Vancouver 2010 Olympic Homestay Accommodations | Home for the Games

General Questions

What is the Home For The Games home stay program?

Home For The Games is a non-profit web-based system to match 2010 Olympic Games visitors with Metro Vancouver hosts for short-term home stays. We help visitors find much-needed affordable accommodation. We create opportunities for hosts to share an unforgettable Olympic experience with guests from around the world while earning modest rental income. At the same time, part of the “rent” will go directly to registered charities helping Metro Vancouver’s most vulnerable citizens.

How is Home For The Games helping alleviate homelessness in Metro Vancouver?

To ensure that all rental donations go to reducing homelessness, Home For The Games has partnered with Covenant House, a registered charity that provides housing and life skills services to homeless youth, and Streetohome Foundation, a new community-based foundation created with seed funding from Vancouver Foundation, the Province of British Columbia and the City of Vancouver. At least 50% of the rent paid by visitors for home stays will go directly to programs that reduce homelessness.

Host Questions

What are the benefits of being a Home For The Games host?

If you are a host willing to rent a room or part of your home and share the rent with a good cause, Home For The Games will connect you with a wide market of Olympic visitors in need of accommodation. You will earn modest compensation—half of the accommodation fee—for opening your home. But most importantly, you will share this once-in-a-lifetime event with new friends from around the world—while helping solve homelessness in Metro Vancouver.

As a Home For The Games host, what am I expected to provide?

You will provide visitors with a private bedroom, access to a bathroom, linen and towels. Offering guests access to laundry and kitchen facilities is encouraged.

What about telephone, computer, television, laundry facilities and so on?

This is completely up to you. Giving your guests access to extra facilities will make your home much more attractive to visitors, so if you decide to offer them, be sure to say so in your profile.

Do I have to provide space for the whole duration of the Olympics?

The time period that you open home to visitors is up to you. When you upload your home profile to the website, you will have the opportunity to indicate which dates your room or suite is available. This allows hosts to meet other commitments during the Games.

Do I have to speak French or a foreign language to participate?

While second-language skills are beneficial, they are not a requirement.

Is there an age restriction to participate?

No, but people under 18 may only stay in Home for the Games home stays with adult supervision. As a host, you will be given the opportunity during the registration process to indicate whether or not your home is appropriate for visitors under the age of 18.

Is there a minimum stay required?

Home for the Games doesn't set a minimum stay. However, hosts may choose to indicate a minimum length of stay in their home profile during the registration process.

Who can participate?

Anyone who has a spare room or suite and is legally permitted to sublet that space may do so through Home For The Games. Condominium owners should check their strata agreements. Renters should check their agreements with their landlords. If you have a current tenant, YOU MAY NOT EVICT THAT TENANT in order to provide space to 2010 Olympic visitors.

Do I have to have a house to participate?

No. Condo and apartment owners are welcome to participate. The key is owning your home and having a private bedroom available.

Can I still participate if I’m not going to be at home?

Yes. However, this arrangement is considered a temporary dwelling occupancy and will require applying for and paying the processing fee ($106) to the City of Vancouver. Find more information here. Home For The Games volunteers can help arrange exchanging keys with the visitors.

Do I have to provide pick-up or transportation?

No. Visitors are responsible for their own transportation. Home For The Games encourages you to speak with your visitor via phone, Skype or email before arrival. Any assistance you can lend in terms of transit information and directions will be appreciated.

Are there restrictions to the number of guests I can host?

No. However, we suggest that each guest room host no more than two adults and one infant or toddler. You will have the opportunity during the registration process to indicate whether your accommodation is appropriate for additional or fewer occupants.

Does Home For The Games visit and vet hosts and home stay accommodations?

Yes. After you’ve registered but before your home profile is activated, two home stay coordinators will visit your home to inspect the accommodation and discuss with you the program's benefits and your responsibilities as a host. Once your home is accepted and you obtain a police check, the accommodation profile will be posted on the Home For The Games website and made visible to visitors.

How are rental rates set?

You will set the rate for your home with volunteer home stay coordinators’ help. We encourage homeowners to set affordable prices.

If I fill out a home profile, can I rent my home out through other services like Craigslist?

Sort of. Since you're setting your own dates for HFG when you register, you are free to do with your home whatever you would like when you are not participating in the program. However, we do not permit hosts to post additional advertisements for rental during the time period that you are participating in our program.

How long does it take to process my profile?

We will do our best to get back to you within 72 hours. The sooner you can meet with our two home stay coordinators for your orientation, the faster we can make your profile active.

Can I make changes to my profile after it’s been posted?

Yes. You will receive an email with all your information and a link that will take you to your edit page where you can make changes.

How many photos can I upload?

You may upload three photographs. Please note that all photos must be jpeg files smaller than 300 KB. Files should be named to describe the photo (example: bathroom.jpg) and files names can’t include any symbols, commas or blank spaces.

How is the rental fee collected?

When the visitor books your home stay, he or she will pay a deposit (at least 50% of the fee) that will go directly to our charity beneficiary. You will then arrange to receive the remainder of the fee directly from your visitor at the time of arrival.

Does the room need to be furnished?

Yes. You will need to provide a bed, dresser and lamp. The more features the room has the more attractive to visitors.

How do I know if my home location is suitable?

You do not necessarily need to be close to Olympic venues, but the closer to public transport the better. It's a good idea to write down transit options in your home profile. Visitors will take travel times into consideration when choosing homes.

