Stay with a local host family in Vancouver for a unique way to experience the city and its people as you improve your English. Homestays can be a comfortable and welcoming environment for international students, and Vancouver is a beautiful place for an English learning experience. Stay with a host family, experience everyday life and truly connect with the local community.
Room type
Single
Bathroom
Shared
Board status
Half Board
Available
Year-round
Arrival and departure
Saturday/Saturday
Vancouver is a beautiful and vibrant city on the west coast of Canada. It has stunning beaches and large parks and is surrounded by large mountains. Vancouver is a very diverse and multi-cultural city with many different neighbourhoods, such as Downtown, Gastown, Chinatown, and Granville Island.
Students often choose a homestay for a first-hand experience of Canadian culture and to practise their English language skills in a comfortable and natural environment.
Housing
All homestays are different and unique. Some Canadians live in apartments or condos, and others live in the suburbs in family homes. Some homestay providers are single and live alone, while others are married couples and large families.
Room Options
Students studying in EC Vancouver have the option of choosing a single or twin room. Each room has a bed, a desk, a lamp, and a cupboard. All rooms must also have a window at eye level.
Students have the option of using a shared bathroom or a private bathroom. Students who opt for a shared bathroom usually share it either with one other student or with the rest of the homestay members. Students who pay for a private bedroom are guaranteed the sole use of a private bathroom; however, it is not guaranteed that the bathroom is en-suite. It is the responsibility of the homestay host to clean the bathroom once per week. All bathrooms must be equipped with a toilet, sink, and shower/bath.
Laundry
Students are responsible for their own laundry and laundry supplies, such as detergent, etc. However, homestays are required to give students access to the laundry facilities and show them how to use the machines. Hosts must also provide and wash students’ towels and linens.
WiFi
Internet access is included, and phone usage is restricted to incoming calls only.
Breakfast and dinner are provided daily; however, lunch is not included. The host will provide room in the fridge and pantry to store any food that students may purchase. Hosts are encouraged to offer students whatever the homestay typically eats. Students will eat whatever the homestay eats and help set the table or clear up after dinner. Students are encouraged to participate in family activities and outings.
Breakfast
Breakfast varies from host to host. It is typical for Canadians to have a quick, on-the-go breakfast such as toast and coffee.
Dinner
Dinner time is usually around 6:30 pm, but homestays will inform the students of the time when they eat. Not all homestays will sit down and have dinner together every night. The student must notify the host beforehand if they are late or do not have dinner. If a student misses dinner, they cannot take it for lunch the next day, since lunch is not included in the homestay programme.
Journey to school
All our homestays are within 60 minutes of EC Vancouver, conveniently located in downtown Vancouver. The nearest subway station is Granville Station. It is common for students to get from their homestay to school using different modes of transport, such as the bus or the Skytrain (Vancouver’s train system). Hosts show students how to get to and from their homes on their first day. We also encourage hosts to provide students with a map from their house to the school with the following: homestay address, telephone number, closest main intersection to the home, and the number of the bus or train that they must take.
We recommend the monthly ticket for students staying four weeks, which gives them unlimited access to all bus and Skytrain routes.
Host Family Locations
All EC Vancouver homestays are conveniently located on a bus or Skytrain line in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, or New Westminster. The average journey time to and from school is 40-60 minutes. Times are approximate.
Before students arrive in Vancouver, they will receive a family profile with all the host family’s details (home address, email address, contact numbers, etc.). They also receive a Google Maps link showing them where their homestay is. Hosts show the students which bus/train to get to and from school, downtown, or anywhere else they may want to go.
Arrival and Departure
Available: Year-round
Arrival day: Saturday
Departure day: Saturday
Room check-out: 11:00 am
*Images are for representation purpose only. Actual furnishings may differ from those shown. Amenities and services are subject to change.
Students who request airport pickup should wait for their transfer in the arrivals hall at the Vancouver Airport. Before arrival, they are given our 24-hour emergency mobile number and the number of the transfer service we use. If students have missed their flights or connecting flights are delayed, they must ring either number and notify us so we can contact the transfer service. We always advise the family when their students have paid for this service. Not calling might result in a transfer cancellation.
If you have problems and cannot contact your driver then please call the EC emergency number on +1 236 514 1230 (from the information desk or a mobile phone).
For more accommodation terms and conditions please refer to EC accommodation policy.
Cancelling accommodation on short notice or less than 14 days before arrival will carry cancellation fees in accordance with EC Terms and Conditions. Students must provide written notification a minimum of 4 full weeks in advance to qualify for a refund of unused accommodation fees.
Students leaving their accommodation must give notice in writing 4 weeks prior to termination. After deducting the price of accommodation used, including the required notice period, charged at standard accommodation rates, students will be refunded the remaining accommodation costs. If the 4-week notice period is not provided, a cancellation fee equal to 4 weeks of the accommodation cost will apply.
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En Suite: A bathroom that is connected to a bedroom, forming part of the same overall room. Both a single and a twin room can be en-suite.
Private Bathroom: A bathroom that is for the exclusive use of a student in a designated room that is not en-suite. Applies to single rooms only.
Semi-Private Bathroom: A bathroom that is designated for students in a specific room(s). A maximum of two students may share a semi-private bathroom.
Shared Bathroom: A bathroom that is shared by three or more students. Only one student occupies the bathroom at any time.
Communal Bathroom: A bathroom that is shared by multiple students, normally on the same residence floor. The large room will contain multiple toilet stalls and separate shower stalls. Multiple students may use this facility at the same time.
You will receive the profile at least two weeks before your arrival date.
Your host family is assigned according to your requirements. After your arrival, we only change host families if serious complaints occur.
This is based on availability and any special requirements you might have. Please make sure that all your requests are expressed at the time of the booking.
The accommodation is only available for the duration of the course. Accommodation is usually booked from Saturday to Saturday.
You will be sharing this with another same-gender student. When students share rooms, we try our best to place students from different countries or languages together. Please note that during high season, this cannot be guaranteed.
We offer host family, residence and shared accommodation.
The accommodation can be booked in the following categories:
Room Only: There are no meal provisions, and cooking facilities are not available.
Self-Catering: Students have access to a kitchen or kitchenette to prepare all their own meals.
Bed & Breakfast (B&B): Breakfast is provided but students must make their own arrangements for other meals.
Half-Board: Breakfast and dinner included. Students must make their own arrangements for lunch.
Full-Board: Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
