STUDENTS

Our students come from all over the world including Eastern Europe, Asia and South America. The majority of students are in their early twenties and for many of them it is their first time away from home. As a consequence they might feel lonely and homesick. It is one of the roles as a host family to make your guests feel as welcome and comfortable as possible.

LANGUAGE

The students you will host will have various levels of English. Whatever their level it is important that you speak clearly (not necessarily slowly) without too many idioms and colloquial expressions. English must be spoken in the home at all times. They are here to learn English, so we will ask you to speak to them even if they are shy and are reluctant to speak to you!

BOOKING

We will contact you once we have a suitable student for your accommodation. We will provide you with the following information: nationality, age, board and type of accommodation the student wishes to book, and any other special requests the student has. If you decide to host this student, we will then send you a full confirmation by e-mail which will include the payment details that we will owe you.

CONTACTING YOU

We will inform you of the student’s arrival time when possible. Should we fail to do so your student will be advised to contact you in advance with their approximate arrival time. If you cannot greet the student at that time, you will be asked to arrange a convenient time for you and the student. We will always however assist you with contacting the student should you not be able to. If the student did not notify you of their arrival time, you would not have to wait for the student to arrive. Please bare in mind that majority of the students are in London for the first time, so please allow approximately 30 minutes after the agreed arrival time should they get lost on their way to you.

THE BEDROOM

The minimum requirement for the bedroom is as follows:
      - A comfortable full-size bed
      - A desk and chair
      - A wardrobe
      - A chest of drawers
      - A bedside light
      - Adequate heating and ventilation
Bed linen must be changed weekly and the room cleaned weekly. Clean bed linen has to be provided for new arrivals.

 
MEALS: B&B, HALF BOARD

A substantial breakfast must be provided for B&B and a substantial breakfast with a cooked dinner for half board students. The students will be expected to eat with the family. Please inform the student about meal times. Our accommodation officer will tell you about any dietary requirements but it is also a good idea to check with the student when they arrive. Make sure the students tell you if they are going to be late or intend to miss a meal. We would appreciate it if students were given the freedom to make tea and coffee and use the fridge storing water and cold drinks. Breakfast should be continental including at least a few peaces of toast, jam, butter, chocolate spread, or peanut butter, ham cheese, and yoghurt. We would also recommend that at least once during their stay you make full English breakfast.

LAUNDRY

Please arrange laundry duties with your students. They should have access to the washing machine once a week (they can load and you can operate). If they cannot use your washing machine, there must be a laundrette within walking distance.

GUESTS

Students may on occasions ask you if they can invite a friend or relative to your home. This is at your discretion.

TELEPHONE

Incoming calls should be allowed on the condition it does not disrupt your family life in any way. Outgoing calls should be allowed in an emergency only. Most students will have their own mobile or a phone card.

FRONT DOOR KEY

All our students are adults and therefore must be given their own front door key. You may ask them for a small deposit e.g. £10 in exchange for the key. If your students go out in the evening you may ask them at what time they will be back and give them some advice about last trains/buses.

EXTENSION OF STAY

If a student wishes to extend their stay, it must be arranged through The UK Stay.

DAMAGE

If a host family suffers damage due to student negligence, compensation should be negotiated directly through the student and the Agency contacted immediately. We will always try and assist you. All students show their ID and most of them are from a visa country, which means that they had to go though a visa application. We therefore have access to all their contact details back home and students can be traced through their parents/agents etc. We are happy to say that up to now we did not have any unresolved issues of a student not paying for the damage.

DISPUTES

If any dispute occurs between the student and the host family the Accommodation Officer must be contacted immediately and a record in writing sent to the Agency. The Agency will try and help to resolve any arising disputes.

EMERGENCIES

You will be provided with 2 emergency telephone numbers. You will be able to contact a member of staff 24/7 in cases of emergency.

PREPARATION FOR YOUR STUDENT

To make your student’s stay as enjoyable as possible it is a good idea to make a welcome note for your student. In it you should write:
     - Rules of your house
     - Up to £25 deposit for the front door key
     - A map of the nearest tube or bus stop
     - Written directions of how to get to their school from your house and local transport facilities
     - Meal times
If you require any advice or assistance our Accommodation Officer Kristin Muller will be pleased to help you. She can be contacted during our office opening hours.

Remember
Students will have to be treated as a part of your family!
We hope we will enjoy being a UK Stay’s Host Family

To see if you qualify please read our Requirements Page