Au Pair - legal bedroom

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No it's not agency specific.

Our LLCs have come to tour the house. Of course I guess the relative could move the master bedroom into this room when it's revealed on the tour the room isn't legal...

Which agency came to your house? They'll do it if they feel like it, but they don't have to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where is the requirement the bedroom have a window? Is that agency specific? I have never seen this.

We have a beautifully furnished basement with a bedroom (king size poster bed) with no windows a huge playroom and full private bath. We have pics during matching.

Not been an issue. Several au pairs have said they really like it.

It's a fire code issue. In my state/town you could not consider the room you describe as a legal bedroom if you were to sell or rent the home. You have to be able to get out of the room in a fire.

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No it's not agency specific.

Our LLCs have come to tour the house. Of course I guess the relative could move the master bedroom into this room when it's revealed on the tour the room isn't legal...

Which agency came to your house? They'll do it if they feel like it, but they don't have to.

APIA. Terrifying that they don't all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That is so incredibly dangerous.

X1000 there's a reason why it's illegal. I would even be uncomfortable letting my kids down there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No it's not agency specific.

Our LLCs have come to tour the house. Of course I guess the relative could move the master bedroom into this room when it's revealed on the tour the room isn't legal...

Which agency came to your house? They'll do it if they feel like it, but they don't have to.

Cultural care and APIA require it. Both did a thorough inspection of the room before approving us. For our first, we were not aplroxed until we out a lock in the door, which I didn't know we needed but immediately did. Then they had to come back and re-inspect. I thought they all did.

[Anonymous]

APIA comes to the house and checks bedroom each year (even though we are repeat family). Bedroom door also needs to have a lock.

We installed an Egress window in the basement for our first AP. We did it only because of her. Turns out, it was such a nice addition to the basement! Makes it "feel" like normal above ground living space. I think you likely earn back the investment in the value of your home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No it's not agency specific.

Our LLCs have come to tour the house. Of course I guess the relative could move the master bedroom into this room when it's revealed on the tour the room isn't legal...

Which agency came to your house? They'll do it if they feel like it, but they don't have to.

APIA. Terrifying that they don't all.

They all do. It's a requirement. We have been with the three largest agencies, and every single one came to our house. We have been hosting for going on 10 years, and they still came when we matched with AP 10 to make sure that the room that we intend to house AP 10 in - which is the same room as AP 9 lives in - is OK. We don't get to skip steps in approval even though we have been hosting forever, and I think that is great. We still go through a background check every year. We still need references every year -- our current and previous APs aren't enough; we still need an employer verification and references outside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you wouldn't use it or put your kids in it, why would you put someone else in it. Get an egress window. Its not a legal bedroom for safety reasons. If there were a fire, she could not get out.

My teenager sleeps in our "illegal" basement bedroom. He has a exterior door about 7 steps from the bedroom door. Most all teens beg for a basement bedroom. Whrn I was a teen I slept in a basement that was fully undeground. No door.

No one is "regulating" where and what your teen is doing, so what does that have to do with a so-called regulated work arrangement for these forgeign kids? Nothing.

You are struggling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No it's not agency specific.

Our LLCs have come to tour the house. Of course I guess the relative could move the master bedroom into this room when it's revealed on the tour the room isn't legal...

Which agency came to your house? They'll do it if they feel like it, but they don't have to.

APIA. Terrifying that they don't all.

They all do. It's a requirement. We have been with the three largest agencies, and every single one came to our house. We have been hosting for going on 10 years, and they still came when we matched with AP 10 to make sure that the room that we intend to house AP 10 in - which is the same room as AP 9 lives in - is OK. We don't get to skip steps in approval even though we have been hosting forever, and I think that is great. We still go through a background check every year. We still need references every year -- our current and previous APs aren't enough; we still need an employer verification and references outside.

Why aren't all the 15 au pair agencies doing this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No it's not agency specific.

Our LLCs have come to tour the house. Of course I guess the relative could move the master bedroom into this room when it's revealed on the tour the room isn't legal...

Which agency came to your house? They'll do it if they feel like it, but they don't have to.

APIA. Terrifying that they don't all.

They all do. It's a requirement. We have been with the three largest agencies, and every single one came to our house. We have been hosting for going on 10 years, and they still came when we matched with AP 10 to make sure that the room that we intend to house AP 10 in - which is the same room as AP 9 lives in - is OK. We don't get to skip steps in approval even though we have been hosting forever, and I think that is great. We still go through a background check every year. We still need references every year -- our current and previous APs aren't enough; we still need an employer verification and references outside.

Why aren't all the 15 au pair agencies doing this?

They may well be. We have been with three of them, and I know for sure that those three are. The others likely are as well, but I haven't investigated. Since you are so invested in making sure that they do, why don't you call them and verify?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No it's not agency specific.

Our LLCs have come to tour the house. Of course I guess the relative could move the master bedroom into this room when it's revealed on the tour the room isn't legal...

Which agency came to your house? They'll do it if they feel like it, but they don't have to.

APIA. Terrifying that they don't all.

They all do. It's a requirement. We have been with the three largest agencies, and every single one came to our house. We have been hosting for going on 10 years, and they still came when we matched with AP 10 to make sure that the room that we intend to house AP 10 in - which is the same room as AP 9 lives in - is OK. We don't get to skip steps in approval even though we have been hosting forever, and I think that is great. We still go through a background check every year. We still need references every year -- our current and previous APs aren't enough; we still need an employer verification and references outside.

Why aren't all the 15 au pair agencies doing this?

They may well be. We have been with three of them, and I know for sure that those three are. The others likely are as well, but I haven't investigated. Since you are so invested in making sure that they do, why don't you call them and verify?

They apparently are not all checking the au pair sleeping space for basic safety. Don't you think that should be an enforced requirement?

[Anonymous]

Of course. And the agencies we use are checking - over and over and over again each and every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where is the requirement the bedroom have a window? Is that agency specific? I have never seen this.

We have a beautifully furnished basement with a bedroom (king size poster bed) with no windows a huge playroom and full private bath. We have pics during matching.

Not been an issue. Several au pairs have said they really like it.

It's a fire code issue. In my state/town you could not consider the room you describe as a legal bedroom if you were to sell or rent the home. You have to be able to get out of the room in a fire.

Exactly.

This is the big problem. Your local fire inspector would absolutely not allow it.

[Anonymous]

At what point in the process do they inspect the house?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At what point in the process do they inspect the house?

Home inspections are done when you apply to be a HF. LCC also visits the house before each AP comes (at which she my LCC has looked at the room... every year). LCC also visits the home within a week or two of each AP's arrival.