Advice on staying with a homestay hosts

Living in Homestay Accommodation

We want you to enjoy your time with a British homestay hosts. To make the most of your stay, please try to follow the advice below:

General advice
• a successful homestay experience depends on building mutual respect with your host, and requires understanding and effort from you and your homestay host.
• don’t be afraid to ask if you have any problems. Talk to your homestay hosts first and if you need any extra help, talk to our Accommodation Manager.
• try to feel at home with the homestay hosts. If you have any problems, please tell your host straight away, so that they can help you; after, is too late to help!
• please be careful with use of energy and water; they are precious to our planet and very expensive in this country; please do not waste.

Bed linen and laundry
• your bed linen and towels will be changed at least once a week.
• your homestay hosts will also be happy to do ‘reasonable weekly laundry’ so please ask the homestay hosts to take care of any laundry which you need doing.
• ask the homestay hosts if you need extra blankets or towels.

Language
• try to practise your English with the homestay hosts as much as possible. The following phrases are especially important: ‘please’, ‘thank you’, ‘hello’, ‘goodbye’, ‘good morning’, ‘good night’.

Food and meals
• inform the homestay hosts if you cannot eat any particular food for any reason.
• be prepared to try new things, the food may be different in Britain, but you might discover that you like it!
• try to be punctual for meals and tell the homestay hosts if you are going to be late for, or absent from, a meal. Please ask your host the day before, if you would like a packed lunch for the weekend.

Security
• please be very careful with your host’s security and belongings: when leaving your house, make sure that you lock up and keep your key and address separate.
• please do not lose your key!
• please have a safe and enjoyable stay in Margate; look after yourself and your belongings!

Visitors
• you shouldn’t invite visitors to the homestay hosts home without their permission or late at night. Please remember that it is a homestay hosts home and treat it with respect.

Returning to your homestay hosts after school and at weekends

• your host will expect you to arrive home at about 5pm each day, Monday to Friday. Please tell them if you will be earlier or later. Students without afternoon classes are not expected to return home until 5pm.
• if you will not be at home one night, please telephone the homestay hosts to inform them.