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Homestay Guidelines for all students and guests

Students and any other guests should read and understand the following homestay guidelines before applying with us

Caring for students and any other guests is our priority. We make sure you are safe and secure in your new environment, and that your experience is a positive one.

Below are our guidelines for all students and other guests, to help you understand what your homestay will provide and how you should interact with your host family, to have the best homestay experience.

The First 48 Hours

When you first arrive, your homestay host will do their best to make you feel welcome and help you to settle in to your new home. Below are some of the things they will do when you arrive:

  • Talk to you and spend time getting to know you
  • Find out what you would like to eat
  • Help you to contact your parents to let them know you have arrived safely
  • Make sure you know how to use public transport
  • Exchange mobile numbers and email addresses with you
  • Talk to you about the local area, and show you nearby places of interest (bus stops, banks, shops, etc)
Sharing Family Life

We encourage you to interact with your host as much as possible, to improve your English, learn about Australia culture and enhance your homestay experience.

  • Your Homestay will treat you as a part of the family.
  • Please be considerate and accommodating of your Homestay Host’s lifestyle.
  • Your Host will inform you of all household rules at the start of your stay. We encourage you to clarify these rules if you have any questions.
  • Show initiative in helping out around the house with little chores – it’s a great way of initiating interaction and learning about the Australian culture.
  • Please remember to be polite and say “please” when asking for something, and “thank you” when something has been done or given to you.
Your Bedroom
  • All Homestays provide the following:
    • A standard size (Single or larger) bed and bedside table. Please see the below table for standard Australian bed sizes
Bed TypeMeasurements
Single Bed size92 cm x 190 cm
Single Extra Long size92 cm x 203 cm
King Single size106 cm x 203 cm
Double Size137 cm x 190 cm
Queen Size153 cm x 203 cm
King Size183 cm x 203 cm
Super King Size203 cm x 203 cm
    • Adequate storage space
    • A decent size desk (approximately 1m x 0.5m or larger) with a lamp, and a chair
    • Clean and presentable bed linen and towels
    • Toilet paper, soap, laundry detergent (Note: if you want specific brands of toiletries or beauty products, you will need to purchase these yourself)
  • You are responsible for keeping the bedroom clean and tidy. Your host will provide you with all the necessary equipment to do this (vacuum cleaner, duster etc), and are aware of how to use this equipment. The room should always remain in a tidy and clean condition. Please clean your room on a regular basis.
  • Smoking is NOT allowed inside any Study Vision homestay. If you smoke, the host will let you know where you should go outside the house when you wish to smoke. Your host will also show you where to put your cigarette butts when you have finished smoking. Do not leave them on the ground, as littering is not allowed.
  • Your Host has the right to enter your room, to check on the condition of the room, as long as they inform you, and you are present when they enter the room. They can also enter your room without informing you and/or without you being present if there is an emergency. Please cooperate with your host in these cases, to avoid any issues between you and your host. If you have any concerns, please contact Study Vision by email at [email protected].
Bathroom, toilet & laundry
  • There should always be sufficient hot water for a shower once a day. Due to water restrictions in Australia, your host may set a reasonable time limit for showers, usually around 10 minutes. Please respect that your host family and any other students also need to be able to use the bathroom, so do not stay in the bathroom too long.
  • Bathroom habits vary from family to family as well as country to country and your host will explain the house rules about bathing and washing. Please leave the bathroom and toilet as clean as you can.
  • Your host will show you how to use the laundry facilities.
  • Female household members are expected to wrap sanitary products in paper and place them in the rubbish bin.
  • It is your responsibility to clean the toilet after you have finished when necessary.
  • Turn off the tap when you clean your teeth
  • Use a bin for rubbish – Do not put anything down the toilet or sink!
  • Use the half flush button on the toilet when possible
  • Do not stand on the toilet.
Telephone & internet access
  • You should use your own mobile phone for all phone calls. We recommend that you purchase a SIM card at the airport when you arrive, or your host may be able to help.
  • Your host will provide internet access. If there are any issues with the internet access, please calmly speak to your host, and they will do their best to resolve the issues. Note that this internet access is only available for email, text and voice chat, and basic web browsing. Large downloads are not included.
Meals
  • We want to ensure that our students stay healthy and eat nutritious meals.
  • If your Homestay Package includes meals, your host will provide:
    • Breakfast every day. Usually, breakfast in Australia is cold and self-served. This includes cereal, toast, fruit, juice, tea or coffee, but some homestays will have a cooked breakfast on the weekend.
    • A cooked evening meal including meat, poultry or fish (individual arrangements are made for those with special dietary requirements), and vegetable and fruits sufficient to the needs of the student. Your host will let you know when dinner is normally served. If you will not be home for dinner, please let your host know as soon as possible.
    • Light lunches on Saturdays and Sundays. You will need to organise your own lunches on weekdays, but your host may be able to provide them for you for additional fees.
  • Please remember to let us know any special dietary requirements when you apply. If you do not inform us of your requirements, your host may not be able to accommodate them.
  • Your host will normally eat dinner with you. Please speak to your host during the meal, as this will help you improve your English and better understand the local culture. Remember, it is precisely this social and cultural interface that differentiates a Homestay from other types of accommodation.
  • The evening meal is normally served around 6.30pm to 7:00pm. If you will be late, please remember to phone your host as soon as possible, to let them know.
  • If your homestay package includes meals, you are not normally allowed to use the Host’s kitchen. If you wish to cook your own meals, please get permission from your host. Please remember to use the kitchen safely, and clean the kitchen well after each use.
  • If your homestay package does not include meals, your host will allow you to use the kitchen to prepare your own meals, and will provide you with a section of the fridge and cupboards to store your ingredients. Please remember to use the kitchen safely, and clean the kitchen well after each use.
Inviting people to stay overnight

