London Homestays has been registered with the British Council since 2015 as a provider of homestay accommodation for adults and under-18s. This page explains what that registration is, what it covers, and why it matters if you are choosing a homestay in London or placing students with us.
The registration statement
The British Council asks registered providers to publish its wording exactly, so here it is:
London Homestays meets the standard for registration with the British Council as a provider of homestay accommodation for adults and under 18s for accredited providers in London.
What the British Council does
The British Council runs Accreditation UK, the inspection scheme for English language teaching centres in the UK. Schools that hold accreditation are inspected on their teaching, their welfare arrangements and the accommodation they arrange for students. Homestay is part of that. When an accredited school places a student with a host family, the school is responsible for the standard of that home, and inspectors check how the school manages it.
A homestay agency can register with the British Council as a provider to accredited schools. Registration means the agency has shown it meets the standard the scheme sets for homestay accommodation, so a school has an independent reference point when it chooses who to work with.
What it covers at London Homestays
Our registration covers homestay accommodation for adults and for students aged 16 and 17. In practice that means:
- We interview, vet and visit our host families in their homes before we place anyone with them.
- Hosts who accommodate under-18s hold DBS (criminal record) checks, and other adults in the home are checked as well for those placements.
- We have a written child protection policy and a Designated Safeguarding Lead, and there is an out-of-hours number for emergencies.
- Rooms, meals and house rules follow the guidelines accredited schools expect, so a student gets what the school has promised them.
The full detail, including the policies themselves, is on our safety and safeguarding page.
Why it matters to students and parents
Anyone can advertise a spare room to international students. Registration means an outside body has looked at how we work and agreed it meets a published standard. For a parent sending a 16-year-old to London for a summer course, that is the difference between a listing and an accountable organisation. If something goes wrong there is a policy, a named person and a school that can hold us to account.
Why it matters to schools and agents
If you run an accredited centre, using a registered provider makes your own inspection simpler. The accommodation section of your report rests partly on how your homestay partner works, and a registered agency has already been through that. Agents placing students with UK schools can say the same to the families they represent. Our agent partnership page explains how we work with agencies, and our about page has the company background.
What registration does not mean
It is worth being clear about the limits. Registration is about the standard of the accommodation service. It does not mean every host is DBS checked (that applies to under-18 placements), and it does not replace the checks a school does when it enrols a student. We would rather you knew exactly what it covers than assumed more.
Looking for a homestay in London? Apply for homestay and tell us your course, dates and any requirements. Schools and agencies can contact us directly.
