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Apply for homestay

Apply to be a Host

Join our network of approved homestay hosts across London.

Apply to be a Host
About you Your home Meals & rooms Photos & submit

Step 1 of 4

Become a host

Tell us about you and where you live.

Before you start, three things to know:

  • Our students are mostly adults (average age 23), staying on their own for 2 weeks to several months.
  • You need to live in London zones 1–6 and offer a proper bedroom in your own home, with shared use of the living areas.
  • Students under 18 are only placed with hosts who have an Enhanced DBS check.
Read the full host requirements
Introduction

Thank you for your interest in becoming a host family with London Homestays. Before proceeding with your application, please carefully read the following information to ensure our homestay service aligns with your expectations and circumstances.

About Our Homestays

We specialise in placing individual adult students, not groups. Our students are typically in their late teens or early 20s, with an average age of 23. The minimum stay is usually 2 weeks, though many students stay for several months. Students require single or double rooms for individual use. They are given keys and should be able to come and go independently.

Important: Our service is not suitable for hosts seeking to accommodate groups of students (e.g. multiple students sharing a room), primarily younger students (under 18), or very short-term stays (just a few nights).

We focus on providing quality, individual homestay experiences for adult learners and not groups of younger students on short stay school trips. If you're interested in hosting individual adult students for longer periods in a family-like environment, please continue with the application.

Host Family Requirements

To qualify as a host family, please ensure you meet the following criteria:

You must live in London Zones 1–6, and your home should be in a safe area with reasonable access to public transport. You should be willing to welcome individual students into your home, engage with them, and treat them as part of your family. We look for hosts who are open to cultural exchange and enjoy interacting with people from diverse backgrounds.

You need to be happy to share the main communal living areas of your home with students. The bedrooms offered for hosting must be within your own home and provide a proper bed (not a bunk bed, camp bed, or mattress on the floor), adequate storage space (drawers and hanging space), natural light, and a clean, comfortable, and well-maintained environment.

English should be the primary language spoken in your household. It's important to understand that hosting involves more engagement than simply letting out a room. You should be comfortable with students having their own keys and a degree of independence.

Lastly, you must understand and accept the host family guidelines.

Safeguarding and Legal Requirements

The vast majority of our students are 18 years or older. For any role involving responsibility for or substantial access to under 18s, including host families, London Homestays requires Enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks before placing any students under 18. These checks also apply to London Homestays employees as part of our safer recruitment policies.

What to expect?

Hosting international students can be a rewarding experience. It offers opportunities for cultural exchange and the chance to make a positive impact on a student's UK experience. There are potential financial benefits over extended periods, and you have the flexibility to host when it suits your schedule.

By continuing with this application, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to the stated conditions and requirements. You also acknowledge that you are prepared for the commitment involved in providing a welcoming and supportive environment for international students.

It takes about five minutes. Your answers are saved as you go.

Please tick to continue.

Your Name

First name is required.
Last name is required.

Contact Information

Please enter a valid email address.
Mobile number is required.

Address

Street address is required.
City is required.
Please enter a valid UK postcode.

Step 2 of 4

You and your home

This helps us match the right students to you.

About You

Please select at least one option.
Please select an option.
Occupation is required.

Hosting Preferences

Please select an option.
You would need an Enhanced DBS check. We can help you get one.
Please choose Yes or No.
Students come to improve their English, so this is one of our requirements.
Please choose Yes or No.

Your Home

Please select an option.
Please select an option.
Please select an option.
Please enter the number of bathrooms (0–10).
Please select an option.

Step 3 of 4

Meals and rooms

What you can offer, and when.

Which meal plans could you offer?

For more information on our meal plans, please click here.

Please select an option.
Please select an option.
Please select an option.

Rooms & Availability

Please select an option.
Please enter the number of bedrooms.
Room details are required.

Step 4 of 4

Photos and submit

Photos help us place students with you sooner.

Photos of Your Home

What happens next? If you satisfy our criteria for hosting students, we will contact you shortly to arrange an appointment for one of our trained assessors to visit your home or conduct an initial remote assessment.

Photos of your home and rooms will increase your chances of hosting. Maximum 5 photos, up to 5MB each.

Choose files or drag and drop

JPG, PNG or WebP · Max 5MB each · Up to 5 files

If you have more photos to send, please email them to info@londonhomestays.com

Assessment Scheduling

In the box below, please let us know either an upcoming Friday/Monday date where you will be at home that would be convenient for you, or alternatively, the best day/time for us to arrange an appointment (remote or in-person) with you.

Example: Any Monday afternoon after 4pm, or Friday mornings are usually best.

Review Your Application

Show details
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Application Submitted Successfully

Thank you for applying to become a host family with London Homestays. We have sent a confirmation email to your address. Our team will review your application and be in touch shortly.

