RAQ:

Q: I see you listed on homestay websites. Is this a homestay or a boarding house or a hotel or what?

A: We’re not totally sure what to call it. Technically, we are a rooming house. Meaning: We provide private bedrooms with shared amenities. The boarding house of yesterday has all but vanished from our society, the difference being that the cost of your stay at a traditional boarding house would depend on how many meals you were expecting. We list on homestay sites because we consistently find wonderful young people looking for short-term, affordable housing on these sites - but you are correct, we are not a “typical” homestay. We do not provide meals and make no big promises of constant family interaction (although we have yet to have a guest we didn’t spend quite a bit of time with, be it backyard barbecues or the occasional dinner out). This works out particularly well for older students (graduate students or adult english language students for example) that are looking for a safe and clean house to live in but would rather be left alone to study and sort of do as they will. For this reason, we do not accept students under the age of 21. There are a few wonderful restaurants within a stone’s throw of the house so although we do not cook for the tenants here, meals are readily available.

Q: I am arriving at LAX, what is the easiest way to get to the house from there?

A: You can take either an airport shuttle (shared van) or a taxi to the house. Directly through the doors from baggage claim, you will see signs for either service. Shuttles are about $40 and a taxi about $65. We may be able to provide a personal pickup depending on our schedules, that cost is $100 or so. It is 20 miles from LAX to the house. Burbank’s Bob Hope Airport is a much easier airport to navigate and about half the distance from here if this is an option for you.

Q: I am allergic to dogs. Is it possible to keep your dogs out of my room?

A: Yes, the dogs and cats of the house have never been allowed on the student floor since the new carpet was installed. Your room is dander-free.

Q: I see you provide bed linens. Is there anything else I should bring with me?

A: We provide a set of bed linens and a towel. Anything else you require (soap, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc) you will need to bring or buy yourself. We require that you clean the bed linens and towels that you have used when you move out so they are clean for the next guest. This is not a hotel. There is a cleaning lady that comes by once a week to clean the common areas. If you would like her to clean your room, it will cost about $25.

Q: Can I use the kitchen to store some food?

A: Yes, of course. There is a pantry in the kitchen that has 3 shelves, one for each room, to store dry goods. There is a shared refrigerator. There is a water filter attached to the kitchen sink for drinking water.

Q: Will valuables be safe in my room?

A: You will have a key to your room and are expected to keep it locked up when you are out. No one will have access to the things in your room but you. There is a safe in the house if you would like to keep small valuables or money in it.

Q: Is there a TV in each bedroom?

A: No. With websites like www.hulu.com and http://freetvonline.com/ we don’t see any reason to provide cable tv - It only creates billing hassles. We do have a ton of movies that reside on a read-only hard drive attached to our wi-fi network that can be watched anytime on your computer. There is a tv in the kitchen that has cable attached so that you won’t miss your morning news over coffee.