I have posted my home stay profile but no visitors have contacted me. Why?

It may simply be because of low demand for homes in your area. However, you may want to consider if there is anything you can change about your listing to make it more attractive. Is your price set too high? Can you provide more information? You can make changes to your profile by clicking on the “edit” link in the email we sent you when you registered.

Is there a fee to list my profile on your website?

No. Home For The Games is a non-profit society that provides this service for free in order to promote shared experience and generosity. But remember that by participating in the program, you are agreeing to share at least half of your Home For The Games rent with our partner charity.

How do you book my room?

The visitor will view your home profile in their search if it matches their search terms. If they choose to book your room, you will receive an email. You are required to respond to this email within 24 hours. If you don't respond, we will contact you by phone to discuss the booking with you.

How does the visitor pay me?

Depending on the rent split you indicate when registering, the visitor will pay at least half of the rental fee to Home For The Games as a deposit when they book the room. That will go to our charity partner. The rest of the fee will be paid to you in Canadian funds by the visitor upon their arrival.

If a visitor would like to cancel or shorten their stay, what happens?

Our cancellation policy allows the visitor to cancel their reservation two weeks in advance of the booking or before December 31 2009, which ever is sooner. Before that date we will refund the deposit less a 5% processing fee and repost your listing. There are no refunds for cancellations after that date. This reduces the likelihood of last-minute cancellations.

What do I do when the visitor arrives?

You will contact the visitor in advance to arrange to meet them at your home to exchange keys. It may also be helpful to give your visitor a brief tour of your home to make clear what services they have access to, such as laundry, kitchen and so on.

How do I set a higher rate for Olympic event days?

Currently, our system only supports one rate per property. If you want to offer a different rate for any time period, you must create 2 separate property listings: mark one with the Olympic dates as un-avaialble, and mark the other with non-Olympic dates as un-available.

Visitor Questions

What are the benefits of booking my accommodation through Home For The Games?

By using our service, you will get access to hundreds of affordable home stay accommodation options for the 2010 Winter Games. You will also get to share this once-in-a-lifetime event with new friends from Vancouver—while raising money to help some of the region’s most vulnerable people.

Is there an age restriction to participate?

No, but people under 18 are only permitted to participate in Home For The Games home stays with adult supervision. Home profiles will indicate whether or not the home is appropriate for visitors under the age of 18.

Is there a minimum stay required?

There is no minimum stay requirement for participation in Home for the Games. However, some hosts may indicate a minimum stay in their home profiles.

May I make my own food?

Most, but not all, host families will allow you to prepare or cook your own food. Please read the home profiles carefully to ensure that you are choosing accommodation that offers access to kitchen facilities.

Will I receive a key to the house to come in and out?

Yes. You will be provided with a key by your host.

Can I use the host's telephone, computer, television, laundry facilities and so on?

This is completely up to you and your host. Your host will contact you in advance of your stay to discuss the home stay arrangement. Please ask about anything you will require at that time. Please note that your host is only required to provide a private bedroom, access to bathroom, linen and towels.

May I smoke in the house?

Again, this is up to your host. You will be able to search for smoke-friendly home stay arrangements when you register.

Is there a curfew?

No. But letting your host know if you are going to be returning to the home stay late is a courtesy.

Can I have a guest come to my home stay?

This will be up to you and your host. Please discuss this when you speak to your host in advance of your stay.

If the home stay is not working for me, can I move to another?

We strongly encourage visitors and hosts to do everything possible to resolve any issues that may lead to a visitor not being happy with their accommodation. However, if there is a problem that arises that cannot be resolved, Home For The Games will do their best to place you in another home stay.

Will the host pick me up from the airport?

No. Visitors are responsible for their own transportation. Your host will offer advice about transportation and directions.

Does Home For The Games vet hosts and home stay accommodations?

Yes. Before the home profile is activated, two volunteer home stay coordinators will visit the home to inspect the accommodation and discuss with the host the program's benefits and their responsibilities as a host. Once a home is accepted and the host obtains a police check, the accommodation profile will be posted on the Home For The Games website and visible to visitors.

What if I have to cancel, can I get my deposit back?

If you cancel before December 31 2009 or two weeks before your stay (which ever date occurs first), you will receive a full refund of your deposit less a 5% fee.

How much are the home stay fees?

The home stay fees are set by the host with the guidance of Home For The Games staff, so they vary from home stay to home stay. We encourage hosts to set affordable fees.

When do I pay my home stay fees?

Depending on the “rent split“ chosen by your host, you will pay between 50 and 100% of your total rental fee directly to us through PayPal when you book your accommodation. This portion will go to our charity beneficiary. You will pay the rest of your fee in Canadian cash directly to your host upon arrival in Vancouver. Make sure to ask your host for a receipt.

Is it possible to bring a relative or a friend “as a companion“ to stay with me?

Yes. Rooms will be able to accommodate two adults and one toddler/infant unless otherwise described in the home profile. You will have to communicate how many people are in your party to you host in advance of arriving in Vancouver.

After I book through this site, how long will it be until my host contacts me?

Your host is required to contact you within 24 hours. In the case that they are unable to contact you in that time frame, we will follow-up with them by phone. If you haven’t heard from your host within 48 hours, contact Home For The Games by email or phone and we will set things straight.

What if I experience delays from the airline or miss my flight?

Please contact the host family if you experience any delays or cancellations as soon as you can.

Download Document

• Frequently Asked Questions

Useful Links

• TRAC Tenants Resource & Advisory Centre