How to become a homestay host in London

To host international students with London Homestays you need a spare bedroom in London and about five minutes to apply. You don’t need any hosting experience. Most of our hosts started with a spare room and not much else. Not sure yet? Our homestay host overview explains what hosting involves before you apply.

What you need

  • A home in London Zones 1–6. Demand is usually strongest in Zones 1–4.
  • A clean, comfortable bedroom with a bed, storage and somewhere to study. Single rooms are the most requested.
  • A home where English is the main language spoken while students are staying.

The five steps

  1. Apply online. Tell us about your home, the room you can offer and who you’d be happy to host. It takes about five minutes and doesn’t commit you to anything.
  2. We get in touch. Someone on our team reviews your details and contacts you.
  3. We assess your home. We assess every home before the first placement, so we can describe it honestly to students and match you with people who suit it.
  4. We offer you a booking. When a booking comes in, we send you the student’s details and dates. Whether to accept is always up to you.
  5. Your student arrives and you get paid. Payment starts 10 days after your student arrives, then every two weeks after that, straight to your bank account. We never charge hosts anything.

What hosts earn and who you host

Most hosts earn £130–£180 a week for a single room, and more in central London. Your rate depends on your area, the room and the meal plan, and our earnings estimator shows the typical range for your postcode.

London Homestays has been British Council registered since 2009. Most placements are adults (18+). Hosting 16 or 17 year olds is optional and comes with extra checks, including a DBS.

Not ready to apply yet? Read our host family guide to what hosting involves first.

“When my children went off to university and got married, my husband and I were empty nesters rattling around. We have an empty bedroom and I quite enjoy keeping it fresh for new students who come to stay with us both short and long term. Invariably, they show us a lot of respect. Coming to London to study or to work as interns is a big adventure for them and I enjoy settling them in and seeing them flourish. Some return or recommend to their friends to come and stay with us. London Homestays are a great organisation to deal with – good at communicating and highly ethical.”

Cathy, Colindale — host since 2012

“London Homestays is a really good company to work with. Very friendly, supportive, and if I was an international student coming to London I would definitely choose London Homestays.”

Claire, Southfields — host since 2010

“London Homestays are the best, absolutely the best!”

Gwen, Streatham — host since 2014

“I have been a host for London Homestays for over 8 years. The team is professional, friendly and always quick to respond. They do a great job matching students with hosts and making the whole process smooth and straightforward. I would happily recommend London Homestays to anyone considering becoming a host.”

Sarah-Jayne, Walthamstow — host since 2018

Watch: Meet Our Host Families

Real stories from the families who open their homes to international students

In their words...

  • “We have been working with London Homestays since 2011. With their support, we have managed to achieve a high level of customer satisfaction. We strongly recommend London Homestays to anyone who’s looking for quality, reliability and exceptional customer service.”

    Alex Fernandes, Accommodation & Visa Compliance Manager, Malvern House London

  • “Having worked with them since 2013, I can state that London Homestays have always taken care to match our students with suitable host families. They have a very friendly yet professional approach to their work. Our students have enjoyed staying at their homestays. Overall, students say that their host families are attentive and welcoming.”

    Carl Roberton, Principal, Stafford House School of English

  • “We at Burlington School have worked with London Homestays since 2014, and I professionally know the team since 2009 when I worked for another company in the education and accommodation industry. Having had the opportunity to work with London Homestays since the company started operations in London, all of the enquiries have been dealt with in a dedicated and timely manner, the team members are customer-oriented and always provide an exceptional accommodation experience to our students. I have no hesitation to recommend London Homestays as excellent accommodation providers and business partners.”

    Eliane Tomasi, Accommodation & Welfare Officer, Burlington School

  • “We have placed students with London Homestays for over ten years. The host families suit what our students actually need, and when something comes up during the stay, it gets sorted quickly rather than passed between people. They make everything very easy, with detailed host profiles showing transport links to our school, and a thorough matching process. Our office always knows where a student is and who to call. Happy to recommend.”

    Ewa Pietreniuk, Head of Partnerships, Speak Up London

  • “We partnered with London Homestays to help us verify and assess homestay hosts we were recruiting for our international students in Glasgow. Their expertise in vetting hosts to British Council standards gave us real confidence in the quality and safety of the accommodation we were able to offer. The team were professional, responsive and a pleasure to work with throughout. We would highly recommend London Homestays to other colleges and universities looking for a knowledgeable and reliable accommodation partner.”

    Lucia Murray-Rapuano, Global Skills Development Manager, City of Glasgow College

  • “Cooperation with London Homestays is always great! We highly appreciate proactive approach and effort to ensure the best possible services for our groups. We always had a great clean accommodation, friendly family and smart local organisers. Students of our groups were satisfied and they enjoyed staying in London very much. We would like to recommend this agency. The whole team is very kind.”

