Many people have heard the word ‘homestay’. It seems to mean different things to people and many assume I am speaking about exchange students when I talk about my other business, but I am not.

Homestay is about hosting an international guest in your home essentially. Along with this cultural interaction in your own home, hosts receive an income for the expense of having an additional person living in their home.

Of course there are rules and expectations set down by Homestay Providers such as Homestay Network and these can be found online.

In fact, homestay has been in existence for nearly four decades now and it’s been a great source of some additional tax-free dollars during some very tough times over the past decades.

Pre Covid, many know that this was my primary business and I was always flat out.  Then Covid hit and I found myself looking for a new venture and taking a break.

Post Covid we have seen a shortage in the accommodation available for international students as many of our old host families have either moved interstate, had their grown children move back home due to the cost of living or are now using their spare room as a home office.

Homestay Network operates in bound Japanese short stay bookings on the Northern Beaches of Sydney and has been doing so since 1987. Of course, I didn’t own the business back then.

With this type of short stay, we place two students per host family for anywhere from 2-4 days and the hosts are expected to immerse the students in our local culture and do everyday activities together during the short stay such as cooking, bushwalking, visiting Manly Corso, taking a Ferry ride and so one. Hosts are paid for this service and attention and students are aged usually from about 14-18 years old.

Another type of homestay is the longer-term study tour usually 7 plus days up to 6 weeks. Study Tours students arrive as part of a larger group and have a school immersion planned with either a government high school, private school or language centre. Usually during these study tours hosts send the students off to a meeting point locally each morning and pick them up each afternoon, and they entertain them at the weekends and spend time together.

We also place single students both over and under 18 across the Sydney Metro area and these are usually University students since Covid. Weekly fees of upwards of $380 per week are paid to hosts and this covers all household expenses including food. Of course hosts need to be located within one hour to the students place of study by public transport.

Homestay Network works with Macquarie University and Western Sydney University post Covid.

I was interviewed recently by A Current Affair and this clip about hosting gives some great insights and is easily found on the A Current Affair YouTube channel “Aussie opening homes to international students as cost of living rises”.

Homestay Network is currently seeking new families right across the North Shore for both short term, study tours and longer placements. If you are interested, please register as a host family at www.homestaynetwork.com.au and we will be in touch.

Tina Brown is the Managing Director of Homestay Network Pty Ltd

Please look for the red and blue house to ensure you have the correct homestay company. We have been in business since 1987 and are Australia’s oldest Hometay company.