Local homestay placement agency

Students or their families pay fees, often through an overseas partner agent or a language school or college that books accommodation for its students.

A placement fee or margin on each stay, plus a weekly fee for the host family that you collect and pass on. Income is seasonal and builds as your host network and school contacts grow.

• Organised, with good record keeping
• Warm and trustworthy with families and young people
• Clear communication, ideally with some languages
• Calm when problems come up

• Safeguarding is the biggest responsibility, especially with under-18s. Check what DBS checks, references and home visits you should carry out on hosts
• Check whether longer stays with non-relatives could count as private fostering and need telling your local council
• Check the rules on holding client money, and consider a separate account for host payments
• Public liability and professional indemnity insurance, and ICO registration under data protection rules
• If you bundle travel or flights, check whether package travel rules apply
• Check whether schools or partners expect accreditation, such as through British Council or AEGIS schemes

Estimates suggest startup costs typically around £1,500 to £6,000, depending on your website, host checks, insurance and how much you spend on finding host families and partner schools. Costs will vary with how you set up the agency.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around £500 to £4,000, depending on how many students you place, the length of their stays and your partnerships with language schools or overseas agents. Revenue is not profit, as host families are paid too.

Things to check: safeguarding duties, especially for under-18s, including DBS checks, references and home visits; whether longer stays count as private fostering; the rules on holding client money; insurance and ICO registration; and any accreditation partners expect.