Your friends are not allowed to spend the night at your homestay without permission from your host.

Health Insurance and Hospitals
  • All guests are responsible for their own health care expenses.
  • Travellers should have Travel Insurance that will cover their health expenses.
  • International Students will have Overseas Student Health Care (OSHC) insurance. This is your responsibility under the terms of your student visa. If you do not understand this insurance, please speak to your school/university.
Talking through issues

It is best for you and your homestay hosts to work through issues directly with each other. Communication is a challenging but important part of staying with a homestay. When you need extra help, please feel free to contact Study Vision by email ([email protected]) and we will do our best to help you resolve your issues.

Arriving At Your Homestay

Your host will make sure someone is at home on the day of your arrival to greet you. If you are not using Study Vision’s Airport Transfer service, please contact the host family as soon as you arrive in Australia to inform them that you are on the way. If you will be delayed, please let the host know when you expect to arrive at their home.

Rental Payments

For Australian homestays:

  • All Rental and any other fees are to be paid to Study Vision for the entire period that you stay with your homestay. No fees or rental should be paid directly to the host.
  • Study Vision will send you an invoice for your next rental period one to two weeks before the end of the current rental period, and the new invoice should be paid within 7 days to ensure that you can continue to stay with the host family and avoid any issues with your stay. If you do not receive an invoice on time, please contact Study Vision by emailing [email protected].
  • For more information, refer to our Frequently Asked Questions.

For New Zealand homestays, please refer to the booking terms in your Accommodation Agreement.

Holidays
  • Please notify Study Vision of any intended holidays by email to [email protected], as soon as possible. We will inform your host and make the necessary arrangements.
  • If you are under 18 years old, you will need permission from your parents, your Guardian, your school and Study Vision before you can go on holidays for any length of time.
  • For details about payments while you are away, please refer to our Terms & Conditions.
Moving Out
  • 2-weeks’ notice is required to end any Homestay arrangement, whether you intend to move out of your homestay, or your host would like you to move out, unless it is a special situation requiring you to move out immediately.
  • You must notify Study Vision by email to [email protected] at least 2 weeks before you plan to move out. The 2-week notice period will start from the next business day after Study Vision receives your email. If you do not notify Study Vision 2 weeks before you move out, you will need to pay additional Rental to cover the 2-week notice period.
  • If you move out before the end of your currently paid Rental, no Rental will be refunded.
  • Note: If you are under 18 years old, you will need permission from your parents, your Guardian, your school and Study Vision before you can move out of your homestay.
  • On the day you leave, you will need to have all of your luggage packed and moved out of the homestay by 10:00am – 11:00am. You should also return any keys to your host by this time. Make sure you have left your bedroom in a clean and tidy state before leaving.
Evaluation & Complaints

