When a family applies to become a homestay provider through the online form, their application lands in the Homestay Applications view for you to review and progress. This guide explains how to work through an application from first submission to approval.
Who can do this: Homestay Coordinators and Institutional Admins.
The Homestay Applications board
Select Homestay Applications from the left-hand menu to see the board. Applications are arranged in columns by their current stage:
Stage | What it means |
Application Review | Newly submitted — you haven't reviewed it yet |
Property Assessment | You've reviewed the details and are assessing the property |
Safety Check & Appropriate Checks | The safety check is underway for the primary carer and background checks are being completed for adult household members |
Written Agreement | Waiting for the signed agreement |
Payment Details | Waiting for the family to add their bank account details |
Completed | The application is fully approved and a profile has been created |
Note: If you can't see all of these columns - Try scrolling horizontally.
Each card on the board shows the family's name, their suburb, when they submitted their application, and how many days the application has been sitting in its current stage. Cards highlighted in orange have had no movement for more than 14 days — these may need your attention.
Use the Hide completed toggle to tidy up the view once applications are done.
Opening an application
Click View on any card to open the full application. You'll see:
A progress bar across the top showing which stage the application is at.
The applicant's details on the left — primary carer information, property details, family and lifestyle, and availability.
Actions and an Activity Timeline on the right.
Moving an application forward
Each time you complete a stage, advance the application to the next one.
1. Open the application.
2. In the Actions panel on the right, optionally add a note in the Advance notes field (e.g. what was checked, any observations).
3. Click Advance Stage. The application moves to the next column on the board.
Repeat this process as you work through each stage. The activity timeline below the actions panel logs every stage change along with who made it and when.
What happens at each stage
Application Review
Read through the application details. Check the property information, family background, and availability dates. If everything looks reasonable, advance to Property Assessment.
Property Assessment
Arrange a visit or contact the family to verify the property. When satisfied, advance to Safety Check.
Safety Check & Appropriate Checks
The primary carer's safety check needs to be completed. You can record this directly on the family's profile once it's created, or note it here. Advance when the check is done. Background checks for each adult household member. Advance once all checks are recorded.
Written Agreement
The homestay agreement needs to be signed by the family. Upload it to the profile and advance once it's in place.
Payment Details
The family needs to add their bank account number through their provider portal. You'll see a notice here confirming whether they've done this yet. Once their bank details are on file, you can advance to Completed.
Approving the application
When you advance from Payment Details, the application is marked as Completed and the family's profile is automatically created (or linked if one already exists). A green banner will appear at the top of the application with a View Profile button.
From there, you can go directly to the profile to record compliance checks and activate the family.
Declining an application
If an application isn't suitable, you can decline it at any stage.
Open the application.
Click Decline in the Actions panel.
Optionally enter a reason for declining.
Click Decline Application.
The application is marked as Declined and no profile is created. The reason (if entered) is recorded in the activity timeline.
Things to know
Applications can only be advanced forward — you can't move them back to a previous stage.
Once an application is Declined, Approved, or Withdrawn, no further actions can be taken on it.
The family's application details are a snapshot of what they submitted. If a profile has been created from the application, the profile is the live record — any updates to their details should be made on the profile, not the application.