Homestay accommodation
If it’s your first time coming to New Zealand, we strongly recommend homestay accommodation for you. Homestay accommodation gives students a caring, supportive, and secure environment in which to live and study in. It’s also a great way to practice your English and experience life in Auckland and New Zealand.
Host Families New Zealand (HFNZ)
We’ve partnered with Host Families New Zealand (HFNZ) to provide homestay accommodation and match you with approved families. We recommend that you use this agency to co-ordinate homestay arrangements on your behalf.
Go to Host Families New Zealand
What do HFNZ do?
HFNZ carefully match students to their ideal host families by providing each party with a detailed profile. You can feel safe and secure knowing that all host families are interviewed and police screened.
HFNZ also do follow-up meetings with students to ensure that you and your host family are compatible and happy with the arrangement.
What can you expect?
When living in a homestay, this is what you can expect:
- A welcoming family environment
- Fully-furnished room and bedding is provided
- Laundry facilities available for you to use
- Two meals (breakfast and dinner) per weekday, and three meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) during weekends and on public holidays
- Reasonable use of internet, electricity and water
- 24-hour support in case of an emergency
What is a Kiwi family?
New Zealand families are diverse! There really is no such thing as a 'typical' Kiwi family, as a wonderfully diverse country so too are our families that live here. A Kiwi family might be of European, Asian, or Indian descent - just about every culture is represented here. A Kiwi family might be made up of a mother and two children, or grandparents and their grandchildren, or a traditional mother, father, and kids. Many Kiwi families have pets as family members too - they might have cats, dogs, rabbits, goldfish, or birds as family pets.
HFNZ want you to feel comfortable and at home in your homestay environment, and encourage you to let them know if you have any specific preferences for your stay. All homestay families are carefully selected by HFNZ.
What is the application process?
The basic process for HFNZ is as follows:
- Complete an application
- Receive and accept a quote
- Make your payment
- Receive confirmation of your host family
Are you looking for
More information on:
- Living in Auckland, then visit our About Auckland page.
- What it might cost to live here, see our Cost of Living in Auckland page.
- Ways to manage your money, then visit our Managing Your Money Page.
- Need to sort your student visa, see our Student Visas page for more information.
- Have you sorted out a bank? If not, then see our Banking in New Zealand page.
