About school hostels

Hostels can be run by a school board or privately. You must get a licence from us to run a hostel. School hostel owners must provide a safe and positive environment for their ākonga | students.

A hostel is a boarding establishment for school students that:

• charges a boarding fee
• accommodates 5 or more students
• houses students on an ongoing basis.

Running a hostel

Hostel owners must comply with the Education (Hostels) Regulations 2005. Hostels must have written policies which show how they positively support the wellbeing and learning of their students.

Education (Hostels) Regulations 2005 (SR 2005/332) – New Zealand Legislation

Hostels need to meet minimum operating standards for:

• the building structure and facilities
• maintenance
• emergency management
• health and safety.

Our guidelines set out what you must do to make sure you are meeting your obligations.

Running costs

We do not fund hostels. Hostel owners must be able to fund running costs from boarding fees or other board funds.

Education Review Office reviews

The Education Review Office (ERO) reviews hostels to make sure they are safe and supportive learning environments. We use ERO reports to support licencing decisions.

School hostels – Education Review Office

Renew a hostel licence

You need to renew your hostel licence every 3 years. We will email you reminders well before the expiry date. You need to submit your licence renewal form 20 working days before the licence expires.

Complete our licence renewal form. You will need to provide evidence in the form that your hostel is compliant with regulations.

We will inspect your hostel before renewing your license to make sure it is operating well. An advisor from your regional office will visit the hostel to do the inspection.

Change ownership, management, operations or premises

If the way your hostel is run changes, you need to let us know. Fill out the relevant change of details form.