Homestay
Your Home Away From Home
Homestay gives you the opportunity to live with a Vancouver family, improve your English, and learn more about Canadian life and culture. You may choose Homestay for your entire stay or for a short time (1 month).
You will be sent a pre-departure homestay orientation video after you register for your program. There will also be a homestay orientation a day or two after the start of your program.
PLEASE BE ADVISED: ELI homestays are only available to ELI students.
You will have a bedroom with a place for studying (including bed linen and towels) and 3 meals a day. This includes a packed lunch on school days. In special circumstances, you may share a room with another ELI student. Homestay students typically use local buses (Translink) to travel to UBC from their homestay.
Host families are interested in international students and are happy to include you in their daily family life. ELI Homestay placement staff visit each host family and take special care to place you with a family who has similar interests. Host families are selected carefully with your safety and comfort in mind.
Canadian host families come from many different cultures. They may be from Canada, Europe, Philippines, China, India, South America or other parts of the world. A host family may be a family with or without children, an older couple, a single parent, or even a single person. ELI host families may live in apartments, small houses or large houses. In Canada, bedrooms may be on the first floor, second floor, or in the basement. Host families may or may not have a car. Many Canadian families keep dogs or cats as pets in their homes.
Once you are matched with a host family, please email them to set up a Zoom or FaceTime appointment to introduce yourself.
To respect the privacy of ELI host families, only students in the UBC ELI Homestay program may contact their host families. No other persons are permitted to visit or contact ELI host families.
During busy seasons, we may work with high quality homestay companies to ensure we can place all students with homestay families. The ELI Homestay Team carefully manages the relationship with these companies, and ELI students are fully and directly supported by the ELI Homestay Team at all times.
You can move into your homestay up to 2 days before the start of your program. You must move out of your homestay by 2 days after the end of your program.
There is a Homestay placement fee plus accommodations fees.
All fees are in Canadian dollars (CAD$)
2026 Fees
Homestay placement fee (non-refundable):
- $350 for programs less than 8 weeks
- $400 for programs 8 weeks or longer
Homestay accommodation fee:
- $65/night for all programs
Independent students pay hosts directly (cash, etransfer, Paypal etc.) Hosts for group students are paid by the ELI through direct deposit.
To arrange for Homestay, please check the appropriate box when you fill out the housing application form.
You must give 14 days' notice before moving or leaving your Homestay.
Finding Your Own Accommodation
Would you like to arrange your own accommodation in Vancouver? You could choose to stay in your own apartment, in a hotel, or with relatives. The UBC Student Housing website offers off-campus housing choices, including hostels and apartment rentals.
Short-term Homestay is available if you need a place to live while you look for an apartment.
Campus Residence
Over the summer, you may choose to live in a UBC campus residence if you are part of a group booking. To qualify for Campus Residence, a group must consist of 13 or more students, all 19 years of age or older. The earlier you submit your request for a proposal, the better, especially if your group wants to come during the peak months of July and August. In residence, you have the opportunity to meet both Canadian and international students and experience life on campus. Bed linens are provided in the dormitory, but you should bring your own towels. There are no kitchens available, and meals are not included, but there are many places to eat nearby.
You may be placed in a single or shared double room. We recommend that you arrive 1-2 days before the start of your program.
For more information about Campus Stay go to Groups & Camps – Host at UBC
Or email conferences@housing.ubc.ca
You will have a bedroom with a place for studying (including bed linen and towels) and 3 meals a day. This includes a packed lunch on school days. In special circumstances, you may share a room with another ELI student. Homestay students typically use local buses (Translink) to travel to UBC from their homestay.
Host families are interested in international students and are happy to include you in their daily family life. ELI Homestay placement staff visit each host family and take special care to place you with a family who has similar interests. Host families are selected carefully with your safety and comfort in mind.
Canadian host families come from many different cultures. They may be from Canada, Europe, Philippines, China, India, South America or other parts of the world. A host family may be a family with or without children, an older couple, a single parent, or even a single person. ELI host families may live in apartments, small houses or large houses. In Canada, bedrooms may be on the first floor, second floor, or in the basement. Host families may or may not have a car. Many Canadian families keep dogs or cats as pets in their homes.
Once you are matched with a host family, please email them to set up a Zoom or FaceTime appointment to introduce yourself.
To respect the privacy of ELI host families, only students in the UBC ELI Homestay program may contact their host families. No other persons are permitted to visit or contact ELI host families.
During busy seasons, we may work with high quality homestay companies to ensure we can place all students with homestay families. The ELI Homestay Team carefully manages the relationship with these companies, and ELI students are fully and directly supported by the ELI Homestay Team at all times.
You can move into your homestay up to 2 days before the start of your program. You must move out of your homestay by 2 days after the end of your program.
There is a Homestay placement fee plus accommodations fees.
All fees are in Canadian dollars (CAD$)
2026 Fees
Homestay placement fee (non-refundable):
- $350 for programs less than 8 weeks
- $400 for programs 8 weeks or longer
Homestay accommodation fee:
- $65/night for all programs
Independent students pay hosts directly (cash, etransfer, Paypal etc.) Hosts for group students are paid by the ELI through direct deposit.
To arrange for Homestay, please check the appropriate box when you fill out the housing application form.
You must give 14 days' notice before moving or leaving your Homestay.
Finding Your Own Accommodation
Would you like to arrange your own accommodation in Vancouver? You could choose to stay in your own apartment, in a hotel, or with relatives. The UBC Student Housing website offers off-campus housing choices, including hostels and apartment rentals.
Short-term Homestay is available if you need a place to live while you look for an apartment.
Campus Residence
Over the summer, you may choose to live in a UBC campus residence if you are part of a group booking. To qualify for Campus Residence, a group must consist of 13 or more students, all 19 years of age or older. The earlier you submit your request for a proposal, the better, especially if your group wants to come during the peak months of July and August. In residence, you have the opportunity to meet both Canadian and international students and experience life on campus. Bed linens are provided in the dormitory, but you should bring your own towels. There are no kitchens available, and meals are not included, but there are many places to eat nearby.
You may be placed in a single or shared double room. We recommend that you arrive 1-2 days before the start of your program.
For more information about Campus Stay go to Groups & Camps – Host at UBC
Or email conferences@housing.ubc.ca
