Homestay Terms & Conditions

Important note: The terms and conditions set below are for individual accommodation (not groups) booked with a homestay or host family and not in a self-contained room in a Student Residence, or a Guardianship booking.

For Guardianship booking terms and conditions, please click here.
For Group homestay booking terms and conditions, please click here.
For Student residence booking terms and conditions, please click here.

Cooling-off: There is no statutory 14-day cancellation right for accommodation tied to specific dates.

We operate VAT under the Tour Operators Margin Scheme (TOMS). VAT on our services is not claimable by the consumer. All prices we display include VAT where applicable.

Accommodation referred to within these terms and conditions is with Home from Home Student Services Ltd (company number 07332845). References in these terms and conditions to “We”, “Us” or “Our” include our representatives and employees. References in these terms and conditions to “You” or “Your” refers to the paying customer.

Our role and service standard: We act as the booking agent arranging a licence to occupy a room in a host’s home. We will provide our booking service with reasonable care and skill. The accommodation is provided by the Host.

These Terms and Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. You agree to submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts, as do we.

• To book your homestay accommodation, please complete the online booking form. When we receive your booking we will email you to tell you if we can or cannot meet the requirements specified. This will normally happen within 2 working days.
• If you have not received an answer within 3 working days there is a chance that we have not received your booking so please email us at info@londonhomestays.com (Working days exclude Saturdays, Sundays & Public Holidays)
• All payments are invoiced in UK pound sterling and must be paid in UK pound sterling. All bank charges that are incurred must be paid for by the guest. The receiving banks charges are much higher and if not paid these would have to be charged to your outstanding total. Credit card payments are subject to a surcharge to cover the fees charged by the payment gateway provider.
• All bookings are subject to a non-refundable booking fee (as stated in our rates). Rooms booked in homestays for extra days, over and above the weekly period, will be pro-rated up to 3 extra nights and a full week will be charged for 4, 5, 6 and 7 extra nights thus charged accordingly.

• Bookings can only be guaranteed after payment has reached our bank account. We reserve the right to cancel any booking for any reason with a full refund. We will also cancel any reservations for which we have not received payment by the due date.
• We can only confirm the period of stay that we have received payment for.

A binding contract is formed when we receive cleared payment for the invoiced period. We will then email you a booking confirmation in a durable format (PDF or equivalent) showing your booking details (guest name, host name/address, dates, board plan) and providing a copy or stable link to these Terms & Conditions and our Complaints & ADR information. Please read these before paying and completing your booking.

We may cancel before check-in only if: (a) the host withdraws or becomes unavailable; (b) we reasonably consider the home unsafe or unsuitable; (c) payment is not received by the due date; or (d) there is a clear pricing/availability error. Any cancellation and any refund (whether initiated by you or by us) will be handled strictly under our Cancellation Policy. This does not affect your statutory rights. We can only confirm the period of stay we have received cleared funds for.

• When booking accommodation, you must inform the homestay host of your estimated arrival time at least 7 days in advance of your arrival in UK. This is to ensure that someone is at home when you arrive. Failure to do so may result in you having to wait for the arrival of the host. We will not be held responsible for hosts not being at home if students fail to advise the host in advance of their arrival time, nor will we pay for any expenses incurred by students as a result.
• Unless special arrangement has been made and agreed with your host prior to arrival, the following check in and out times apply:

Check in is always after 14:00 and before 20:30. Check out is before 10:00 am

Weekday arrivals are after 18:00 and before 20:30 unless agreed in advance with your host.

If you are booking an airport transfer through our agency, please ensure you have provided us your correct flight information (including airport and terminal of arrival, arrival time, carrier and the mobile phone number you will be using upon arrival/departure) at least 1 week prior to the date of the requested airport transfer. We cannot be held responsible if the correct details have not been provided within this timeframe. Please note for cancellations of airport transfer, there will be a £20 admin fee up to 48 hours of the booked airport pick-up time. For cancellations (or no-shows) of less than 48 hours prior to airport transfer, the full amount will be payable.

If a student wishes to extend their stay beyond the booked leaving date, they should contact Home from Home as soon as possible to request an extension by emailing info@londonhomestays.com. Extensions are subject to availability. If an extension is not possible, we will endeavour to find you a similar alternative.

