Hosts International operates in twenty cities across the UK and Ireland (Dublin), we are constantly growing in new locations and working in partnerships with many leading institutions. We offer our students a wide range of services and cater for homestay accommodation for all ages, both juniors and adults.
Homestays Available
across UK & Ireland
Hosts International (www.hosts-international.com) was established in 1988 with its main function being then, as it still is today, to provide quality Homestays for international students and interns. Our aim is to ensure that every student is placed in a welcoming homestay environment which we strongly believe leads to an accelerated learning of English, an opportunity to learn English in a UK Homestay and a generally happier stay. Hosts International has its main offices at 4th Floor, 207- 209 REGENT STREET, London, W1B 4ND and is always looking for good households interested in becoming a Homestay for foreign students.
They travel as individuals or groups and 90% of our clientele are international students seeking the homestay experience. We also cater for interns and professionals with our independent living accommodation. We also offer students transfers and travel cards if they choose to book.
It is a homestay’s duty to guide their students throughout their stay. Our students come to us from all over the world and staying in a Homestay accommodation provides them with a fantastic opportunity to experience British culture and improve their English language. Thus, the experience can be hugely rewarding for both students and hosts alike. Many of our hosts and their guests remain in contact for a long time after they return home. You are to offer the student a fully decorated private bedroom, with bed(s), wardrobe/storage, and desk/study facilities at a minimum.
A homestay also offers the interaction of meals together when and where possible and provides weekly laundry access at no additional charge.
At Hosts International, we follow British Council guidelines when recruiting new homestay hosts. We’re looking for hosts who offer more than just a room — individuals who welcome students as part of their family. A great host provides a warm, friendly environment and is happy to support their guest as they settle into life in the UK. This may include a short orientation on arrival, helping them find local transport links, and assisting with directions to their place of study or work.
We value hosts who are open to cultural exchange — those who are willing to share their own experiences while also learning about the student’s background. Above all, we seek people who genuinely enjoy connecting with others and are committed to making each student’s stay a positive and memorable one.
Requirements include:
We are recruiting homestay hosts in all areas of London, ideally in zones 1, 2, 3 and 4 and close to an underground station (no more than a 15-minute walk or short bus ride). Please note the greatest demand will be for homestays near an underground station.
Hosts International also recruits homestay hosts in many cities across the UK and Ireland. Some of our popular locations include: Birmingham, Bournemouth, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Canterbury, Coventry, Dublin, Edinburgh, Jersey, Kent, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Medway, Northampton, Oxford, Swansea, and York.
We are always expanding our network of homes and offer rewards for friends and family you introduce to us. Please drop us an email at hostfamily@hosts-international.com with your details and area/location/postcode and we will let you know your suitability and be in touch.
We are also operating our online interactive system, which allows the students to browse through our offered locations and see some of the homestays available. The students then can request the suitable homestays based on their profiles on the interactive system. Please note that we only include the first name and first initial of the surname together with the postcode of each homestay due to security reasons. Please do let us know if you would like to be listed on our online Interactive System.
Guests’ stays vary. There are short term stays and long-term stays. Length of stay can be anything from a week to a year. You will be informed the length of stay upon accepting a booking but flexibility on what you offer is key to ensuring you are provided with students year-round.
We generally offer one category of homestay accommodation but offer a premium for higher quality and with a private bathroom.
London – Standard
Mainly zones 2, 3, 4 and 5 this is a very good level of homestay accommodation. It will usually be within good residential areas and mostly in apartments or houses with gardens.
London – Superior and Executive
Mainly zones 1, 2 and 3 and will be a very high standard of accommodation, most with the additional benefit of a private bathroom. This will be either in houses or apartments or in central/desirable locations.
At Hosts International, we offer flexible meal plans to suit the needs of each student. Please note most students choose Half Board or Full Board to enjoy the full homestay experience, however, we also accommodate independent students who prefer the flexibility of Self-Catering.
Includes a daily continental breakfast with cereal, toast, jam, tea/coffee, and juice.
Includes a continental breakfast (as above) and an evening meal with two courses, typically a meat/fish dish with vegetables/salad and potatoes/rice/pasta followed by a dessert/fruit. Dinner is shared with the host to encourage conversation and cultural exchange.
Includes a continental breakfast and an evening meal (as above), plus a packed lunch with a sandwich, drink, chocolate bar, crisps, and a piece of fruit. Ideal for younger students or those with a full daily schedule.
Guests prepare their own meals. Hosts provide allocated kitchen storage space (fridge, freezer, and cupboard) and access to basic cooking utensils. Kitchen usage times should be agreed in advance between host and guest.
Remuneration will depend on your location, distance to the school of students, any meal package that you are able to cater for and our classification in the above categories. We aim to pay a reasonable weekly rate will be decided upon by the home visit done by our homestay inspector. If you wish to know a more accurate weekly rate for your location before registering, please speak to one of our advisers.
As much as hosting is a secondary income for our homestay hosts, we hope that it is also an experience that both the homestay and the guest should enjoy.
