What Australian Homestay Network does

Australian Homestay Network (AHN) is a homestay placement and management company that matches international students with vetted Australian host families. Founded in 2007 by David Bycroft and headquartered in Toowong, AHN operates across 17 Australian cities and, by its own account, has placed over 100,000 students from 185 source countries since inception. The company serves a two-sided market: education providers (universities, colleges, TAFEs, and pathway programs) that require compliant accommodation for incoming international students, and the students themselves who require short- or long-term homestay stays. Named institutional clients include UNSW, University of Sydney, Macquarie University, UTS, Griffith, ACU, TAFE SA, Southern Cross University, and University of Wollongong.

AHN's core technology is its proprietary Homestay Management System (HMS), a cloud-based platform that handles student-to-host matching, application processing, ongoing welfare support, and quality assurance across the network. The HMS integrates directly with education-provider systems, supports custom landing pages for institutional partners, and accepts payment via multiple international rails (TorFX, TransferMate, AliPay, PayPal). The platform underpins a tiered product set: a traditional homestay product priced at approximately $305-$435 per week and a premium complete-care product at $300-$470 per week, with a $350 one-time matching fee per placement. AHN also offers Under 18 welfare and guardianship services and Study Tour packages, the latter representing a shorter-duration extension of the core offering.

AHN generates revenue through placement fees, weekly homestay fees (collected on behalf of and remitted to host families, partially retained as platform margin), and partnership arrangements with education providers. The company processed more than 10,000 applications per year. In October 2023 it became the first homestay provider to receive NEAS endorsement, and in March 2023 it launched New Zealand Homestay as its first international market. The legal entity is Australian Homestay Network Pty Ltd, a private company; available firmographic data labels the company as non-profit, which is inconsistent with the Pty Ltd structure and should be verified independently.

Name

Australian Homestay Network

Legal name

Australian Homestay Network Pty Ltd

Website

https://homestaynetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Australian Homestay Network is a homestay placement and management company that matches international students with host families across 17 Australian cities, having placed over 100,000 students from 185 countries since 2007. It partners with universities including UNSW, Sydney, and Macquarie, and recently expanded to New Zealand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Homestay Accommodation Services

NAICS

Private Households (8141), Services to Buildings and Dwellings (5617)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Homestay Placement & Host Family Management (EDAIALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Placement Agencies & Local Letting/Relocation Services for Students (EDAIALAH), Overseas Secondary Student Housing, Homestay & Boarding Services (EDAIAHAH), Homestays for Students & Interns (Host Families) (THAMAGAH)

Keywords

• Homestay accommodation services
• International student housing
• Host family placement
• Education accommodation management
• Managed homestay services

Headquarters

HQ city

Toowong

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Homestay Placement (Matching Fee): One-time placement/matching fee charged when a student applies. Covers host training, assessment, and matching process. Non-refundable unless visa is denied.
2. Weekly Homestay Fees: Ongoing weekly fees paid by students covering accommodation, meals (based on package), utilities, internet, insurance, and AHN management support. Billed every 4 weeks with various meal plan options (Complete, Traditional, Dinner Only, No Meals).
3. Airport Transfer Services: Optional airport pickup service via private driver at additional cost. Pricing varies by city and may include surcharges for public holidays, late night arrivals, or extended waits.
4. Parent Nominated Homestay Management: $350 matching fee plus $50/week management fee for parent-arranged homestays, including host vetting and placement management services.
5. Study Tour Packages: Custom short-term homestay arrangements for study tour groups with pricing issued on a case-by-case basis dependent on group size and duration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Australian Homestay Network provides managed homestay accommodation services for international students across Australia, matching them with vetted Australian host families who provide lodging, meals, and cultural immersion. The company operates a proprietary Homestay Management System (HMS) platform that handles student applications, host matching, placement tracking, payment processing, and 24/7 emergency support for students, hosts, agents, and education providers. Services span multiple meal-plan packages (Complete, Traditional, Dinner Only, No Meals), specialized support for under-18 students, study tour groups, and airport pickup services across 17 Australian cities.

Product overview

Australian Homestay Network operates a platform-based model centered on its proprietary Homestay Management System (HMS), a web-based technology platform that orchestrates all homestay operations including student placement matching, host family management, payment processing, and stakeholder communications. The core service offering spans student homestay accommodation (Complete, Traditional, Dinner-Only, and No-Meals packages), with specialized variants for under-18 students and study tour groups. The HMS platform serves multiple user segments simultaneously—students, host families, education agents, and institutional partners—through role-based access and private communication portals. The company has expanded internationally through its New Zealand Homestay brand and offers add-on services including airport pickup and guardianship packages through third-party providers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• New Zealand Homestay: A sister brand launched in March 2023 providing homestay services in New Zealand, extending AHN's world-class standards to the New Zealand market.

