Host families

A key part of the magic that we offer is the opportunity for locals and people from other countries to get to know each other in everyday life, and students staying with a host family is at the core of that experience.

How does it work?

Who are they and how long do they stay? Our students can be American students on study visits of a week or two, European vocational students doing internships for a few weeks, or university students from outside Europe doing a semester in Glasgow for a few months, usually through the Erasmus Mundus programme.

How does food work? The vocational students and American students here for a week or two usually need breakfast and dinner, though you don’t have to eat breakfast with them, and either you or they might be out at dinnertime sometimes. If you’re out and they’ll be home, you can leave food for them. The semester-long university students might appreciate having breakfast and dinner included or might want to organise their own food.

What else will they need? They’ll need their own room (if you have a twin guest room, sometimes we can send you two people), space to store their clothes, access to the main living areas and the washing machine and wifi. Uni students also appreciate a desk, if possible. Bedside tables with lamps are also good.

Aside from that, it’s just being welcoming and sharing everyday life with your guest.

If you have time to take them on adventures, we can contribute if there’s a cost, but if you only see them at home, that’s perfectly fine too.

How does payment work? We pay you two weeks at a time in advance, generally starting the day before they arrive, so you can get groceries in. There are different rates, depending on whether food is included.

Do I get to choose who stays with me? When we have someone who we think might fit, we’ll get in touch with some details about your prospective guest and see if you would like to host them, so you always get to decide what you want to do. You can also give preferences, and of course we take into considerations things like pet allergies.

What happens next when the student is booked in? We will also brief your students on what to expect and how to be good guests, and we’ll put them in touch with you before they arrive so you can break the ice and get to know a bit about them, including things like what they eat for breakfast, if you’re providing food. Normally, we will also bring them to your house when they arrive, though sometimes if they’re in a big group, they might arrive in a taxi.

What support is available during the hosting? We’ll keep in touch with them and you during their stay to see how everything is going, and if you need anything, you can just get in touch. We aim to give everyone a great experience.

Where in Glasgow works? For the vocational students who can be working anywhere in the city and the American students on short visits, you need to be within the “G” zones of an SPT ZoneCard, so it’s viable for students to get where they need to go. For the university students who pay for their own transport, there’s more demand if you’re an easy bus journey or walk to University of Glasgow, or occasionally to University of Strathclyde.

Do I need to pay taxes on my earnings from hosting or register for a Short Term Lets Licence? We’re happy to say no to both of those.😊 Under the Government’s Rent a Room Scheme, you can earn £7,500 per year without declaring it. Also happily, you don’t need a Short Term Let Licence (with all the costs involved) because students staying with you for educational purposes approved by a college or university don’t count as a short-term let. So much easier!

What do I do next? If all this sounds like a great fit for you, just fill in our host family registration form and we’ll get in touch with you to discuss taking it forward. 😊