Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
Make Money Hosting Foreign Students
MoneyMagpie team
10th Jul 2020
It’s always nice to have some new faces in your life. Have you ever thought about hosting a foreign exchange student? You probably should, having a student, or even a university lecturer in your home can be a really rewarding experience for everyone involved!
Also, there are ways you can make even more money with foreign students including giving English as a Foreign Language tutorials. Find out more below.
- How do I get into hosting foreign students?
- Step by step: hosting foreign students?
- How much will I make hosting foreign students?
- Are there any hidden costs?
- Is it worth it?
How do I get into hosting foreign students?
There are thousands of English language schools, social clubs, colleges and universities around the country with foreign students looking for places to stay while they learn.
Students at different institutions have varying accommodation needs.
english as a foreign language
For example, there foreign students learning English as a foreign language who are usually only here for about six weeks.
Lots of language schools run summer programmes for teenage foreign students, although during term time they have students of all ages for varying periods of time.
There are two types of hosting English Language students:
- The first is the easiest – you’re expected to provide house and board for a student who’ll then go to a language school or organised activities during the day. In the evenings and their free time they can come and go as they please. This is very flexible. Different schools will expect different types of board, from just bed and continental breakfast to full board. You can choose whether to let the students cook or use your laundry facilities, phone and internet.
- The second option is providing accommodation, food and tuition for a certain proportion of the day. To do this you’ll be expected to have some sort of qualification in teaching English as a foreign language, preferably a TEFL.
For more information on this read our articles on teaching English as a foreign language and making up to £80 as a private tutor.
university students and lecturers
Then there are university students and lecturers who can be in the country for up to six months at a time.
Universities often run exchange programmes and will need accommodation for students for a term or a semester.
step by step: hosting foreign students
step 1: contact schools and universities
If you want to start hosting foreign students then your first port of call is a local language school.
They’ll have an accommodation officer who’ll be in charge of a database of host families.
To get on the database you’ll probably have to undergo a home inspection and be within a reasonable distance of the school.
The International Association of Language Centres and English UK both have a list of English Language schools in the UK. Find your nearest schools and give them a call.
If you’re close to a university, visit their website and try and find the accommodation office. If they don’t have a section about hosting foreign students then give them a call, see if they do it and if so how you can get involved. Find universities close to you on the UCAS website.
step 2: look at ads
You can also look for adverts in your local paper and ask around. Even local football clubs do exchanges and need accommodation for foreign players. Put an ad up for free on Gumtree too so that anyone in your area can get in touch.
Another great site to check out is KaplanInternational.com. Kaplan International Colleges is a large international education group with over 40 English language schools worldwide including 11 in the UK and Ireland. They look for friendly hosts who are interested in learning about other cultures and who can provide a warm welcome and comfortable accommodation to international students. To find out more go to KaplanInternational.com.
step 3: check the rules and requirements
Different organisations will have different requirements for their students so find out what they need from hosts.
If you’re hosting teenagers who are doing an exchange, for example, you are likely to be asked to provide all their meals, pick them up from school and more.
Companies such as Homestay.com allow you to rent out your spare room on a daily, weekly or monthly rate to students over the age of 18.
You could also use Airbnb for short-term rentals. Quite often foreign students look for a room to rent on that website.
Hosts are expected to provide a light breakfast as part of the cost, and can choose to provide other meals also at an additional cost to the student.
How much can I make with foreign students?
What you can charge depends on where you live, what your home’s like and what facilities you include as part of the rent. Hosting foreign students in London (bed and breakfast) you can make around £100 a week, (or about £150 with dinner).
You can charge extra for use of the internet or to do laundry, if you’re willing to. Alternatively, including this in the price is a goodwill gesture and will give you more favourable feedback, encouraging the organisation to use you again.
If you are able to host foreign students in a posh house with a bathroom en suite you can charge more – around £200 a week. Often mature students will prefer a double bed and en suite, so if you can offer this, then you’ll be better off.
Outside London, the going rate for hosting foreign students can vary from about £35 to £80 per week with central locations in bigger cities getting the top prices. The organisation you host for will probably give you an idea of acceptable prices. Charging too much will dissuade them from placing students with you, so be reasonable.
Because you have a tax-free allowance on revenue made from your home, your income from renting a room is likely to be completely tax free. You can make up to £7,500 a year before you start paying tax.
Are there any hidden costs?
The only expenses you’ll incur when hosting foreign students are the extra costs of food and maybe a few bills.
food
A good way to approach breakfast is to have a decent selection of bread, cereals and juice for students to choose from in the morning. This way they can grab whatever they want and go.
If you’re providing dinner you can reduce your costs by including the student in your family evening meal. Cooking a separate meal for them isn’t cost or time effective.
Be flexible – younger children may not want to eat certain things so it’s always good to cook popular dishes that you know they’ll like.
bills
Although having another person in the house may increase energy costs, if you already have a family it shouldn’t be much more.