Products and services

• Student Homestay Services Full-service homestay placement matching for international students in Australia, providing host family matching across 17 cities, 24/7 professionally staffed emergency support, insurance coverage, online student orientation training, and ongoing monitoring of the homestay placement throughout the stay.
• Complete Homestay Package Premium homestay package including three meals per day seven days per week, private bedroom with study area, utilities, internet access, and full host support services. Priced between $300-$470/week depending on city and room type.
• Traditional Homestay Package Standard homestay package including breakfast and dinner Monday-Friday plus three meals on weekends, private bedroom, utilities, and internet access. Priced between $305-$435/week depending on city and room type.
• Dinner Only Homestay Package Homestay package where the host provides dinner seven days per week; student prepares own breakfast and lunch. Priced between $270-$400/week depending on city and room type.
• No Meals Homestay Package Self-catering homestay option where the student prepares all of their own meals. Priced between $270-$330/week depending on city and room type.
• Start With Us Package Four-week introductory homestay program designed for students when they first arrive in Australia, providing initial settling-in support, local orientation, and a transition period before committing to longer-term housing.
• Under 18s Homestay Services Enhanced homestay services for international students under 18 years of age, including specially-certified hosts with Working with Children Checks, additional monitoring, curfew management, school attendance tracking, and active liaison with parents and schools. Higher placement fee of $390-$405 reflecting additional services.
• Study Tour Homestay Packages Short-term homestay accommodation for international study tour groups visiting Australia, offering the same safety, support, and cultural benefits as longer-term placements, with pricing issued on a case-by-case basis dependent on group size and duration.
• Parent Nominated Homestay Arrangement for parents to nominate a specific homestay host they have identified, with AHN providing host vetting, insurance coverage, and ongoing placement management for a $350 matching fee plus $50/week management fee.
• Agent Partner Services B2B service for international education agents providing HMS platform access to track student applications, homestay matches, arrivals, payment histories, and communications throughout the homestay experience, with marketing and 24/7 support for referred students.
• Education Provider Partnership Services B2B partnership service for schools, universities, TAFEs, and colleges that makes AHN the designated homestay provider for international students, including custom landing pages for enrolled students, placement reporting, student monitoring, and duty-of-care support.
• Airport Pickup Services Optional private driver airport transfer service for arriving international students, with pricing varying by Australian city/region and additional surcharges for public holidays, late-night arrivals, or extended airport wait times.
• Homestay Management System (HMS) Proprietary web-based technology platform used internally and made available to partner stakeholders (students, hosts, agents, education providers) for managing homestay operations including applications, placements, communications, payments, and reporting, with role-based secure login and live real-time data.

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% student satisfaction rate for homestay accommodation (vs 88% for living with friends, 83% for on-campus accommodation)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• National ELT Accreditation Scheme (NEAS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023NEAS independently endorsed AHN as meeting Quality Products and Services standards (Area O - Homestay Service Providers). AHN became the first organisation to receive this endorsement in October 2023. NEAS spearheaded the Study NSW / NEAS Homestay Quality Standards project bringing together stakeholders to develop formal benchmarks.
• University of Sydney (Centre for English Teaching)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009USYD CET was instrumental in reviewing Australian homestay standards and validating standards for the international education industry. Developed original standards with input from DEEWR, ISANA International Education Association Inc., and experienced homestay managers.
• Study NSWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudy NSW and NEAS spearheaded the 2023 Homestay Quality Standards project, bringing together key stakeholders including government representatives, homestay organisations and education providers to develop new Homestay Service Provider Standards.
• TorFXsupportingTechnology or IntegrationCurrency broker offering international payment services to AHN customers. No transfer fees for AHN payments. Students can set up accounts online or via app to pay AHN fees without international banking charges.
• TransferMatesupportingTechnology or IntegrationPayment service provider enabling international students to pay AHN fees with no international sender/receiver fees. 2-4 day processing time with 24-hour customer service and online payment tracking.
• AliPaysupportingTechnology or IntegrationChinese payment platform integrated for student payments. Up to 3% surcharge applies. Students can scan QR code via app or website to authorize payment.
• New Zealand HomestaycoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerAHN's sister brand operating in New Zealand. AHN has extended its world-class standards to New Zealand through this partnership, with David Bycroft attending the ISANA NZ 2023 launch. Global presence through coordinated operations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Homestay.com: Homestay.com is a global online homestay booking platform connecting students and travelers with host families, directly competing with AHN's matching and placement offering in the international education segment.
• Nacel Open Door: Nacel Open Door is an international homestay placement organization providing hosted accommodation for language students and exchange programs, comparable to AHN in serving inbound international students through screened host families.
• HOST International: HOST International provides homestay placement services for international students and visitors across Australia and New Zealand, operating in the same host-family matching niche as AHN with overlapping student and education-provider client base.
• International Student Accommodation (ISA): ISA is an Australian-based provider focused on international student housing and homestay placement, competing with AHN for the same education provider partnerships and student segments across major Australian cities.
• Student Homestay UK: Student Homestay UK places international students with vetted British host families, mirroring AHN's core model of host matching, vetting, and ongoing student support in a regulated study-abroad accommodation context.

Broad incumbents

• UniLodge: UniLodge is a major Australian purpose-built student accommodation operator; it competes for international student housing dollars but does not specialize in homestay, making it a broader incumbent rather than a direct competitor.
• Iglu Student Accommodation: Iglu is an Australian student accommodation provider with PBSA buildings in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Adelaide; it overlaps with AHN on the international student housing market but uses managed apartments rather than homestay.
• Urbanest: Urbanest operates purpose-built student accommodation in major Australian university cities, serving the same international student population as AHN but through apartment-style PBSA rather than host families.

Emerging players

• Homestay Booking: Homestay Booking is a global online marketplace for host-family accommodation used by students and language travelers, providing a lighter-weight alternative to AHN's managed, vetted homestay service.
• EduStays: EduStays provides homestay and shared housing for international students in Australia, overlapping with AHN's student homestay service but typically focused on shorter or more flexible arrangements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AHNHomestay

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Australian Homestay Network