The city of joy is also one of the warmest greeters for all kinds of tourists. There are thousands of students and tourists who come to the city in search of cheap accommodation but not in hotels. Instead they look for options where they can be put up in homestay or what is also known as paying guests. Under this kind of lodging, the owner of an apartment or bungalow, lend a room or part of their house to guests and charge for the same. The homestay usually involves both lodging and boarding and hence food is also part of the accommodation provided here. Since the city is the main educational and industrial hub in the eastern zone of the country, there are thousands of students who come from various North-eastern states and eastern states to study in the esteemed colleges and schools here. Apart from the students there are also various youngsters who arrive in the city looking for jobs and business deals. These are usually the people who cannot afford the expensive hotels and instead opt for accommodation as paying guests. The charges of getting a homestay is much cheaper than the usual hotels but the concept of staying in such places is to get the feel of being at home, even when you are away from.
These homestay provisions are usually operated by elderly couples or those who don't have children and thus letting students and youngsters stay there helps them to get a feasible monthly income along with having company. Since most of the educational courses are long term, these students want an accommodation that is usually near to their schools and colleges but also provides them the warmth and comfort of home cooked food and lodging. In Kolkata most of the homestay areas are in residential areas and the procedure for sharing rooms is based on gender basis. There are some places where both girls and boys are provided accommodation together, but these are very rare. At these places both students and the business class people can avail benefits of low cost accommodation but the length of duration is usually 6 months to 3-4 years. Safety is one of the most essential aspects of the people who stay at such accommodations and usually the students have no trouble or problems related to the same. Even though there are various hostels located around the city like YWCA and YMCA, most people prefer the safety and comfort of the homestay accommodation instead of these hostels.
