Common booking questions

• Can I ask the student to provide me with an ID document to verify his/her identity?

  Yes, but only after the booking is confirmed.

  Student does not need to upload ID document when registering on homadorma. The purpose is to make the registration process easier so as to encourage more students to contact hosts on homadorma.

  Student ID documents are collected during the student payment process. IDs are collected by Homadorma in order to form a valid contract. After the host confirms the student booking on homadorma, we will share the email address of the student to the host. The host may then ask the student to provide ID document by email if necessary.

• I'm a host, can I change the price of a confirmed booking?

  The homestay fee was agreed upon by both the student and the host at the time of booking. According to Homadorma policy, changes to the homestay fee are not permitted before the move-in date. However, you may adjust the fee after the move-in date by providing the student with at least a 30-day notice. Please be aware that the student has the right to cancel the booking according to the Termination and Refund Policy if they disagree with the fee adjustment.

• I'm a host, can I change the Move-in Date of a confirmed booking?

  Certainly! You can change the move-in date if both you and the student agree to do so. Please ask the student to submit a request to change the move-in date from their booking status page.

• I'm a host. I confirmed a student's booking of one of my rooms. What if I have to terminate the booking before move-in date?

  While it is possible to terminate the booking according to the contract before move-in date, we certainly do not appreciate this kind of action, because termination before move-in date disrupt students' plans and impact confidence in Homadorma. The following penalties will be applied for booking termination initiated by hosts before move-in date.

  Account suspension and deactivation

  If you terminate 1 booking before move-in date within a year, we may suspend your account for 90 days.
  If you terminate 2 or more bookings before move-in date within a year, we may remove your listing permanently.

  Termination fee

  You will need to pay the following fee in order to reactivate the homadorma account if the account is suspended due to termination before move-in date. The amount to be paid will depend on the length of the period between the move-in date and the date you submit the termination notice.

  • More than 30 days before move-in date, a payment of $100 is required to reactivate the account
  • Less than 30 days, but more than 7 days before move-in date, a payment of $200 is required to reactivate the account
  • Less than 7 days before move-in date, a payment equivalent to one month without meal homestay fee is required to reactivate the account

  Unless there are extenuating circumstances, there will be no exceptions to our updated Termination and Refund policy.

• What if I need to terminate booking because of an emergency or unavoidable circumstance?

  If a host or student needs to terminate a booking, it’s their responsibility to terminate as soon as possible. At times, certain circumstances outside of a host's control can impact their ability to meet the terms of a booking.

  In rare instances, if Homadorma determines that a host’s reason for termination falls within Homadorma’s Extenuating Circumstances Policy, Homadorma may override the termination policy in the contract and make refund decisions. If Homadorma determines that a host’s reason for termination falls within Homadorma’s Extenuating Circumstances policy, Homadorma may waive the host termination penalties.

• What might be covered under the Extenuating Circumstances Policy?

  Valid circumstances include:

  • Unexpected death or serious illness of a host, student or immediate family member (spouse/partner, child, parent, legal guardian, grandparent, or sibling)
  • Serious injury that happened after the time of booking, and that directly restricts a student’s ability to travel or a host’s ability to host
  • Significant natural disasters or severe weather incidents impacting the location of destination or location of departure that happened after the time of booking
  • Urgent travel restrictions or severe security advisories issued after the time of booking, by an appropriate national or international authority (such as a government office or department) that directly forbids the student to leave his/her country, or to enter destination country
  • Endemic disease that declared by a credible national or international authority (such as the US Centre for Disease Control or the World Health Organization), and that declared after the time of booking
  • Severe property damage or unforeseen maintenance issues that directly impact the ability to host safely, and that happened after the time of booking
  • Government-mandated obligations issued after the time of booking (ex: jury duty, court appearances, military or government assignments)

  If you need to make a claim
  Claims can only be considered after a booking has been cancelled. Once you've informed your student and cancelled a booking, if you feel that your reason for cancellation is covered by Homadorma’s Extenuating Circumstances Policy, contact Homadorma for consideration. We generally require claims to be submitted no later than 14 days from the original check-in date and we may require valid supporting documentation.

• Is the student covered by medical insurance?

  Most public schools in Canada and the United States require international students to purchase medical insurance while studying. Some offer medical insurance as part of the tuition package, while others form it as a stand-alone policy to purchase. The medical insurance in general covers the full school year, including vacation time.

  Some private schools may not require students to purchase medical insurance. Homadorma partners with leading insurance providers in Canada and the United States to offer such products to international students. Please ask the student to contact us, if you have concern about their medical insurance.

• What if the student caused damage during their stay? Are they covered by renter's insurance?

  Unlike medical insurance, renter's insurance is not required by the government or the school for students to study in Canada and the United States. Students are expected to pay out of their own pocket for any property damages beyond normal wear and tear. While we try our best to find perfect student-host matches, it is out of our control to enforce any such compensation to hosts should property damage occur, since we are not the law enforcement department.

  To minimize property repairing cost and legal cost, we recommend our hosts consider the following 2 options:

  • Contact your home insurance provider and ask about renter's coverage. Many insurance providers are able to offer you such coverage as an add-on policy on your existing home insurance policy. There will likely be additional charges on top of your current monthly home insurance premium.
  • Try not to place valuable belongings in the rental area that may be damaged by the students by accident. Try to replace delicate furnitures with durable but inexpensive ones. It is better to reduce the property value that could be at stake before anything happens.

  
  

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