Do a Background Check. “Assuming they got a Visa to get in the country assumes they don’t have a criminal background,” says Viola. Still, it’s worth taking some extra steps to ensure the student is legit. Most solid programs will connect the student and the host family prior to the move via email and phone to get to know one another. A free Google (GOOG) and/or Facebook search of their name is also highly recommended.
Set Your Expectations Early On. When I didn’t eat all the duck Madame Scheps had prepared for me my first night in Paris, she said quite matter-of-factly that I should never waste food in her house. I had cited in my application that I didn’t eat red meat, but she said she never read that. No worries. It was a miscommunication that was quickly and civilly rectified. (Luckily, Zelda was also a walking garbage disposal. He gladly ate my leftover duck!) Bottom line: Be upfront to foreign visitors about your house rules to avoid any issues down the road.
Do a Test Run. Agree to a trial stay of about one month before fully committing. This gives you, the host, an opportunity to change your mind, should the situation get hairy. Three months into living with Madame Scheps I switched out of her apartment into another family’s house. Turned out one of her sons needed to move back home with her, leaving no room for me. It was an amicable break up, and she and I would occasionally still have lunch during my final months in Paris.
