Got a question, see our FAQs below?
- What can I expect from a London Homestay?
- When staying with one of our host families you will be welcomed into a warm friendly environment experiencing a home from home. You will be living within a typical British family home, experiencing the culture and allowing greater opportunities to practise your English.This allows our guests to gain a greater understanding of the language, culture and way of life.
We pride ourselves on matching each customer to a compatible host family guaranteeing a bespoke service, thereby ensuring all your specific requirments are best met to provide an unforgettable experience.
- How will I first meet my Host Family?
- Host Families will provide you with your Host Family details (i.e. address and contact details). We recommend that you exchange phone numbers and/or email addresses to keep your host family up to date with your arrival (i.e. flight details and expected arrival time) but also to inform of any delays or disruptions to your journey.
You are expected to make your own way to either the agreed meeting point or host family home (unless agreed otherwise with Host Families Ltd). We offer all our students our airport transfer service which can be found on our prices page
On arriving at your host family you will be given an introduction to family members by your hosts. You will also be given information on local facilities, nearby transport networks and any local information to your area. We advise that you ask your host family to help you plan your initial journeys as London has a wide variety of different transport systems. Whether you are traveling by bus, tube or over ground train please ask your family to help you buy and use a travel card (or ‘Oyster’ card).
- Do I get my own key?
- All students over 18 will be given a set of keys to their host family home, allowing all guests to access to the home as and when needed. If any keys are lost all guests will be expected to pay for a replacement.
When leaving your host family please organise a date/time to return the keys. Please do not leave without returning the key to your Host Family.
- What will my room by like?
- There will be a wardrobe, lamp, desk or table in your room for study. If no desk is available in your room then your host family will make a desk available elsewhere in a communal area of the house.
Please keep your room tidy as once a week your host family will provide clean bed linen.
Please respect the wishes of others especially late at night if you are watching TV or listening to music.
We advise all our guests to take out an insurance policy to cover you and your possessions. Neither Host Families Ltd nor your Host Family are responsible for any lost, stolen or damaged personal possessions.
- Will I be allowed to bring guests into the home?
- Students will only be allowed to bring guests (friends or family) to the Homestay with advance permission from the Host Family.
- What happens if I want to stay out overnight?
- Please keep your host family informed of your movements, especially if you are planning on being away overnight or coming home later than usual.
Our host family will be obliged to contact Host Families Ltd if you are unexpectedly absent.
- What happens if I want to stay longer?
- Host Families and guests should not agree on any extension to their stay. This will be in breach of the contract.
Host Families Ltd will need 2 weeks’ notice should you wish to extend your stay (as all extensions are subject to availability, so the sooner we know the better). If an extension with the current homestay is not possible, we will attempt to find a similar substitute.
- Do I need travel insurance?
- We strongly recommend that all our guests take out personal insurance to cover all aspects of their stay. Host Families Ltd. cannot be made liable for any costs incurred due to cancellation, illness, injury or loss/damage of possessions.
- What if I do not like living in the home stay?
- We make every effort when placing our guests with a host family that you are compatible with your host family but will also feel comfortable. However we ask all our guests to bear in mind that there is a transition period during the first couple of weeks where you are dealing with a new culture and way of life which can be difficult but easily overcome when you start to integrate with your host family, becoming a much more enjoyable and memorable experience.
Should any problems arise, you are encouraged to first discuss your issues with your host family to try and come to a resolution. However, Host Families Ltd can be contacted by telephone during office hours to discuss any difficulties, and we pride ourselves on dealing quickly and efficiently with any problems, and in worse case scenarios, changing to a new family if necessary.