We are pleased to assist visa applications by issuing a letter, which can be submitted to the British Consulate in your country. This letter will confirm that you have booked and paid for accommodation/home tuition with Home from Home Student Services Ltd.

Visa letters are only issued after accommodation/course has been paid for and only for the dates confirmed and paid for. We are unable to issue letters for unconfirmed/unpaid for lengths of stay.

To ensure that you do not incur cancellation charges (detailed below in Cancellation Policy for Homestay, Private Home and Hostel Bookings), you are advised to allow sufficient time between your visa application, your interview date and your arrival date in the UK. This will allow us sufficient notice of your cancellation/change or arrival date and for you to avoid cancellation charges.

If you wish to change or postpone your arrival date as you have been asked by the British Consulate to return for a further interview, we will re-book your accommodation, subject to our cancellation charges (detailed below in Cancellation Policy for Homestay, Private Home and Hostel Bookings). All changes are subject to a £50 administration fee.

More information is available on our Visa Guidelines page.

Cancellation:

Occurs when a confirmed homestay booking is terminated before the student’s scheduled arrival date. This encompasses any modifications leading to a shorter stay, a change of host, or a complete termination of the booking.

Postponement:

A specific type of cancellation where there is a request to delay the start date of a confirmed booking. Postponements incur the same cancellation terms and fees. For the postponed dates, a new booking is required, subject to current availability and rates.

Accommodation once paid for is subject to the following cancellation charges:

• Cancellation made 30 days or more prior to arrival: Refund of fees, minus one week’s accommodation fees and any applicable booking, instalment, or banking fees.
• Cancellation made 29 to 8 days prior to arrival: Refund of fees, minus two weeks’ accommodation fees and any applicable booking, instalment, or banking fees.
• Cancellation made 7 to 3 days prior to arrival: Refund of fees, minus three weeks’ accommodation fees and any applicable booking, instalment, or banking fees.
• Cancellation made 2 days or less prior to arrival or “no show”: Refund of fees, minus four weeks’ accommodation fees and any applicable booking, instalment, or banking fees. No refund is provided if the booking is for less than four weeks.

Provider-initiated change/cancellation (host withdrawal/safety).
If the host withdraws or becomes unavailable, or the home cannot be used for safety/compliance reasons, we may change or cancel the unprovided part of your stay. We will first offer a Comparable Alternative (same board plan, similar room type/standard, and door-to-door travel time to your school within +20 minutes or one transport zone) at no extra accommodation charge.

• If you accept, your booking continues at the alternative.
• If a Comparable Alternative is not available in time, we will refund all amounts paid for the cancelled period (including the booking fee).
• If a Comparable Alternative is offered and declined, the booking is treated as a guest cancellation on the date of refusal and our Cancellation Policy applies.

We will notify you as soon as practicable. This does not affect your statutory rights.

In the unlikely event of a student being dissatisfied with their accommodation, complaints must be made during the stay, at the time either of the problem becoming known, by the student directly, or through their agent, and must adhere to the complaints procedure featured on the following link (click here). We cannot accept any retrospective claim or complaint from a student or their agent.

Cancellation requests must be received during Home from Home office hours, which are from 10.00 – 18.00 (London time) Monday through Friday. Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays (including the days between Christmas and New Year) are excluded.

Refunds are made through the same means by which they are received (this is in line with UK money laundering laws). Fees paid by bank transfer from overseas will be refunded by bank transfer to the bank account in the country from which they were received. Credit card payments will be refunded to the card from which payment was taken and only cash payments can be refunded in cash. We will refund fees only and cannot refund bank charges or the surcharge added to credit card payments. Any bank charges levied by the UK and/or foreign bank when refunding fees will be deducted from the refund by the banks in question and not paid for by Home from Home Student Services. Credit notes are valid for 12 months from the date of issue.

If you have a special request for something that is not automatically part of a ‘regular’ homestay booking (e.g. an all vegetarian household, you require a ground floor bedroom, you have an allergy etc), please make the request at the time of booking. We can then pass your request on to the relevant accommodation provider/host to ask if they can meet your requirements. Special requests are not guaranteed to be met – even if we’ve made a note of your request on your invoice. That just means we’ve received the request and have passed it on to the supplier. We will not pay compensation or give any refund for failing to meet a special request unless we’ve confirmed separately in writing to you that the request will be met. When you make a special request, you agree that any personal data you provide including sensitive personal data, has to be passed to the relevant host/accommodation provider to fulfil that request, and you consent to this happening. Please see our Data Protection and Privacy Policy for more information.

