Oz Homestay would like to thank you for registering as a homestay family for our students. Oz Homestay is a registered business set up to cater for the placement of international students into a secure and comfortable homestay environment on behalf of students. Students request homestay to allow them an introduction into Australian culture, as well as the opportunity to speak English in a relaxed form. We ask that you try to include the students in family activities whenever possible.

Insurance:

All families have sufficient home contents insurance and public liability.

Oz Homestay does not accept any responsibility for damages or loss incurred by the family attributed to the student. If breakages occur, compensation should be negotiated between the homestay and the student.

Your home is required to have adequate smoke alarms installed and operational.

Students arriving on student visas, do have compulsory health cover (does not cover dentist or optometrists) and students on tourist visas (under 12 weeks), are encouraged to have their own travel insurance.

Reservations: You are required to inform us if you have other students staying with you when accepting an Oz Homestay student, in particular that you do not have two students of the same nationality at the same time. We also don't place students in host families with more than 3 students at any one time. (This can void your insurance policy unless you are registered as a boarding/guest house). Oz Homestay will confirm with you, up to 2 weeks in advance, the placement of a student in your home.

Cancellations: We endeavour to have confirmed bookings from students before we confirm with the host family however sometimes, we do have to cancel or postpone a placement at the last minute, generally because students have not been able to book flights or more importantly, have not received their visas on time. In this case, we will try to give you another student (if available),arriving within a short space of time to your original booking, or you will be given priority on the next booking that is received.

As these circumstances for cancellation are beyond our control, Oz Homestay does not pay any cancellation fees and trust you understand this situation even though it may cause you some inconvenience.

Payment of homestay fees: Oz Homestay, as part of our booking fee with the student, will collect the first 4 weeks accommodation fee. We will subsequently pay the host family within the first 5 working days of the students arrival, unless otherwise advised. We prefer to do this by direct deposit into your bank account.

Please note: Oz Homestay deducts 7% from weekly homestay fee as our service fee. We will send invoices to your student and have the student pay us directly for their on-going accommodation and we transfer the funds into your account, less our service fee. Please advise our office if your student is leaving or extending so we know your availability for placing new students. Alternatively, we will send an invoice to the student and have the student pay us directly for their on-going accommodation and we transfer the funds into your account, less our service fee.

Required from Homestay, for student:

*Our host families must provide a comfortable living environment for the student in a single room (or shared room if available and requested) with bed, all linen, wardrobe, desk/chair and study lamp as a minimum standard. A heater in winter or fan in summer is desirable.

The student s room must have a proper door that can be closed for privacy, and not a make-shift curtain, and a window that can open for ventilation.

*Meals must be provided for breakfast and dinner 7 days per week and light lunches on Saturday and Sunday. It is advisable to have a supply of instant noodles on hand for students to make their own snacks between meals and fruit. It is recommended that rice be served with meals several times per week. Please indicate to the student what they can and cannot do in the kitchen.

*We ask the student to assist in light duties, particularly assisting at meal times e.g. setting or clearing the table or drying up.

*It is suggested that you provide a basket for each students to place their toiletries in their bedroom and also one for their dirty laundry.

*Remember the student is not a house-keeper and whilst they are not a hotel guest, a balance must be reached. Communication is the best form of problem solving.

*Laundry, again this is by communication. If you are doing the family wash, then it may be ok for you to wash the student s clothes. Male students tend to like this, females may prefer to do their own. Please show them how to use the washing machine, where soap is etc.

This is the private area for the student and families are requested to respect their security blanket and possessions. Ask the student if they would like you to vacuum their room weekly and change the sheets. Students are also advised to assist by keeping their room tidy and clean at all times and not have food in their rooms. If you think they have snacks, perhaps give them a large Tupperware container that they can keep any snacks in to keep the insects away.

Telephone: This is to be an arrangement between you and the student. Students are to pay for all their international calls. This can be done by various methods, ring back price, phone cards (cheapest and most convenient). We will advise students to buy their own phone card. It would be appreciated if families would allow the student to make a quick phone call to their families back home on day of arrival. Phone cards are obtainable from post office, newsagents and convenience stores. We do advise students to inform their family and friends not to ring after 10pm Sydney time.

Internet: Most students are requesting access to the internet please consider this as those families will receive preferential consideration over those families who do not have internet access for students. If you provide internet access to the student (broadband), it is acceptable for you to charge a fee we suggest a maximum of $10 per week for unlimited access (but not unlimited download so discuss this with them).

Students General Safety Issues: Please advise the student of dangers of traveling late at night on public transportation, they need to keep an eye on their personal belongings, particularly purses and wallets, be vigilant when using an ATM. Inform them of the dangers of accepting lifts from strangers and even strangers spiking drinks in bars and nightclubs. Basically mention all the issues you would mention to your own children, and even though the students may be over 18.

In General:

* Please explain your general house rules in the first few days of your student s arrival, i.e. meal times, length of showers, home security issues. If the student appears confused, repeat again slowly and clearly or write it down..
* Please inform Oz Homestay when a student vacates.
* Students are to give 2 weeks paid notice of moving if not indicated otherwise by Oz Homestay unless they are moving because of unforeseen problems between family and student, in which case the student will be entitled to a refund of any unused homestay fees.
* Please inform Oz Homestay if you will be away on vacation or business etc so that we do not place a student in your care.
* Please inform Oz Homestay of any concerns regarding the student s living or studying arrangements. We are in constant communication with their learning institutions and can provide a good flow of communication.
* Do not move home unless you inform us well in advance, preferably before we place a student with you.
* Please confirm (resend) your bank details with our accounts staff accounts@ozhomestay.com.au, if you have changed these since your last student, so that we don't pay your fees into an old or unused account.
* Inform Oz Homestay of any changes in your family profile, e.g. additions to family ( incl pets); changed telephone numbers; other contact details such as email addresses.

Working with Children Screening Checks: Our company conducts these checks on all host families, regardless of the ages of the students being placed with them. We cannot register families who do not provide these documents that need to be completed by all members of the family over the age of 18 years.

Appropriate Behaviour: As stated it is our responsibility to place students into a safe and secure environment therefore the following requests are to be treated seriously by our host families as failure to comply could result in the student being transferred from your home immediately:

* There are to be no illegal drugs used in the home by any member of the family and definitely not to be offered to the student under any circumstances.
* Sexual harassment: either physical, by language, or even text messaging, by a member of the family, will be taken very seriously by Oz Homestay and the institution, and to avoid misinterpretations, please be mindful on how an action may be construed, no matter how innocent you believe it to be. With many Asian cultures, they do not show physical affection to each other, privately and definitely not in public, so our western show of affection can sometimes make them feel very uncomfortable.
* Family members, in particular of the opposite sex, are not to go into student s bedrooms without permission.

Privacy Policy: The information provided to Oz Homestay will be used to assess suitability to be a homestay family and to assist us in placing students with families. All details will be kept on file as treated as confidential. An abridged profile is sent to the institution/student or their agent, once enrolment is confirmed. Permission will be sought from you if there is a request has been made from a third party for your contact details.

Once all documentation checks have been completed, Oz Homestay will arrange for one of our representatives to visit your home to discuss placing a student with you, as well as having a look at the accommodation being offered to the student.