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Host families offer guests much more than just a room to stay in. Host families are offering guests a place in their family and a unique perspective on local life. A homestay is an experience and an opportunity for hosts and guests to learn and grow together. At Ojisu, it is our mission to establish long-term, trusting connections through education, technology, and sharing.

Last Updated Date: 02/12/2017

Hosting with Ojisu

Who can host with Ojisu?
We welcome anyone to sign up as a host on Ojisu.com. Regardless of whether your family rents an apartment, owns a house, or if is simply interested in becoming a short-term host family, we welcome you to join our international community!

General requirements:
1) You must be living at the same location as your guest while they are staying with you.
2) If your guest is under 18 years old, at least one adult must be present while your guest is home
3) If your family rents your space, you must confirm that you are allowed to host international students as guests in your space before you publish your profile on Ojisu.com.

What are the general standards for hosting a guest with Ojisu?
Think of it this way, what kind of environment would you like to be living in if you were in the guests shoes? We require clean, comfortable, and nurturing living conditions for our guests. Our international guests are travelling from across the world to stay with you, in a new, unfamiliar place. The more inviting and comfortable the living conditions, the more the guest will be able to feel at home and adapt to life in the US.

What do I need to be able to provide to guests?
To host a guest, you must be able to provide a private bedroom (that can be shared with other guests) and a bathroom.  For school students, usually breakfast and dinner on school days and three/two meals a day on weekends or holidays. Meal options vary for college students or visiting scholars. You can decide if you allow the guest to prepare their own meals. Transportation to and from school and regarding extracurricular activities are not required, but are often important for high school international student guests.

What aspects of the guests living quarters have to be private?
Very often, guests prefer or are looking for private rooms, especially if a guest’s stay is long term (2+ months). However, multiple guests are allowed to share one room. Again, private bathrooms are most desired, but not required for guests.

Expectations regarding respecting guest privacy:

It is expected that you fully respect the privacy and living quarters of your guest.
Hosts must give guests private time and private space. That includes, not entering their room, bathroom, etc without permission and not harassing them.
The use of any camera or video recording or monitoring of guest or host behavior is strictly prohibited. This behavior will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Guests reserve the right to not disclose personal contact information to hosts both during and post homestay.

Expectations regarding discrimination:

Hosts may not discriminate against, decline a guest, or impose special terms or conditions upon a guest based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, or marital status.
Guests may not discriminate against, decline a host, or impose special terms or conditions upon a host based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, or marital status.

Host Profile
Are there background or safety checks involved in becoming a host?
Yes. Before placing guests with host families, we carry out federal and state background checks on all family members 18 and up to ensure a safe stay for your guest. A local coordinator might also perform a drop-in check in on your home to make sure that it’s a suitable living environment for a guest.

How do I create a account as a host?
To create an account, simply click the “Become a Host” button on the top-right corner of our website. Fill out the initial form and then follow the steps to complete the rest of your host profile. After you have completed and submitted your profile, the Ojisu team will review it. Once your profile is reviewed by Ojisu’s team, it will go live and potential guests will be able to see you.

Be sure to fill in as many details (including pictures of your home) as you can, this will help give incoming guests a better feel for your home and will increase the chances of them selecting your home.

Will my private information remain secure?
Yes, all private information (such as your street address, email address, phone number, and all other private info) that you submit to Ojisu.com will be kept safe and secure. Private details will only be accessible to our local coordinators and/or Ojisu.com. We will not provide this information to any third parties.

How do I edit my host listing?
You can edit your host profile at any time, just login and edit any information you desire to edit.

I have edited my listing, why aren’t my changes live yet?
The Ojisu team must review any changes in important information that you make to your profile. If there are no issues, we will review these changes within 24 hours. If there end up being any issues, we will contact you about them.

How do I make a great profile?
To make your profile attractive, it has to be as informative as possible. This will give guests the best idea and feel for your home and what you have to offer as a host family.

