Frequently Asked Questions
What is Room Stay?
Do I need a licence to do Room Stay?
Should I make the guest pay up front or does the guest pay when they leave?
Is Room Stay safe?
My welcome stay was not welcome. What can I do about it?
How should I pay for Room Stay?
I have a complaint about a hotel. What can I do?
I have a bad review on the Community Forum and I think it is wrong what can I do?
Should I accept the food I am offered if I am a guest in less developed places around the world?
I have registered at WelcomeStay. What happens to my details?
What is Room Stay?
Room stay is where anyone with a room in their house may make it available to paying guests for one or more nights without necessarily offering any services or breakfast. A guest is simply made welcome for the duration of the stay.
Visitors will just be asked to fill a registration form which on arrival our you can register here, print out your registration form which can be presented on your arrival.
Room stay is designed to generate extra income for anyone who is willing to utilize a spare room in their home. Read our advice post on how to earn money from your guest room.
Do I need a licence to offer Room Stay?
Not in most countries. Room Stay is simply an open invitation for visitors to stay in your home. The visitor is expected to reward you for your hospitality. You are not expected to become a hotel or to offer meals. You may, if you wish, invite your guest to eat with you or cook especially for them. But you are not running a restaurant so there is no need for any health and safety certification. If you are uncertain about the laws in your own country then please make sure to check.
Should I make the guest pay up front or does the guest pay when they leave?
This is entirely up to you. But, if you are welcoming a guest into your home it usually helps not to demand money from them on their arrival. It expresses a level of trust if you assume the will pay when they leave. And it is in our terms and conditions that anyone offering a Room Stay on WelcomeStay is obliged to ask a guest to fill an arrival form.
Is Room Stay safe?
There has to be a level of trust by everybody during a Room Stay. Everyone using WelcomeStay must comply to or terms and conditions such as filling in an arrival form which is designed to offer some protection against non payment and damage. It is in the best interest of the visitor to tell someone exactly where they will be staying so they can be contacted. Staying safe is as much about common sense as anything else.
Please see our terms and conditions.
My WelcomeStay was not welcome. What can I do about it?
It is our policy that everyone registered here offers a warm welcome. Hosts who have paid to place a profile on WelcomeStay are all registered. These will all have profiles that are older than thirty days. If you have a complaint about some where you have stayed you are welcome to make a public review on this site. For any serious complaints you must inform the police in the country you are visiting. In extreme cases were will remove profile from welcome stay.
Please see or terms and conditions.
It is a good idea to search the internet about the places you intend to stay.
How should I pay for Room Stay?
You should always pay cash and ask for a receipt. You must pay in the local currency where you are staying. Please use a currency converter to find out what this will be. Ours is powered by Go.
I have a complaint about a hotel. What can I do?
You can post a review on our forum and there are many hotel review sites on the internet that you may wish to document your stay on.
See our links page.
I have a bad review on the Community Forum and I think it is wrong what can I do?
We will only remove bad reviews if they use abusive language or are unacceptable.
But you are welcome to reply to the review using the comments option and make your point of view known.
However, at WelcomeStay we are trying to create an international community of friends. As much as we want people to have an honest opinion, our moderators will remove conversations that become unpleasant.
In most cases WelcomeStay will favour the guest’s opinion. If someone has a less favourable review then it is always better to apologise.
Remember that the guest should always come first. Especially if they are paying.
Should I accept the food I am offered if I am a guest in less developed places around the world?
This choice is entirely yours. We cannot safely offer advice about this. There are some good web resources about health and travel. Some tips are to look out for basic hygiene standards. We understand that standards around the world are different. The question is – how adventurous are you?
If you do choose not to accept food or drink, then please remember to be polite. If you are on a more adventurous trip then please remember – have travel insurance! See our travel insurance page.
I have registered at WelcomeStay. What happens to my details?
Please read our privacy policy.