Host Family Stay Reviews 25

If you are considering using Host Family Stay for any stay or arrangement, I hope you find the following useful.

1.) They produce their own Terms & Conditions which are never presented – nor agreed to – when you first start letting through them.
The only Terms & Conditions visible appear on their website - but they apply a 2nd set of Terms & Conditions which you have to specifically request from them.

2.) At no point are you asked to review and approve/sign any Terms & Conditions or Lease Agreements.
They’re sole priority is to secure all payments in advance without ever presenting any Contracts or Terms & Conditions or indeed allowing you to view the property ahead of committing.
Such payments include a sizable 4-week deposit, 95 GBP Administration fee and all rental fees for multiple weeks or even months in advance.

3.) SUPER IMPORTANT – be very careful what you disclose to them as they consider all emails detailing of your son’s or daughter’s situation as “legally binding” and they form the basis for their hypothetical “Lease Agreement”.

As an example of this, my son approached them via email stating that he was looking for accommodation options through to June/July 2026.
When we came to end the lease, they then applied 50% of an “early curtailment fee” – which equalled ~500 GBP! - without any reference or warning.
As no Contract or Terms & Conditions have ever been presented, reviewed or approved and our only invoice period had already past, I asked “on what basis can they suggest “early curtailment?” as no contract had ever been presented.

Their response – “(your son’s) own email dated xxx stated his intended stay was “from yyy all the way till June/July next year.” This was also taken into account by the Host Family Stay Management Team when assessing the early curtailment.”

So, Host Family Stay automatically assume the full-duration of your son or daughter’s stay in the UK – as shared in any enquiry correspondence - matches the term duration of their hypothetical Lease Agreement – again – even though no Lease Agreements or Contracts are ever presented, reviewed or signed/approved.

Please be warned. I hope this helps.

AVOID AT ALL COST!

Choose this company to host my son in September this year - but NEVER AGAIN!

From outset, the company chases you for all money and a sizable deposit long before you've ever been able to view or assess the proposed property and host.

Then, when you have any questions or disputes - complete silence & non-response.
You have to constantly chase to speak to anyone or a manager.

What we then go on to learn is - while they are super keen to collect all money ahead of time from the guests - months in advance - they are notoriously very slow and incomplete to pay the host in return.
Leaves to a situation where both the host and guest feel terrible about the experience.

And finally, when you choose to leave, they demand your new lease details, new address and contact information - even proof of your travel records! - all clearly as an attempt to illegally retain your GBP 1,000+ deposit.

Please heed our experience and find another company - any company!

Atqa did such a wonderful job finding me a lovely host, and they were with me every step of the way, checking in on me after I arrived and when I unfortunately had to leave early, they made the check out process seamless as well. The host herself was incredibly kind, helpful and welcoming, and I couldn't have asked for a better experience in a new city and country.

I had a great experience with this company. The admin team was always ready to respond to any problems and made the process really simple.

My daughter contacted Host Family Stay back in June of 2023 as she was moving to London to study. Host Family Stay found her a wonderful Host right near her College. My daughter loved her stay with her Host family so much she decided to stay there another academic year. I highly recommend future students to use Host Family Stay as it is an established company who cares for the welfare and safety of their clients. I am extremely grateful to Host Family Stay for carefully choosing an amazing Host Family whose accommodation is modern, clean, cosy, safe, warm and friendly. I feel very relaxed knowing that my daughter is happy and well cared for. Thank you Host Family Stay.

The host family company responded promptly and kindly to all my doubts and requests. They immediately understood my difficulty in looking for a house as a student and always respected my decision times. At every stage of the process of finding a host family they helped me and they have reliable and serious contacts.
Even if, due to personal choice, I did not decide to stay with a family, in the future I would try to contact the Host family company again to take advantage of their assistance in looking for accommodation.

Host family stay provides a very good service. They are always avalaible. The families proposed are near London.

Very serious company. My daughter of 17 years old could have an unforgettable homestay.

Emily is very kind and responsible. She helped me find a nice home that exactly met my demands. Thank you for finding a warm family for me; it 100% met my expectations, and I love it! 😻 Everything is great, and I've already recommended host families and this lovely and responsible agency to my friends. I have to say thank you because you not only meet people's demands but also enrich their life experiences and bring wonderful things to them!

Host Family Stay team helped us to find the right solution for my 2 daughters (15 and 17). The host family was great and very supportive and my daughters had a fantastic time in London. Thank you HFS!
Ewa, Milan - Italy

The whole team at Host Family Stay were amazing and incredibly supportive in finding the perfect family for my friend’s 15 year old daughter. Thank you for making Viola’s London experience so wonderful.
Aurelia, Milan - Italy

The host family was super welcoming and friendly. The staff at Host family stay were helpful and quick to respond when organising the stay.

Hello everyone! 🤗 I went in London on 24th of January without any accommodation and I stayed few days in the hotel before contacted Host Family. The host family’s team helps me to find the right home and in two days I moved to my new family in London! They are an amazing team and I am so grateful to meet them!!!

My 14 year old daughter has a wonderful experience with the host family arranged by Host Family Stay. Their staff are helpful to find the suitable host family and responsive to the queries that I have. I would definitely use their service in the future. Highly recommended👍

Host Family Stay provides a reliable service. Very patient and professional, and always responded to my emails. I was about to lose hope about finding a place in London, but Host Family Stay managed to find me the nicest host and a place very close to my uni and to Central London. I couldn't be happier about the experience I've had with them and I would definitely recommend their services!

Well organized service, delightful host and attention to customer care. I would highly recommend it for long or medium length stays. Overall positive experience

I was looking for a student accomodation in London and noticed that everything was already booked so i searched for a family stay. This website was the first that appeared on my google searches and found it interesting. They immediately emailed me to offer me some host family, i was able to choose directly. The service is perfectly good even though they took around 4 days to reply for some times. I was doubtful about the liability of the website because the people i know in London didn’t know about this website, but i took the risk. I have been in London for a week now, i have met my family stay, got my room. (For information i took the bed and breakfast option). The place is better than i expected, i really feel like home, the host is really nice, i couldn’t have asked for better. The area is quiet and safe, everything is perfect.
I do recommend Host Family Stay for anyone who is looking for an accomodation here in London, it’s actually cheaper than other student accomodation, you can save more with it. I am really happy to be here, it’s not far from my university and Central London.
Thank you Host Family Stay for your service.

I needed a homestay as quick as possible, and the team was very helpful and helped me with my emergency situation. they offered many great options. when i moved in with my host it felt like home. she was so welcoming and kind with me. I will consider this as a nice experience and I would differently recommend it.