possible. If this cannot be achieved, please call our helpful staff on 02 9412 3100 to ask questions and to work with you and the guest to resolve any issues. If the issue persists, we will work with you and the guest to provide alternate accommodation etc. if the issue cannot be resolved to mutual satisfaction.
What if a guest alleges inappropriate and/or unacceptable behaviour?
In the unlikely event that a guest alleges inappropriate, unwelcome and/or unacceptable behaviour whilst in an All About Homestay host family, we take the minimum following actions, as recommended by the NSW Department of Community Services:
- The Homestay host is required to refund any accommodation prepayments made by the guest or All About Homestay;
- Investigate the matter, bearing in mind the sensitivity of such allegations;
- If there is any substance to the allegations, All About Homestay will pass its report to the appropriate agencies depending on the guests age.
In addition to these actions, All About Homestay may, at its sole discretion and without recourse to All About Homestay and the guest, remove the guest from the host’s premises immediately.