Your booking is for a fixed, non-refundable term. If you choose to leave before the agreed departure date, the unused period is treated as a curtailment from the agreed move-out date. We will use reasonable endeavours to re-book the same room for the unused nights from that date.

Only if we successfully re-book any of those nights will we refund to you the net amount actually recovered for those nights after deducting our reasonable costs of re-booking and any irrecoverable third-party charges (for example, payment processing, banking, advertising/marketing and sales costs). We may need to re-book at a lower rate; any refund reflects the actual amount recovered, not the original rate. If we cannot re-book, no refund is due.

Any transfer or early end must be agreed with us and coordinated fairly with your host to allow handover and cleaning, and you must vacate and return keys by the agreed time. On request, we can provide a brief summary of our re-booking attempts/outcome. This does not affect your statutory rights.

Role of London Homestays: Home from Home Student Services Ltd (company number 07332845), trading as London Homestays, acts solely as an intermediary connecting guests with hosts for the provision of homestay accommodations. Although London Homestays endeavours to facilitate bookings with hosts who offer high-quality accommodations, it must be clearly understood that the homestays are neither owned nor managed by London Homestays, nor does London Homestays reside in the homes. All accommodations are independently run, operated, and managed by the hosts themselves.

Liability cap and statutory rights: Nothing in these terms limits or excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or your statutory rights. We provide our booking service with reasonable care and skill. Except as above, our liability for foreseeable loss or damage arising from our failing to use reasonable care and skill is limited to the total price of your booking. Damage charges are limited to evidenced, reasonable repair or replacement costs; we do not impose punitive fines.

Any travel information given including nearest stations, information on buses/trains, walking times and distances are given in good faith and are approximations based on information provided by Google Maps. Postcodes are provided in the homestay confirmation and it is the responsibility of the student or their agent to check location before arrival. We cannot be liable for any complaint of location/distance/travel zone after arrival. We believe the information provided to you regarding the homestay host at the time of booking is correct and is provided in good faith. However, we are not responsible for any inaccuracies that may result in any change of circumstances of the homestay host or their home environment that have not been relayed to us.

Medical and Travel Insurance: All students and guests are strongly encouraged to obtain comprehensive medical and travel insurance prior to arrival in the UK. This should cover medical expenses, cancellation or curtailment of travel, loss of personal belongings, and accidental damage.

Cancellation and Curtailment: Insurance covering the cancellation or curtailment of bookings is advised, as students and guests may be subject to charges as per our Cancellation Policy.

Liability: It is recommended to have liability insurance to cover accidental damages to the property or to third parties. Home from Home Student Services Ltd will not be responsible for such damages, and any associated costs will be the responsibility of the student or guest.

Disclaimer: The student or guest is solely responsible for ensuring their insurance meets their individual needs and complies with local laws. Failure to obtain suitable insurance is at the student’s or guest’s own risk, and Home from Home Student Services Ltd shall not be liable for any financial loss incurred as a result.

By accepting our terms and conditions, students and guests acknowledge the importance of insurance and agree to obtain appropriate coverage.

• Allergies & meal plans:
  Please tell us in writing before booking about any food allergies or intolerances; by doing so you consent to us sharing this information with your host for the purpose of arranging your stay. Homestay hosts are not professional kitchens; ingredients may contain or have been exposed to allergens and cross-contact cannot be eliminated in a domestic home.

  If you have a severe allergy (e.g., risk of anaphylaxis), homestay meal plans are not suitable. Book self-catering and take responsibility for purchasing, preparing and storing your own food.

  Where you inform us in writing of an allergy and still book a meal plan, the host will take reasonable steps where practicable (e.g., checking labels of ingredients used for your meals and avoiding known triggers in meals prepared for you). This does not guarantee an allergen-free environment.

  You remain responsible for managing your condition, carrying/using any prescribed medication, and arranging appropriate medical/travel insurance.