Study Vision has a 5-point Policy, as follows:

  • Study Vision shall strive to immediately attend to all complaints raised by Homestay Hosts, Students, Parents, Agents or Education Institutions.
  • Study Vision shall attentively listen to and try to understand all points of views from all stakeholders of any complaint. Our motto here shall always be: “There are two (2) sides for any story.”
  • Study Vision employees shall be attentive, prompt, compassionate, understanding, communicative and most importantly, decisive, whenever handling any complaint.
  • Complaints that cannot be resolved quickly and amicably, to the satisfaction of all stakeholders, shall be immediately handed over to Study Vision’s management.
  • Every attempt shall be taken to document complaints received, including details of actions taken and outcomes achieved. Lessons learnt shall be discussed in our daily staff meetings for all staff to share.

How can you reach Study Vision if you need help?

  • We value your feedback, as this will help us improve our service to you, and react faster to any issues you raise. While you are in one of our homestays, you will receive periodic emails asking you to provide feedback about your homestay experience, your hosts and your accommodation.
  • We also encourage you to contact us immediately in emergencies, or if you have a critical issue to discuss (such as any sexual, physical or cultural abuse). You can reach us on:
  • Our 24/7 emergency line (+61 410 691 761)
    or by email to [email protected]
    or other social media avenues (see our Contact Us page).

Additional Homestay Guidelines for students aged under 18

If you are aged under 18 years old, you will need to abide by all of the guidelines above, as well as the additional guidelines below:

Student's guardian

All students under 18 will have a guardian, who is responsible for their welfare. In some cases, the student’s school/institution will act as their Guardian. 

Please make sure you have given Study Vision your Guardian’s name and contact details before you move in to your homestay.

Going out

If you are going out, make sure to let your host know, so they can help you if you have any difficulties while you are out, and they can contact you if needed:

  • where you are going
  • a contact number (if possible)
  • what time you will be home (approximately).
Safety at night

All Under-18 students must be home by 10pm each night. If you do not return home before 10pm, your host will notify Study Vision immediately , who will contact you and request you to go back home as soon as possible, otherwise, your Guardian and your school/institution will be notified. Please note, staying out after 10pm without permission is a breach of institution policies, which may affect your visa.


Students that want to stay out after 10pm must be given special permission by their Guardian. Study Vision must be informed by email to [email protected] during normal business hours (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm). Study Vision will then inform your host once official approval has been received.

Staying overnight

Under-18 students are not allowed to stay overnight away from their homestay, unless they have permission from the Guardian. Your Guardian must notify Study Vision by email during normal business hours (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) that they have given you permission. Study Vision will then confirm with your host. If you tell your host that you have permission to stay out overnight, they will confirm this with Study Vision.

Inviting people to stay overnight

Your friends are not allowed to spend the night with you at your homestay.

Holidays

If you are under 18 years old, you will need permission from your parents, your Guardian, your school and Study Vision before you can go on holidays for any length of time. Study Vision will confirm that you have permission before any holidays are approved.

You must give at least 2-weeks’ notice of any intended holidays longer than 2 nights. If you will only be away for 1 or 2 nights, you must give your host at least 3 business days’ notice. 

If you will be away for 2 weeks or more, you will pay 50% of the normal Rental amount for the period you will be away. If you will be away for less than 2 weeks, you will pay the normal Rental amount for the period you will be away.

Please notify Study Vision of any intended student holidays by email to [email protected], as soon as possible, so we can confirm that you have approval and adjust your invoice to the correct amount. Once you have informed us, we will confirm your holiday with your host family.

Moving Out or Changing Homestays

You must maintain the same accommodation, support and guardianship arrangements that you provided at the time your visa was granted. This is one of the visa conditions for students under 18 years. You must have formal approval from your guardian and your institution if you want to change your accommodation.