Once we have received your referral form, we will ask you or your referrer more questions about your situation so that we can assess whether we can help or not. If we cannot help then we will contact you or your referrer and explain why. If we can help then we will try and match you with a host close to where you would like to stay. We may not be able to find you a host in the location you want to stay because in some of the bigger cities, such as London, lots of people want to stay there and we only have a limited number of hosts available. We might also not be able to find a host for the length of time that you need so you may need to move to another host during your period of hosting with us. In these cases, we might ask you to be flexible on your location and consider a host living in more rural areas. 

When we have found a potential host we share the details with your referrer or you directly. Your referrer or you can then arrange for your arrival. This can seem a little daunting at first but our hosts are kind and generous people and will welcome you into their home.

Some of our hosts have house pets such as cats and dogs. This is common in the UK and we recognise that this is different in other countries. We ask you on the referral form to tell us if you are happy living with pets or not. It is often difficult for us to find a host that matches your needs exactly so we may ask you if you can be flexible about this.

Our hosts are volunteers, we do not pay them to host guests. It is important that you do not ask your hosts for money. If you are in financial difficulties please speak with your referrer or if you do not have one, contact the Refugees at Home Placement Team

Some of our hosts will drink alcohol or eat pork. Some of our hosts will have different dietary requirements. Our hosts all have different views on religion and sexuality such as LGBTQ+, and we ask that everyone is respectful and tolerant of those differences. We ask our hosts to respect your views and practices too. In some cases we might match a host and a guest because of certain circumstances.

Some of our hosts are single females. It is common for single women to live alone in the UK and we recognise that this is different in other countries. We ask that all hosts are treated with respect even if they are living in a way that is unfamiliar to you.

Hosts might set out some house rules before or during your placement to help you to understand what is acceptable in their home. This will hopefully help you and your host to feel comfortable and help build a positive relationship. This will not involve any work related or inappropriate jobs or activity. If you are unsure of any of the rules or feel worried, you can speak with your hosts, referrer or us directly. 

Some of our hosts will give you a set of keys for the house and some will not. Hosts may want to talk to you about the security in the home such as burglar alarms that are set up for when you enter and leave the home. It is important that once your placement ends, you give back the keys if you have been given them. 

It is important that you do not invite friends or family into the host’s home without their permission beforehand. Please check with your host before making any arrangements. 

Our hosts all have different family circumstances. Some hosts may have children that are still young and living at home, some may have older children that live away from home but visit occasionally and others may not have children at all. Some of our hosts may live on their own and others may live with a partner or friend. It is important that regardless of the situation, guests and hosts respect each other.

If you smoke, most of our hosts will not be happy for you to smoke in their home or in your bedroom. Please check with your host where you can smoke and where you should leave your cigarette butts. It is good to be open and honest with your hosts as this will avoid any problems or tensions. If you drink alcohol, please ask your hosts if they are happy for you to bring alcohol into their home. Excessive drinking is unlikely to be tolerated by your host and this may become a reason for a placement to end. You cannot use or bring illegal substances into your host’s home. If you do, your placement will end immediately.