If you would like to become a homestay host, then we now need to know a little more about you.
We are always keen to hear from prospective homestays. Please fill in our short online application form, or please tell us as much information as you can. Please upload photos of the room(s) you have available and send them through. Don’t forget to leave your contact phone numbers!
Upon receiving your application form, we will telephone you as soon as possible to confirm that the service will suit you
Or send us an email at info@hosts-international.com, letting us know a little bit about yourself and your family, answering the following questions:
Can you send any photos of the accommodation please, which will help us determine the price based on relocation and facility offered.
To complete your registration, you will require an up-to-date Gas certificate, appropriate security check as a homestay (DBS/PVG/Garda) and a fire risk assessment. We also ask for two references and will guide you through the rest of the requirements. We can apply for your police check through our organisation and assist you with this application, please let us know if you wish to apply through us.
We look forward to hearing from you with photos, answers to the questions and the required documentation.
My husband and I have been Hosting students and group leaders for Host for all of 2018. We previously did it in 2014 but in moving house which needed a lot of renovation we had to stop for a while. We are now retired and find hosting great fun meeting students from all over the world previous students from Venezuela, Columbia Japan Korea China and all over Europe. We host on long and short term basis from a week to a year. Host International are an excellent company to work with supportive of students and Homestays alike. Please consider us and Host International if you are looking to stay in Bristol England as you will find security and fun.
Host: S J From Bristol
FAQs about International Student’s Accommodation in UK/Ireland
Homestay hosts across the UK welcome international students into their homes, whether that’s for short stays or year-round courses. However, what many don’t know is that they might not have the correct level of protection with a standard household policy, or could be unintentionally invalidating their home insurance by having additional guests stay at the property.
When you have ‘lodgers’ staying at your home, most insurers will place extra exclusions on your policy, for example, removing cover for theft without forced entry. This can cause unnecessary worry for hosts welcoming international students and wanting to make them feel at home.
We work with many schools, colleges and universities and therefore can give you students year-round especially in the summer busy period, to suit your availability. This gives you the flexibility to host year-round or as you wish.
Lodgers are usually more independent. We ask our homestays to make sure that they communicate with their students on a regular basis as this is the main reason why students choose homestay accommodation. This enables them to experience living in a local family and, in many cases, also to improve their English.
Yes, having a pet is fine and many of our current hosts have pets. We will make a note on your profile that you have a pet to ensure that all the students interested in your accommodation are aware before they arrive at your home.
We pay our hosts regularly on a weekly basis by bank transfer or cheque. This means that you don’t have to worry about students paying or any financial arrangements with the students.
Our booking rates vary per booking and are based on whether the booking is an individual adult, junior group, facility, location, meal plan, room and sharing preferences. All our rates are pro-rata so you are paid for all the nights the student stays with you. You will be also provided with the exact price for each booking at the time we confirming each booking. Hosts International pays all hosts regularly so you will have a security of regular payments for your students.
Once you register with us and go through the registration process, we will activate your profile in our system and will be contacting you with potential bookings for your area. We will always provide you with all the information about the booking and it will be then up to your availability and preference if you accept it.. We aim to provide our homestays with bookings throughout the whole year.
This will depend on the student’s stay. Many students come only for short stays – usually from 3 days up to 4 weeks. The longer-term students stay with homestays for over 4 weeks, sometimes the whole school semester or the entire year. It will be your decision whether you will prefer a short stay or long-term students or a mixture of both.
You will need to provide a spare bedroom for students with adequate storage, study facilities, and an internet connection. You also must be willing to welcome international students at your home and provide them with meals as required, as well as a friendly welcoming, interactive environment. There is also legal compliance, like suitability checks, that we may require before allocating any students with you. Our support team will assist you with this process.
Hosts International made my stay seamless and enjoyable. The attention to detail and warm hospitality made all the difference!
“ I have liaised with Malvina on numerous occasions and she has been fantastic at finding families and sorting out issues.“
02nd Mar, 2025 
“ Business Malvina of Hosts Intl., the groups coordinator, is the most helpful, resolutive, dedicated and charming person you can find. The best solving problem person I remember. She never let you down.“
12th Dec, 2024 
“ Holiday ❘ Family I have used host international for my daughter’s school trip and she had the best experience she was hosed by a lovely family and she loved the school. Allover her experience was beautiful.“
12th Dec, 2024 
“ Holiday ❘ Friends We received an impressive service from your team. Malvina is very responsive and quickly respond to my inquiry in no time. Most of our request has been met in a short period of time.“
09th Oct, 2024 
“ we have been working with Hosts International for more than ten years and always solving any problems in a professional manner. Fantastic company to work with.“
23rd Dec, 2024 
“ I have been hosting students from Host International for the last 6 years . It has been a great experience. The team is very supportive and professional“
18th Mar, 2025 
“ Business ❘ Family Malvina has been an absolute pleasure to deal with, I love her“
21st Feb, 2025 