    Miroslava Foltýnová, Owner, CK Bus Tours.

  • “We offer internships in London to European students and looked for a reliable partner to provide accommodation to our candidates. We have been very happy with the services provided by London Homestays, as have our candidates, as they have always received quickly information on families, the possibility to book a room in a short delay and also a good quality of families. I would recommend without any doubt this agency. The team is very professional, efficient and friendly :). We hope to send new trainees soon!”

    Stéphanie Frassanito, Program Manager, Work Overseas

  • “Our school from the Czech Republic has had great experiences with London Homestays. The host families were generally welcoming, kind, and accommodating. The service provided by the coordinator Kate O’Connor and other admin staff is second to none.”

    Kate Powers, Vice Principal for English Studies, Sunny Canadian International School

  • It was an amazing experience, I’ve found a new home where I feel as comfortable as I do in my own home!

    Laura, student from France: Homestay booking in Zone 2

  • “When my children went off to university and got married, my husband and I were empty nesters rattling around. We have an empty bedroom and I quite enjoy keeping it fresh for new students who come to stay with us both short and long term. Invariably, they show us a lot of respect. Coming to London to study or to work as interns is a big adventure for them and I enjoy settling them in and seeing them flourish. Some return or recommend to their friends to come and stay with us. London Homestays are a great organisation to deal with – good at communicating and highly ethical.”

    Cathy, Homestay host in Colindale, London

  • “My first student has just left to return home and I have thoroughly enjoyed hosting her. It has been a lovely experience for me to help her with her English and learn about her Japanese culture.

    I was nervous and apprehensive at first but it was so worthwhile and I look forward to continue hosting in the future. It has given me a boost knowing that I can give someone an opportunity that they may not have been able to afford without using London Homestays”

    Audrey, Homestay host in Tooting, London

  • My homestay host Debra transformed my stay into the most amazing experience of my whole life!

    Florian, student from Belgium: Homestay booking in Zone 3

  • “London Homestays has been an excellent accommodation partner for our students. The team is always helpful, responsive and highly professional. They consistently match students with the right hosts based on individual requirements, ensuring a positive and comfortable homestay experience.”

    Ellie Fordham, Student Services Manager, Stafford House

  • My homestay host is a lovely lady, she was very helpful and genuine. London Homestays offer an excellent, fast service and quality accommodation. I would definitely recommend to my friends!

    Shelaine, student from Canada: Homestay booking in Zone 2

  • Daphne was a really nice and welcoming host, I really enjoyed my stay with her and her family. Thank you London Homestays for connecting me with her!

    Ben, researcher from USA: Superior homestay booking

  • My stay with my host family makes my time at UK much more fun and exciting! Life is happening!

    Bao, student from China: Homestay booking in Zone 4+

  • “Really, we are very happy with our room at the residence. James in the residences team has helped us with all aspects of our booking and we would like to say, big thank you from the bottom of our hearts!”

    Dmitriy and Maria, two students from Russia: Residence booking

  • “I felt completely at ease and very comfortable with my host! She was really kind…many thanks!”

    Doris, student from Italy: Superior homestay in Zone 2

  • “Shanghai Chelsea International Consulting (SCIC) has worked with Home from Home many times and they have provided a very professional service.”

    Chan Sen, Director at Shanghai Chelsea International Consulting

  • “I highly recommend London Homestays! We have been working with them for a while now, and their professionalism and the quality of their homestays have always been exceptional. One of the homestays we collaborated with was so impressive that we even shared it on our YouTube channel to give our students a glimpse of the warm and welcoming environment they can expect. Thank you, London Homestays, for providing such amazing services. We look forward to continuing our partnership!”

    Tuba Akca, Owner at Tubik Academy

  • The London Homestays portal is amazing. You can manage availability, update photos, and see when you’ve been paid — something I’m always chasing the other agencies. Can’t recommend it highly enough!

    Sharon, host in Finchley

  • “I have been a host for London Homestays for over 8 years. The team is professional, friendly and always quick to respond. They do a great job matching students with hosts and making the whole process smooth and straightforward. The students I’ve hosted have been respectful and lovely to have in my home. I would happily recommend London Homestays to anyone considering becoming a host.”

    Sarah-Jayne, Walthamstow — host since 2018

  • “London Homestays are very pleasant and put you at ease.”

    Pat & Clyde, hosts in Tooting, London

  • “The team — especially James and Ellie — were incredibly responsive, patient and kind. They answered all my questions and checked with hosts about everything from commute times to where I’d store my bicycle. They even sent a Chinese translation of their first email. I felt truly welcomed.”

    Ruoxi, student from China