Information for guests

This section contains advice and information for anyone who is looking for temporary accomodation through Refugees at Home.

It is important that all guests read through the guidance on this page.   If you are a refugee or asylum seeker looking for a room for yourself, please read our Guest application guide as well as the information below. If you are from an organisation who will act as the guest’s referrer, please also read our Referrer application guide.

You can also check our FAQs, and contact our Placement Team if you have any questions.

Finding you a host 

Once we have received a referral for you, we will contact you or your referrer to find out more about you.  If you feel uncomfortable answering any of our questions, please let us know.  All the information you share with us is kept securely and only shared with your host on a ‘need to know’ basis and for the duration of the hosting period. 

It’s important for us to learn as much as possible about you and your requirements because this will help us decide if we can find you a suitable host.  If we cannot help we will do our best to connect you with another organisation who can.  We do not pass your details onto any statutory, official organisations such as the Home Office or a Local Authority unless it’s to confirm that we have provided hosting for you. 

If you have self-referred to us, or do not know your referrer well, we will ask for character references for you before we decide if we can host you. 

Once we have accepted your referral, our placement team will begin to look for a host for you, doing our best to meet the criteria you have specified.  It’s important for you to be realistic about the hosts we may be able to find you, and to be flexible about the location in which you are prepared to be hosted.  There is a very high demand for placements in inner city areas.  People are generally more prepared to host those who have received their covid vaccinations, are non-smokers and are comfortable around pets. 

We are not able to provide a choice of hosts to you, but we will always make the best match we can. 

Once a placement has been agreed, we will introduce you or your referrer to the host to make arrangements for your arrival.

Depending on how long you need a room, you may be moved between hosts.  We understand that this can be disruptive but it does happen on occasion.  We will give you as much notice as possible if this is going to happen. 

Before your placement begins we will ask you or your referrer to sign a referral agreement with us. This states that you understand what hosting is, that it is only temporary, and that you commit to work on your move on plan throughout your placement.

About our hosts

Our hosts are all volunteers.  They will not get paid for hosting you.  Our hosts have different backgrounds and experiences, they will be different ages and have different households; some may have children, or live alone or with housemates.  Our hosts are diverse, and we see hosts with a range of religious beliefs, sexual orientation, nationality and views. 

It’s very important that guests are respectful of the views and identities of their hosts, as well as the other way around.

Moving into a host’s home

You may feel worried about moving in with a stranger.  Please rest assured that we will have visited your host and checked the accommodation.  Your host is ready to welcome you, and we are on hand to support them.

On arrival

We ask that you or your referrer arrange in advance with your host the time of your arrival on the date your placement is agreed to start.   You can ask for directions and what you need to do when you arrive. 

When you arrive, take time to get to know where you will be staying and ask your host any questions you have about how they would like you to behave in their home

Here are some things you may like to ask your host about:

• How to use things in the home such as the shower, washing machine or other facilities.
• Are they happy for you to use their Wi-Fi/broadband?
• Where you can store your things.
• What times they would be happy for you to use the kitchen.

During your stay

We encourage all hosts to have clear ‘house rules’. These are important for a good hosting relationship and will help both you and your host feel comfortable.  The rules will differ from host to host but are likely to include:

• Whether you will have a set of keys for their home. If you do, make sure you always keep these safely and tell your host straightaway if you lose them.
• Cooking times and what you can cook. Some of our hosts may be vegetarian or have dietary requirements such as keeping kosher or halal. They may ask you not to prepare specific foods in their home.
• If you are a smoker, where they will permit you to smoke. This is very unlikely to be in their home.
• If they are happy for you to have people visit you. It’s very important that you ask their permission before inviting someone over to their home.
• If there are any rooms in their home they do not wish you to go in.

Please note that no illegal substances should be used or brought into the host’s home.  If you do, the placement will be ended immediately.

While it is your responsibility to keep the room in which you are staying clean and tidy, as well as any shared spaces, your host will not ask you to work for free. 

If you are worried about any of the house rules you can speak to your host, referrer, or your Placement Coordinator if you self-referred to us.

Remember, you do not need to tell your host anything about your journey to the UK and they will likely not ask you about this.  You do not need to share anything you don’t want to.

Our hosts are not trained in immigration, benefits or the housing system. If you need advice on these issues then please speak to your referrer, a caseworker, or ask your Placement Coordinator who can point you to places you can get help.  

