Homestay Reviews

On Homestay.com, once a host confirms availability, a 15% booking fee is paid to secure the booking (maximum fee of 250 $£€) using a choice of payment methods. These methods include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Maestro, Laser, JCB & PayPal. Some hosts avail of the Deposit payment option where a 25% deposit of the price of stay is paid in advance at the time of booking. This deposit payment is transferred to the host directly, if cancellation occurs less than 7 days in advance. For a refund of this deposit payment, cancellation must be made at least 7 full days prior to arrival. The balance of the price of stay is paid to the host on arrival or as stated by the host on their profile and agreed by the guest on booking. Each host should inform the guest how they would like to be paid, for instance by cash, bank transfer, PayPal or another payment method. It is strongly advised that if a guest is asked for part or full payment of accommodation prior to arrival, they should contact the Homestay Support Team BEFORE actioning any payment. The total accommodation cost owed is paid directly to the host, either on arrival or in advance. The host will let the guest know how they want to receive the balance when the booking has been confirmed. The online booking fee is currently charged in either EUR €, GBP £ or USD $. The outstanding amount is paid to the host in the host’s local currency.

Homestay.com allows guests to cancel a booking before arrival. However, the booking fee paid at the time of booking is non-refundable as per the terms and conditions agreed upon booking. If the host must cancel the booking, the booking fee will be refunded. For any issues with the accommodation or the host, contact must be made with Homestay Technologies Limited within 48 hours after check-in-date for a refund of the booking fee to be considered. Failure to make contact within this timeframe means a review into the issue cannot be undertaken.

If any balance owed has been paid directly to the host in advance of arrival, this cancellation is subject to the cancellation terms stated on the host profile and agreed upon booking. If the host cancels a booking on behalf of the guest, the Homestay.com booking fee is non-refundable as per the terms and conditions agreed upon booking a homestay.

Some hosts offer a Deposit Payment option. For these hosts, 25% of the booking price and the booking fee must be paid to confirm the booking. For a refund of this deposit payment, cancellation must be made at least 7 full days prior to arrival. If cancellation occurs less than 7 days in advance, the 25% deposit payment is made to the host 2 business days after the scheduled arrival date. However, the booking fee is non-refundable.

As for a shipping policy, no relevant information was found. Homestay.com is a platform for booking accommodations with local hosts, and as such, a shipping policy may not be applicable.

Homestay.com offers a range of services. It connects host families with students and independent travellers looking for accommodation. The platform provides the opportunity to live with a local and truly discover the destination. It offers a wide selection of rooms for both long and short term accommodation. Hosts can monetise their spare room by renting it out to international students, tourists, and professionals. The platform promotes sustainable local tourism by ensuring spending stays within local communities. Additionally, it provides support and answers to any questions about the homestay sign up or booking process. Hosts can also request an additional deposit, which must be made explicit in their profile.

For booking or guest enquiries, or if further assistance is needed after making a booking, the contact email is support@homestay.com. For host enquiries, the contact email is hosts@homestay.com. For partner enquiries, the contact email is partners@homestay.com. For general enquiries, the contact email is info@homestay.com. The Homestay.com Head Office can be reached at phone number +353 (0)1 6753010. The office is located at 77 Camden Street Lower, D02 XE80, Dublin 2, Ireland. Remember, Homestay.com is a global website that lets you book accommodation in a local person’s home for an authentic travel experience.

To become a host on Homestay.com, follow these steps:

1. Log on to the Homestay.com website.
2. Click on 'Become a Host' at the top right side of the page.
3. Sign up directly using your Facebook profile or enter your name, surname, phone number, email address and password.
4. Accept the Terms and Conditions and click on 'Create Account'. By accepting the conditions, you agree that you are living in the property.
5. Follow the 7 step wizard making sure that you are providing accurate information about your house, your family, your location, your rules and, last but not least, upload the greatest photos of all you mentioned, especially the bed and room.
6. The support team will carefully review your profile and notify you by email if it is completed correctly and ready to be set live. If there is something missing, they will go back to you explaining the best way to improve your listing to become a host.
7. Once your profile is in tip-top shape, you'll start to receive requests and be ready to make online bookings. As a host you set and manage your own rates, availability and requests from potential guests. You can also make changes in your profile from your own Homestay.com account.

Remember, it's free to create an account on Homestay.com and they welcome people from everywhere in the world to become a host. Their platform is all about the host being present during the guest’s homestay experience to make it as local and unique as possible. So, if you have one or more spare rooms, you can simply become a host by registering your details with them. Good luck!