  Nothing in this section excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

• All damages and breakages caused by the guest must be paid for by the guest directly.
• Payments to hosts: Guests must not pay the host directly. All payments are made to London Homestays.
• Nature of stay / address use: Accommodation is a licence to occupy in a host-occupied family home with shared facilities; it is not a tenancy. Do not use the host’s address for banking, credit or NI registration without the host’s prior written permission.
• Daytime routine (weekdays): Homestay is designed for students and interns who are out at their school or placement during typical weekday daytime hours. Unless agreed otherwise in advance, guests are expected to be out of the home between 10:00 and 16:00 (Monday–Friday). If you need to remain at home occasionally during these hours (for example due to illness, disability-related needs, scheduled remote classes or deliveries), please let your host know in advance and follow house rules (quiet use, shared spaces kept free). We will seek approval from your host in advance. If you plan to be at home regularly during these hours (e.g. remote work or full-time online study), you must tell us before booking. Homestay may not be suitable for day-time home working, and we may need to place you differently or decline the booking. We will consider reasonable adjustments where disability or health requires daytime presence.
• Visitors / overnights: Overnight guests are not permitted without prior written permission from the agency. Please email us to request approval; do not ask the host directly.
• Baggage limitations: Guests are permitted to bring a reasonable amount of luggage appropriate for their stay duration. This is typically limited to two large suitcases and up to two smaller hand luggage items per person, similar to standard long-haul flight allowances. Additional baggage may be accommodated for longer stays (6 months or more) at the host’s discretion only. Any requirements for extra baggage must be communicated and approved in writing prior to confirming the booking. London has numerous commercial storage facilities available throughout the city. If you arrive with excessive luggage without prior approval, we may refuse accommodation or charge an additional storage fee of £10 per extra item per week, or direct you to external storage (at your cost).
• Guests are subject to the host’s house rules and should respect them at all times. Guests should not smoke or bring alcohol into the host’s accommodation without first receiving their permission.
• Pets & pet allergies:
  Where a host profile discloses pets, the presence of pet-related items (e.g., a litter tray), some hair/dander and occasional odour is normal in a domestic home and, by itself, is not evidence of unsatisfactory accommodation. Hosts must maintain reasonable hygiene standards and take reasonable steps within their control to minimise pet-related odour/hair in shared areas (e.g., routine cleaning and ventilation). This does not guarantee an allergen-free environment.

  If you have a pet allergy or sensitivity, tell us in writing before booking (you consent to us sharing this with your host). If your allergy is severe, do not book a home with pets; choose a pet-free option.

  A request for “no pets” is a preference unless we confirm in writing that it is guaranteed (see Special requests). If you select a home with pets disclosed, you accept that some exposure to pet hair/dander/odour is inherent and does not entitle you to a refund or price reduction, provided normal domestic hygiene is maintained.

  Report any issue during your stay so we can act (see our Complaints procedure).

  Nothing in this section excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

Force Majeure Event means circumstances beyond our reasonable control that make the booked home unlawful or unsafe to occupy or otherwise prevent us from providing it (for example: fire, flood, explosion, sudden safety/compliance failure, lawful orders of public authorities, epidemic/pandemic restrictions affecting the property, widespread utility outages, war/terrorism).

(1) If a Force Majeure Event prevents us from providing the booked home for any part of your stay, we may change or cancel the unprovided part. We will first offer a Comparable Alternative for the remaining period at no extra accommodation charge. If a Comparable Alternative is not available in time, we will refund amounts paid for the cancelled period (including our booking fee). We are not liable for indirect or consequential losses. Any change or refund under this clause is handled under our Cancellation Policy.

(2) If the home remains available but your travel or personal circumstances are affected by external events, the booking stands and our guest cancellation terms apply. We strongly recommend travel insurance for such risks.

For the avoidance of doubt: This clause applies only where a Force Majeure Event affects our ability to provide the accommodation. It does not give the guest a right to cancel, postpone, or obtain a refund where the accommodation remains available. This does not affect your statutory rights.

Raise concerns during your stay at info@londonhomestays.com. If we issue a final response and you remain dissatisfied, you may contact CEDR (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution). We are not obliged to use ADR but may agree to ADR mediation in suitable cases. This does not affect your right to go to court.

Version: October 2025 — Home from Home Student Services Ltd (07332845). Registered office: 124 Middleton Rd, Morden SM4 6RW. Contact: info@londonhomestays.com | +44 (0) 208 395 0333.