Summer students disrespectful of my home.

I don’t understand your last comment?

These teens are at a tricky age. They almost look like adults and in some respects want to be treated as such. However, in some ways, they can act like overgrown toddlers and others, they can be quite responsible. I agree with the breezy responses asking them to use bins etc.

I presume these rants are alcohol-fuelled.
Either way you do not sound an appropriate adult to be hosting 15-year-olds.

What’s the obsession with describing everyone as “mums”?

Mickey mouse probably did the vetting.

I would just ask about their day and then be honest and say I found a lot of rotting food in their room. I know they are 15 but I would just explain it’s smells, attracts insects, will mark furniture/carpets etc.

Tell them the house rules are that from now on food is only to be eaten / stored in the kitchen / dining room etc and no food is to be left out. They can have food from elsewhere in your kitchen, no problem. Not ideal but with only a week left and the girls being really young and otherwise great guests, I wouldn’t create bad feeling about this.

What kind of vetting process did you go through to be approved as a host?

I really don’t understand posters like you. You came here to ask advice you have been given reasonable advice & just bite back with each comment.
In my opinion just ask them to use bins & ask if there is anything specific foods they would prefer you to prepare.
Drama over & let’s not pretend you are doing this out of the kindness of your heart, either empty nest syndrome &/or getting paid.
Please listen to the majority.

Yabvu their teenagers and you sound uptight maybe hosting isn't for you

Sounds like normal teen behaviour to me. What's the issue with them having food you haven't provided?

You are within your right to ask them to tidy and keep things clean. But it may fall on deaf ears, like it would if it was your own teen.

Mickey will come and visit them soon. They can have new pets.

Maybe they are still hungry after eating your fabulous cooking. Those poor children!

When I was 15/16 I lived with another family for a year. There were 3 nice meals a day ( except on school days obviously when there were 2, but I was hungry all the time. They were lovely, but very controlling over food, the kitchen fridge was a no go area for me. I had to buy food outside the home to be able to cope. Teenagers are ravenous, I have two, they fridge raid. I’d say those girls’ behaviour is totally within normal teenage bounds.

Ask them?

I think you’re getting way too emotionally involved in this. Let them eat what they want to eat, if you think your food is so fabulous that they must like it you’ve made it impossible for them to say anything. Just tell them to put food in the kitchen bin, sounds like you’re making packed lunches too so why not ask them if they’d like something different. I hosted students for a couple of years, breakfast and dinner only some eat everything most were fussy to some extent. None hid food in their room, but i wouldn’t have made a big deal of them bringing food into the house.

This is such a non issue, no need to be cross or annoyed when it’s easily ironed out

Well obviously it's not or they wouldn't be swapping. Just tell them they need to throw food in the bin and not leave it in their room, they're old enough to know better, and ask if they would prefer something else for lunch. Its 3 weeks, I wouldn't stress too much over this and don't host again.

They are 15 and away from home, possibly for the first time, they probably bought the snacks themselves because they were too embarassed to ask you if they could have snacks from your kitchen. And 15 year olds do have form for leaving food around. I would ignore the fact that they are not eating “your “ food ,but I would ask them to clear any left over food out of the room and into the bin.

Don’t make a huge thing of it, just give them a few small bin bags aand ask them to use them to put left overs in.

As someone who has hosted many students over the years, I'm not sure you are cutout to do this.

You claim you are laid back but you hysteria about being disrespected and general reactions on this thread show otherwise.

Just ask them to bring any uneaten food down to the kitchen. Job done.

Now all I need to do is get my OWN teenagers to do that.......

Gosh, @CleanCityBird - you're getting a hard time here. I live in a small seaside town with a language school for teenagers and all I can say is that you're a braver woman than I am. From observation, they all go out for lunch (usually to the chippie/pizzeria) and very probably take the leftovers "home". You just need to tell them not to leave leftovers in their room (pointing out that they wouldn't do this at home) and show them the fridge and the food-waste bin.

Also, if you get a choice, I'd ask for German, Italian or - at a pinch - French (in that order). I base this perfectly ghastly prejudice on interactions in the street. And am not being 100% serious.