Our contact with you during a placement

Your Placement Coordinator will check in with you (or your referrer) and your host regularly throughout your placement.  We’ll be asking you how your move on plan is developing and what is happening.  This is because hosting is never permanent, and we expect our guests to keep working toward longer term housing. 

If you have an issue or concern during your placement, you can contact your referrer or Placement Coordinator.  It’s very important that you let your referrer or Placement Coordinator know as soon as possible if there is an issue in your placement, we can only resolve things if we know about them.

Support we offer self-referred guests

At Refugees at Home, our Placement Team connects guests who need temporary housing with volunteer hosts who have a spare bedroom available. Our team is comprised of Placement Coordinators who oversee these hosting arrangements (what we call ‘placements’).

As well as placing you with the most suitable host for your needs, we will be providing remote support to assist you whilst you are in a placement. If we cannot support you directly, we will link you up with an alternative trusted organisation. Neither we, nor your host, can do everything for you, however, we are here to help you build your confidence in moving forward and to strengthen your knowledge of local resources whilst you are hosted with us.

Our support and advice is guest-tailored and will be centred around what each guest and their host raises with us both while we assess an individual’s suitability for hosting and throughout a placement. You will have a named Placement Coordinator (occasionally, you will hear from someone else in our team when your Placement Coordinator is on leave) and they will be contactable by phone, email and WhatsApp. We pride ourselves on being quick to reply to guests and hosts, so that placements go smoothly with all questions or concerns being immediately addressed. We are always reachable by info@refugeesathome.org and seek to reply to urgent queries on the same day you contact us.

Depending on your circumstances, the support we provide can include the following:

• Placement support: we know that living in someone’s home can be difficult and navigating life as a guest can be challenging. We will be on hand to provide advice and support on everyday practices such as cleanliness, food customs, quiet hours, cross cultural and societal matters such as social norms, talking about mental health, religion, finances, accessibility matters etc.
• Housing: We will help you explore what housing move on options will be right for you and will provide guidance and support to understand different housing options including, understanding priority need and local connections, referring you into deposit schemes and helping you to budget for affordable housing. We can help find you equipment and furniture to support your move into your own accommodation. Additionally, we can support you with matters regarding utility bills, council tax, benefits, and settling into your new accommodation. We will check in to ensure that you are feeling safe and secure and you can always reach out for help with any issues that arise.
• Creating a community: We know that your relationship with your hosts will be brilliant, but it will not be enough to help you feel part of a community. Therefore, we can help you find all sorts of connections based on your interests and needs, such as LGBTQIA+ charities, youth organisations, sports clubs, local events, befriending and mentoring schemes, nearby drop-ins etc.
• For matters outside our remit: We also share resources on where to find employment support (job centres, job boards), financial assistance services, volunteering and training opportunities, immigration experts, ESOL classes, mental health resources and free or affordable goods (furniture, clothing, tech [smartphones, laptops], SIM cards and bikes).
• When hosting ends: The primary support we offer is hosting; however, you can reach out to our team if you have any follow up questions or would like some additional signposting support once your placement ends. When you have left hosting, you can also sign up for our newsletter for former R@H guests. This newsletter is sent approximately every other month and includes information including but not limited to employment and volunteer opportunities, job boards, events and Refugees at Home updates. If you find yourself struggling with accommodation once you have left us, do get in contact to see if we can assist you.

The end of your placement

Placements can end for lots of different reasons but as hosting is only temporary, you know that you must be working on your move on plan.  This might be a move to Home Office accommodation, into your own tenancy, with a friend or into emergency accommodation.

When you leave your host’s home you might feel sad and anxious but remember that hosting is only a small part of your journey in the UK and there are lots of people in this country who will help and support you on the next part of your journey, whatever that might be.

In some cases, Refugees at Home must make the decision to end a placement if things are not working out for either the guest or the host. If something that we think is serious has happened, then we might ask you to leave your host’s home immediately or without much notice. We will provide you or your referrer with a Placement Ending Letter that they will give to you with the reasons why it must end. If you have a referrer, we will also notify them.  Whilst we try to avoid having to do this, it can happen from time to time.

When you leave your host’s home you should return any keys they have given you and leave your room clean and as you found it.

We hope that hosting is a positive experience for you, and we would love to hear your feedback on your experiences of hosting with us. Please let your Placement Coordinator know how it went, or email us on info@refugeesathome.org. Thank you!