Homestay Accommodation

Homestay is when a student lives with a New Zealand family in their home. If you are an international student under the age of 18, you are required to stay in homestay accommodation. Students should be prepared for this experience to be very different to living with their own family. Generally students will have their own room and most meals provided. Students will be expected to keep their rooms tidy, do their own laundry, and help with household duties. There will also be house rules to follow .

As Homestays are with Hamilton families, they can be located throughout Hamilton City. Students living with Homestay families will usually need to take one or more modes of public transport to get to the University. Most Homestay families live within a 30 minute peak-hour commute of the university.

Under 18 Years

Students under 18 years at the time they plan to start their studies are required to adhere to the following:

• Under the New Zealand Ministry of Education's Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students, students under 18 years are required to stay in homestay accommodation arranged by the University.
• To assist in the homestay placement process, students must complete and return the Off Campus Application Form and a Homestay Application Form which will provide as much information as possible about their interests and any special dietary requirements.
• Alternatively, students wishing to live with family members located in Hamilton need to ask their parent/guardian to complete the Indemnity Form which is on the Homestay Application Form. Under the Code, the University is required to visit the home and meet the family the student will be staying with to ensure it meets the requirements of the Code. A non-refundable fee is payable for this assessment.

Homestay Costs

A non-refundable deposit and the first four weeks of homestay fees must be paid before a homestay placement can be made. Homestay fees are inclusive of food, power and laundry, but exclusive of telephone, internet and transport expenses.

Applying for Accommodation

Please note that only the University Halls of Residence and homestay accommodation arranged by the University have been assessed under the New Zealand Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students.

A copy of the Code can be downloaded from the Ministry of Education website

The accommodation application form will be included with the Offer of Place sent after an application to the University has been made.