Host an international student and bring the world home
International students enrich the quality of our lives and have so much to offer. You can broaden your horizons and bring the world into your home by opening your doors to students from more than 130 different countries.
At present there are accommodation shortages across the coast, and you can help alleviate the current crisis while taking advantage of the opportunity by learning a new language or creating a cultural experience while being paid for providing much needed accommodation.
If you have a spare bedroom in your home this is your chance to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity while forging new friendships that could last a lifetime.
Whether you’re thinking of a short-term agreement, or something much longer, our Host for the Coast program provides a range of options to suit your preferences, from simply renting a room to fully integrated homestay experiences where the student becomes part of your family.
If you are a student looking for a room, we can help you as well.
Find out more about those options by clicking on the links below:
Frequently Asked Questions
1. what is homestay?
Homestay is when a local individual, couple or family agree to host a student from another country. The host agrees to provide a clean, comfortable and private bedroom for the international student in a positive and harmonious environment.
2. who can host?
Traditional families, non-traditional families, single people, couples, or friends living together can all apply to be a host.
3. what is required for homestay?
With homestay the level of service you would like to offer depends on you. For example, you might want to offer accommodation with dinner 7 nights a week, or you may prefer a complete homestay package offering 3 meals a day, 7 days a week.
4. how long do students stay?
The minimum stay is usually 1 month, while other students may prefer to stay for an extended period of time. In cases where the students and host form a particularly close bond, the homestay could continue for a number of years.
5. what if i only want to rent a room?
If you only want to rent a room without having to provide any other domestic options our partners at The Room Xchange can connect you with students looking for a room to rent.
6. what is the room xchange?
The Room Xchange is Australia’s first verified house sharing platform, operating a profiling system that helps to match households and housemates based on values, personality and lifestyle. You register your details and preferences with them, and they then match you to a suitable student.
7. what options does the room xchange provide?
The Room Xchange provides hosts with the option to rent, or rent offset their spare room (where the cost of renting the room could be lessened for the student by helping out around the house – eg: picking up the family’s kids from school or mowing the lawn for instance), giving both parties the flexibility to choose an arrangement that suits them best.
8. what areas of the gold coast need hosts?
Any area of the Gold Coast could be suitable, providing there is good access to public transport and your residence is within reasonable proximity of educational institutions.
9. do the students speak english?
Language proficiency will vary, but all international students will have some basic English skills when they arrive. As a host, you have the opportunity to not only help students by supporting and connecting with them, but as with all cultural exchanges you can also learn from your guest as well.
10. what happens after i submit an expression of interest to host a student?
Depending on your hosting preference, your submission will be assessed by either one of our homestay providers or The Room Xchange to find a suitable student to match your requirements. You will then be contacted by them to finalise your hosting arrangement.
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