A Quality Homestay student is welcomed with a pad lock on their bedroom door, leaving them unsettled about their homestay living conditions. sugiviTTED PHOTO Hostile and insecure conditions scare students into leaving homestays ByJOYCE LIEW & yay SCHNELL lood drops on the floor, external padlocks on doors and video monitoring were the last things one student expected to encounter upon arrival at their homestay. The student, who asked to remain unidentified for safety reasons, photo showed locks on the outside of the doors and notes taped to a wall. One read: “has camera, we can see you, what you doing.” Another note read: “This is not hotel.” The student recounted a day when they were followed home by a man and arrived home in tears. Accord- ing to the student, the host, Eliza- beth Fernandez, poked fun at them, asking, “oh, have you seen your booked the boyfriend homestay “The first day that I again on last summer . the street?” ity Homestay, on the floor.” reached a Vancou- ° out to ver-based — QUALITY HOMESTAY STUDENT Fernan- agency which dez, who connects international students with host families. In another case, a Langara international student from Indonesia named Michelle, who has no last name, went through the Langara Homestay Program. She said she was left home alone for a month with her host family’s daugh- ter and son, both under 25, while the hosts were away. When they move from another country, often without family or friends, finding a safe, comfortable place to stay can be a gamble, accord- ing to some students. “The first day that I arrived, there was blood on the floor in the front,” the Quality Homestay student said of the host family’s apartment. The student said the Burnaby homestay host told them the people who lived there before “were crazy.” Photos taken by the student showed cameras that monitored the premises inside. They said one pointed towards the bathroom and their bedroom door. “Tf the bedroom or the bathroom was open then the cameras could see inside,” the student said. Another initially stated she did not have time for students, then abruptly hung up the phone. . Michelle was initially understand- ing of her hosts’ extended absence, but soon realized their responsibili- ties were not being met. She also felt uncomfortable with her hosts, whom she described as often being “mad” at her. “Their behavior made me stay at school from morning until close almost every day,” Michelle said. “It JOYCE LIEW PHOTO was awful to bear with the house situation.” She said she reached out to Langara Homestay Program staff for help. Valerie Peters, manager of the Langara Homestay Program, told the Voice they always give students the option of speaking to the host family themselves, or have Lang- “Their behviour made me stay at school from ara Homestay intervene. Reluc- tantly, Michelle chose to talk to the hosts herself because she feared they would get angry with her if Langara Homestay got involved. “I was too afraid about what they [would] do, given I have no housing options at that time and still living in their house,” Michelle said. “They can do anything to me, anytime, since I live in the house, they provide food, and my room has no lock.” The Voice asked Peters about whether it was allowable for Michelle's hosts to be absent for that amount of time. Peters initially refused to comment on the student's case, citing confidentiality but also insisted the student wasn’t “left alone in the house.” On its website, Quality Home- stay states that “we look for homes where a guest will feel welcomed and safe.” The Voice tracked down Qual- ity Homestay, the agency listed on the homestay contract between the student and Fernandez. However, a call to the agency’s phone number went directly to voicemail and the primary email address was invalid and bounced back. The company’s office on Robson Street was found vacant, with people working in neighbour- ing businesses saying they morning until close | hadn't seen anyone for two " months. almost every day. Opengovea.com — a site LANGARAHOMeeuy STUDENT that provides open access to data issued by Canada government agencies — listed Quality Homestays’ status in the 2022 fiscal year as “gone out of business.” Sarah Hicks, the City of Vancou- ver’s chief licence inspector, told the Voice in an email that home- stay businesses are required to apply for licences to operate rent- als in Vancouver. Applications are reviewed and processed by the city’s ‘o8r Ho! Camano IER YOU SEE, COSAME c (604) 6899095 A Quality Homestay student was left this message in their room by their host, Elizabeth Fernandez. sugiiTTED PHOTO licensing office. In the requirement, host families are responsible to maintain a safe physical condition of property. Host families are not required to undergo background checks. “Police information checks are not a routine requirement for residential rental type business licences,” Hicks said. Kimberly Liu, operator of the agency Homestay Vancouver, said it is the agency’s responsibility to main- tain quality and check in with hosts and students frequently. Liu said it is very important that the agency maintains an active relationship with the host families. “I visit every host family that registers with me,” she said. According to the B.C. govern- ment, the Residential Tenancy Act “does not apply to living accommo- dation in which the tenant shares bathroom or kitchen facilities with the owner of that accommodation.” Michelle said her talk with the host family made the situation worse and her family eventually flew in from Indonesia to help her find a new place to stay. The Quality Homestay student also sought a new homestay. “This homestay seems really cool,” they said. “They’re so nice to me.”