The to watch are phone bills – the best way is to make sure students always use a phonecard with a freephone access number so you don’t incur any costs. However, many of them will have their own mobile phone so that shouldn’t be so much of an issue.
insurance
You also need to make sure that your home contents insurance is up to date and notify your insurance company that you have paying guests.
Find out how to make money teaching English as a foreign language
Is it worth hosting foreign students?
We think that hosting foreign students in your spare room is a brilliant way to make money and meet new people.
You get to learn about foreign cultures, forge new relationships and even visit students in their home countries in the future.
And if you don’t get on with one student you’re safe in the knowledge that they’re only there for a limited period of time so you don’t have to put up with them forever.
You might experience a culture clash now and again, but if you don’t mind coming home to unusual cooking smells in your kitchen, and you’re clear about the rules of your house, it should be fine.
If you’re looking to make even more money through your home, check out our article on how to run a B&B
Useful links
If you’re interested in hosting foreign students then have a look for your local language school using these sites:
- Homestay.com
- KaplanInternational.com
- International Association of Language Centres
- English UK
- HomeAway
- Airbnb
If you have a room you could rent to a foreign student – or you are a student looking for accommodation in the UK – leave a comment below
Students are notoriously tricky tenants. You can be sure that students from abroad normally have the funds to pay their rent. You might need a new link of paint after.
hi I live in spain( near Malaga) and have a large villa that could accommodate 13 students, olivasvilla.com if you are interested please mail me [email protected]
To make money by selling any skills or assets, please go to Sooqini.com
Thanks for a great comment Sue. You’re right – hosting certainly isn’t for everyone and you should be sure before you enter into it. If you’re not particularly sociable and like your own space then hosting won’t be for you. However, if you like having a busy home, meeting new people and learning about different cultures we say “go for it!”
I must say that this is an interesting thread. I have been hosting students in London for over 14 years. I live in north London and I have worked with schools, agents and more recently I have worked for a school that brings over students from abroad (summer camps for younger students mainly) so I guess I have seen this sector from all sides. I suppose my first comment would be that this site is specifically about ways to help supplement income. If your priority is to maximise the rental income of a spare room then hosting is most likely… Read more »
I am so impressed to read your comments. wish i could stay at your place when i come to london next summer. You sound so caring
I am an English and Spanish teacherwho lives in Spain -I am English) and I have hosted children and adults for the last 20 years.
If you want to learn Spanish or English in sunny Campdevanol -8o km from Barcelona contact with me
FULLBOARDONLY 175 EUROS THE WEEK
Hi cati I’m from Scotland and wish to move to Spain in order of learning the language and also work as there is very little work in my area, I’m now 35yrs old and its been a life dream of mine to do this but have no idea how to go about relocating to Spain and learn the language and culture.. I’ve been to Majorca, Barcelona and Salou a few times and just love the people and the way of life in Spain. I have a little money saved by and seeing that your full accommodation for €175per month is… Read more »
Dear Sir/Madam, British International School, a School of English accredited by British Council is looking for host families who are willing to offer home stays for our students during their stay in London (minimum 1 week). The location of our home stay accommodation must include zones 2 and 3 around west London, pref. Ealing Broadway, Chiswick, Hammersmith… For more information about our school, please visit our web page .thebis./. Preferences: • Private home stay accommodation that can vary between individuals, couples with or without children • Host families using English language only • Supporting and encouraging environment for our students… Read more »
Great article. But I want everyone who’s seeing this article and thinking of starting a foreign student accommodation business this: Should you really open up the space solely for you family – the most sacred place place for your family that is – to foreign strangers? There is a lot of risks to this business. Yes, think twice.
My Story: I use to be a host for international language students for the last seven years. Most language colleges here in London pass the homestay/accommodation business on to agents. 99% of those agents are a complete rip-off. I have dealt with Host International in 2005 for about 3 months until I realised how much they “rake in” and pay peanuts to the hosts. However, in 2005 I hosted a nice female student from Japan. When her agency contract ended after 3 months I offered her to do a private deal – she was happy and so was I. She… Read more »
hi
im arabic women i will come to london in the end of april or may so im looking for homestay and endlish teacher in the same time ?
so can u help me in that if u accepet me or u can find to my nice homestay ?
its new experince for me ?
There is way no money can be made from hosting, for 3 meals, which can mean cooking three different meal every day, washing by the tone, 24/7 internet access, high gas and electricity bills, damage to furniture, invasion of privacy, running a taxi service and being treated like a maid…it’s just not work the £60 a week which most exchanges pay per student per week. Plus you don’t get paid for nights they are on trips, even though you have to keep the room open for them.
Well said and written looking to host a student not sure where to start
I found some wonderful info in your site and bookmarked to visit again . Thanks.