Are you looking for a home away from home? Be welcomed into one of ILSC’s Australian Homestay families and experience a supportive living environment in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide. Homestay provides a fantastic opportunity to practise your English conversation skills and experience Australian family life and culture.
IMPORTANT: Homestay Accommodations are not available to:
• Greystone College Australia students
• ILSC Australia Evening Schedule students
Australia is a multicultural country. Your homestay family in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide might have a foreign background. Please be open to embrace different cultures.
Your homestay family might have other international students, but no one will speak the same language as you.
Australian homestay families are very pet friendly. Your homestay family might have pets. Please note, if you requested to stay in a house with no pets, we will do our best to accommodate your request.
Wooden houses are quite common in Australia. Your bedroom will be private, but you will share the bathroom with the rest of the household.
All our homestay families do not allow anyone to smoke inside their houses. If you are a smoker, please let us know before your arrival.
All Australian homestay families have house rules. Please talk to your homestay family about their house rules on your first day and do your best to follow them.
Guests and overnight guests are not allowed in your homestay unless your homestay parents give you permission.
You will be responsible to pay for any damage you have caused during your stay.
Breakfast is usually prepared by the student and may consist of a piece of toast with coffee and/or a bowl of cereal with milk.
Dinner is prepared by the family. Your family will set the dinner time (typically sometime between 6−7:30 pm). Dinner is usually a well-balanced, full meal.
If you choose a half-board homestay you will not be allowed to use the kitchen. If you would like to use the kitchen, please ask your homestay family first; but be aware that they are not obligated to allow you to use the kitchen.
Our homestay options provide different meal plans and levels of independence in a supported environment with an Australian family in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide.
All prices are in Australian dollars (AUD). Taxes are included where applicable. Rates are per person. Booking is subject to availability.
All ILSC & Greystone College homestay bookings require an Administration Fee of $290 in addition to weekly fees.
Pricing is valid for arrivals in 2024 but is subject to change at any time.
A minimum booking length of 4 weeks (28 days) is required.*
*Note: ILSC will accommodate homestay bookings less than 4-weeks as part of short-duration study tours and individual study programs. In these circumstances, homestay bookings must match the duration of studies (i.e. 2 weeks study program = minimum 14 nights homestay).
Have your breakfast and dinner taken care of by your homestay family; but enjoy the flexibility to eat out for lunch with new friends.
Have your breakfast and dinner taken care of by your homestay family; but enjoy the flexibility to eat out for lunch with new friends.
Read some FAQs (frequently asked questions) and answers about staying in a homestay in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide, Australia.
Homestay families will have different Internet packages, it is always better to speak with your homestay about the data available before downloading or streaming contents.
Showers should be short; we suggest that you take showers for no longer than 4-5 minutes. Water bills can be quite expensive in Australia because of drought conditions in some cities.
Some hosts prefer to be called by their given names, whilst others may suggest you to call them mum/dad. Ask your host what they prefer to be called.
Usually you wish the person happy birthday when you first see them for the day. Some people also like to give them a card and/or gift. This is not expected or necessary when living in a homestay.
Ask your homestay family where they would prefer you keep your clothes. Some may prefer you keep it in a basket in your bedroom, while others may ask you to place it in a basket elsewhere in the house. Some homestays will ask you to do your own washing, and will teach you how to operate the washing machine, other homestays will prefer to do your washing for you.
Common areas, such as lounge room, can be enjoyed by everyone in the home. Bedrooms are private, you should only enter if you are invited, it is always best to knock first.
You may have space in your room, such as underneath the bed or in the wardrobe. Speak with your homestay they maybe have a space available in the garage.
If you are over 18-years' old, which is the legal drinking age in Australia, you must still ask permission from your homestay parents to drink in their house. Some families are okay with this request and some are not.
Meal time is a specific time that meals will be served in the home so that all family members can eat the meal together.
This means that you may take something without asking, (e.g. a portion of food, a fruit, or maybe a tissue).
It is up to our homestay whether they wish to allow their students to receive post to their address. If the homestay does not allow mail to be sent to their home it will be stated within their house rules. Alternatively, you can use the school address to receive mail.
Generally, noise after 10:00pm is not appreciated. Australians go to bed and wake up very early; so, you may need to negotiate call times if you are calling family back home. Speak to your host family to make sure you are not disturbing them.
If you stay up late in your room, this is okay, as long as you keep quiet. Everyone has different study sleep patterns.
Some homestays are okay with you having guests over as long as you inform them with notice. Others will ask you to meet them away from home for safety.
Please inform your homestay if you misplace your house keys. You may need to cover any costs associated with replacing the keys. It is better to always keep your keys safe; key replacement and locksmith services, especially after hours, are very expensive.
*Prices displayed in a local currency are approximate and based on daily exchange rates, which fluctuate. Invoices and payments for programs will be in the destination currency.