Homestay Management System

AHN Host Reimbursement Policy

  1. Public AHN Complaint Management Policy
  2. Public AHN COVID-19 Safety Policy
  3. Public AHN Room Holding Policy
  4. Public AHN Sexual Harassment and Abuse Prevention Policy
  5. Public AHN Host Reimbursement Policy
  6. Public AHN Refund Policy
  7. Public AHN Guest Agreement
  8. Public AHN Homestay Policy
  9. Public AHN Host Agreement
  10. Public AHN Guidelines for Interviewing Homestay Hosts
  11. Public AHN Privacy Policy
  12. Public AHN Critical Incident Policy
  13. Public AHN Code of Conduct for U18s in Homestay
  14. Public AHN Guest Placement Policy
  15. Public AHN Selection Criteria for the Recruitment of Homestay Hosts
  16. Public AHN Website Terms & Conditions

AHN Host Reimbursement Policy

Note: Host reimbursement rates will vary by region. Please contact your local AHN office for the reimbursement rates applicable to you.

AHN Hosts receive a weekly reimbursement fee for hosting a Guest in their home. Weekly fees are paid directly to AHN by the Guest. AHN retains a small management fee to cover systems, placement processing and management, and 24/7 critical support services and the remainder of the weekly fee is reimbursed to the Host to assist with expenses associated with hosting such as accommodation and meals. These fees may change at any time but will not change during any individual placement without prior notice.

Meals are to be provided in accordance with the meal plan purchased by the Guest and agreed to by the Host family. Guests are expected to prepare their own breakfast and/or lunch with food purchased by the Host. Hosts are required to prepare and share a nutritious dinner 5 days a week to encourage regular conversation and interaction with the Guest.

Hosts will automatically be covered under the AHN-arranged insurance policy by default from 1 January 2019. More information on insurance can be found here: https://www.homestaynetwork.org/about/homestay-insurance/.

The term “weekly fee” is equivalent to seven days. Weekly fees and host reimbursements will be prorated based on a daily rate if a Guest’s stay does not span a full and complete 7 days.

Host reimbursement payments will be processed once every two weeks and after receipt of the weekly fee by AHN from the Guest. Hosts must mark the Guest as “arrived” on their profile to be eligible for payment. AHN will then transfer the reimbursements to the Host’s nominated bank account electronically on the next payment date after the Guest’s arrival.

AHN issues invoices to the Guest two weeks in advance and will send reminders as necessary to ensure payment is received on time. It is not the Host’s responsibility to chase the Guest for payment, however, if a Guest falls behind with their fees AHN may ask the Host to speak with the Guest to ensure they have received the invoice and assist them with processing payment if needed. AHN cannot pay the weekly fees to the Host until the Guest has paid their fees to AHN.

Payment days for hosts in Australia are as follows:

Day   Region
Tuesday    All regions in Queensland
Wednesday   

All regions in South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory, Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales, ACT

Pre-arrival Cancellations

  • If a Guest cancels their placement more than 48 hours prior to their scheduled arrival date, AHN will pay the Host the equivalent of one week’s host payment.
  • If a Guest cancels their placement less than 48 hours prior to their scheduled arrival date, AHN will pay the Host the equivalent of two weeks host payment.
  • If a Guest’s visa is denied and they provide evidence of this to AHN at least 48 hours prior to their scheduled arrival date, AHN will refund the Guest in full for their placement and no payment will be reimbursed to the Host.

Post-arrival Changes and Cancellations

  • The Guest is required to provide AHN and their Host with a minimum of two weeks’ written notice if they intend to move out of homestay. This notice period cannot commence during the first two weeks in homestay.
  • If a Guest gives less than two weeks’ notice of their intention to move out, AHN will pay the Host the equivalent of two weeks host payment for the two weeks following the date on which the Guest gave notice.
  • If the Host requests to cancel a homestay placement and there has been no AHN policy breach by the Guest, the Host must give two weeks’ notice so AHN can arrange a new homestay placement for the Guest. If the Host requires the Guest to move immediately, AHN will make every effort to find another available Host and the homestay placement will be transferred as soon as possible. In this instance, the Host will only receive payment for the number of complete nights the Guest has stayed in the homestay.
  • If the Host requests to cancel a homestay placement due to the Guest breaching AHN policy or not complying with the Host’s house rules, the Guest will be required to move immediately. AHN will pay the host for all nights of the Guest’s placement up to the Guest’s departure date OR allow the Host to retain the full host payment received for the most recent paid period.
  • If a homestay placement needs to be cancelled due to an AHN policy breach by the Host, the Host will only receive payment for the number of complete nights the Guest has stayed in the homestay.

Extenuating Circumstances 

  • AHN may, at its sole discretion, approve a cancellation or transfer without notice to either the guest or the host where it is deemed to be in the best interest of all parties. In this situation the host will be paid only for the nights the guest has stayed with them.

  • Due to the shorter length of stay for Study Tours the standard two weeks’ notice may not always apply.

Room Holding Fees

  • If a Guest requests for their room to be held while they go on holiday, they may keep their belongings in their designated room and the Host will receive 50% of the usual weekly host payment.
  • The Guest must be away for seven nights or more. Full fees apply if the holiday is six days or less.
  • The Guest must notify AHN and their Host of their holiday plans at least two weeks prior to departure. Room holding fees will not be offered after the date of departure if notice has not been given.
  • Full details can be found in the AHN Room Holding Policy.

Overpayments

  • AHN will contact the Host if it is found that a Host has been overpaid for a placement. Any excess funds are to be reimbursed to AHN via one of the following methods.
  1. If the Host is due to receive a payment for an existing or upcoming placement within a month (4 weeks) of the overpayment being identified, AHN will deduct the excess funds from the Host’s next scheduled payment.
  2. If the Host does not have a payment scheduled within a month (4 weeks) of the overpayment being identified, the Host must transfer the excess funds to the AHN bank account. Account details will be forwarded to the Host as required.

This policy is subject to change at any time. AHN is not responsible for payments delayed because of a public holiday, natural disaster or major system failure. The Host must notify AHN immediately if you feel you have not been paid the full amount for a placement; AHN can only adjust a payment against your most recent reimbursement and cannot backdate beyond that period. AHN takes no responsibility for the retrieval of funds made to an incorrect bank account provided by a Host.

Updated: November 2022