Housing & Transportation
Places To Live & Getting Around
A big part of CIEE Work & Travel USA revolves around your students’ living arrangements. You can do a lot to make their stay more pleasant by either providing a place to live or helping them find one, and by making it safe and easy to get to work. You will benefit from students who are happier and more punctual. Lending a helping hand also confirms your standing as a great employer.
Housing
Although you’re not required to provide housing, we recommend that you help your students find a place to stay. It’s all part of making them feel welcome. If you do not provide housing, encourage your students to start their search as early as they can, and before they travel to the United States if possible.
Employer-Provided Housing Policy
If you are providing housing, it must meet all local codes and ordinances and be provided to students in clean, livable condition.
- Housing provided to students should have adequate space for belongings and not feel overcrowded.
- Students should feel safe in their housing, and all safety mechanisms such as locks, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers, should be fully functional.
- All bathroom and kitchen appliances and utilities should be in working order.
- Housing should have two points of egress in case of emergency or fire.
- Furnished housing provided to students should have beds and they must be raised off the floor.
- Students cannot be required to share a bed.
- Air beds are not permitted.
- At a minimum, furnished housing should have furnishings appropriate to each room, in good working order.
- CIEE recommends providing basic cookware, cleaning supplies, and a roll of toilet paper.
- Helping Your Students Find Their Own Place
Maintain relationships with local realtors and/or housing owners.
Check “for rent” sections of local newspapers and send leads by email.
Send links to local housing search websites.
Advise students on areas of town to focus on and others to avoid. - You might choose to rent or purchase housing and sublet it to your students. Before you do, determine how much rent and security deposit you need, and whether students will be required to live there.
- All costs must be clearly communicated before students accept the job.
- Be clear and specific about what rent includes.
- Consider providing a housing agreement outlining expectations and rules.
- Discuss how you will collect rent payments; you must have student consent for payroll deduction.
Transportation
Opportunities abound for cultural experiences while students are in the United States. The question is, how do they get there? You can help by:
- Providing information about local public transportation, including routes, schedules and how fares work.
- Operating a shuttle van or bus.
- Renting or purchasing bicycles for students if safe routes are available.
- Facilitating carpools.
Safe Transportation Tips
Many students come from countries where bicycles and walking are a common form of transportation. They may not be used to American attitudes towards cyclists and pedestrians. Keep them safe with these tips and more.
Always wear bright or reflective clothing.
Always wear a bicycle helmet.
Use a bike light when riding in low light or darkness.
Check equipment to be sure bikes have properly inflated tires and functional brakes.
Obey all traffic laws, always ride with traffic, and use bike lanes when available.
Stay alert at all times.
Look before turning.
Keep bikes locked when left unattended.