Make sure that you also include as many quality pictures of your home and family as possible. It’s hard for a guest to choose your home if they don’t know what it looks like or if the pictures are blurry or of a messy house! Check out our article (https://cn.ojisu.com/blogs/view/1/5722fa22ca11147953071ddf/56fa892be4b0c961db6d326b), on how to take great pictures of your home for some very handy tips on the matter.

How do I take nice pictures of my home?
Blurry, grainy, and dimly-light pictures won’t get many guests excited about staying in your home! Click (https://cn.ojisu.com/blogs/view/1/5722fa22ca11147953071ddf/56fa892be4b0c961db6d326b) to read our article on how to spice up your photos.

Can I cancel my account?
Yes, if you have no upcoming guest bookings or obligations, you may deactivate your account or any listing on your profile at any time.

Why do I have to wait for Ojisu to approve my account before my profile goes live?
The Ojisu team reviews every profile to ensure that they are fully completed before we allow them to go live and for guests to be able to find and see them. We do this to ensure that the profiles on Ojisu.com all provide incoming guests with enough information to make educated decisions in which homestays to choose. We want to make sure that guests pick hosts right for them and that the guest is right for you. We will review your profile within 24 hours after it is has been submitted and will send you an email regarding the status of your profile. If there are no issues with your profile, it will go live for potential guests to see! Exciting. If there are any issues with your profile you will receive instructions on how to fix the issue.

Should I establish house rules?
Yes, it is a smart idea to establish house rules and display them on your profile. These can be indicated when filling out the “Host Preferences” step of your profile. Establishing some general rules helps avoid potential conflict or issues down the road. Examples of possible rules are: no smoking, please clean up after yourself to maintain a clean living environment, please ask before inviting friends over, no overnight guests, etc.

Any other questions?
If you have any other questions or concerns regarding hosting guests or setting up an account with us, please feel free to call us at 412-708-8140 or send us an email at host@ojisu.com.

Getting Started with Hosting
How can I help guests from abroad feel welcome?
The best way for you to provide your guest with a great study abroad experience is to help them feel at home and to involve them in family activities and learning opportunities.

What if I am unhappy with or am having issues with my guest?
Depending on the nature of the issue, try first to talk to your guest and resolve the issue through discussing it with them and listening to their side of it as well.

If you cannot resolve the issue through talking to your guest, please contact us. We are here to help resolve any potential issues and will be prompt in working with you and your guest to fix the situation.

Why can't I call, text, or email a guest before signing the host agreement?
For liability purposes on behalf of the guest, the host, and Ojisu we cannot allow guests and hosts to discuss arrangements outside of Ojisu’s messenger platform or without Ojisu staff as a mediary.

Please make use of our messenger platform and Ojisu staff to communicate with potential guests.

Payment and Tax
How do I get paid?
All payments are handled by Ojisu. Ojisu will send you monthly stipends via direct deposit or check of the amount agreed upon by you and your guest. Please go to Ojisu’s Payment Policy for more detail.

When do I get paid?
Please see Ojisu’s Payment Policy for more detail.

Do I have to pay taxes on the stipends?
Please see Ojisu’s Payment Policy for more detail.

Insurance Information

Do all guests have their own health insurance?

All guests are highly encouraged to have domestic health insurance coverage. As a host, you will be able to see whether or not a particular guest has health insurance on their profile.

Do I have to have homeowners insurance to host?

It is highly recommended that you have your own homeowners insurance before/when hosting. For example, if it so happens that a guest causes damage to a home, Ojisu will not be liable for the damage, but you may contact Ojisu for help regarding negotiating compensation.

Disclaimer of Liability

The host is liable for the guest throughout the duration of the homestay, including, but not limited to the following circumstances:

1) If it so happens that the guest causes a significant amount of damage to the home during the duration of the homestay, we suggest that you file a claim through your homeowners insurance. Ojisu is not liable for damages.
2) For guests under 18 years of age, an adult must be present whenever the guest is home. Under-age guests are not allowed to be home alone.
Issues regarding food poisoning, serving of expired food, etc. on part of the host are to be solved internally between the host and the guest, as the stipend agreed upon between the host and guest encompasses meal fees. Ojisu will not be liable for issues of this nature.