Volunteer Host: Do you have a spare room? Could you host a refugee?

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"Once we took the step to open our home, it became the most natural thing in the world.” - Rachel, Refugees at Home host. Refugees at Home is the UK’s largest independent hosting charity, connecting people with a spare room in their home to refugees and people seeking asylum in need of somewhere to stay. We don’t think people who come to the UK for sanctuary should end up on the streets. Our vision is for every refugee and every person seeking asylum to have a safe place to stay. Many of our guests come to us on the verge of homelessness – some have already spent time sleeping on the streets. To date, we have supported over 7,000 guests into hosting, but the need is not going away. We are always looking for more people with a spare room, or even a sofa bed, to sign up to host. Hosts ideally need to have good public transport links; this enables our guests to travel to college, school, support groups or jobs, and retain their independence. We carefully assess each guest and host, match according to preferences, advise on hosting arrangements and preparations, and provide ongoing support whilst you have a guest staying with you. Hosting is only ever temporary; it can vary from a few nights to several months and anything in between. “It’s mostly just being a tiny part of that longer story.” - Andrew, a Refugees at Home host

Key information

  • Start Date: 6th January 2026
  • End Date: 1st June 2026
  • Volunteer: Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly, Quarterly
  • Tasks: "There are so few times you can do something practical to help. Hosting refugees felt like a practical thing to do." - A Refugees at Home host.

    Anyone with a spare room can sign up to host! All hosts will need to provide two references and have a home visit.

    All guests, hosts and households are different and there is no magic ingredient to a successful placement. Some hosts share meals and do activities with guests; others just give guests a key and get on with their busy lives. Our team are available to support you through every stage of the placement.

    You decide how long you would like to host for; we are flexible around your preferences and availability. Each placement is different, and the length of hosting can vary from a few nights to several months and anything in between.
  • Training: We support you through every step of your hosting journey. Before a guest is placed with you, one of our home visitors will meet with you to make sure your home is suitable for hosting, to offer advice and get to know you.

    Our Placement Team stay in contact with you when you have a guest staying with you, and someone from the team is available seven days a week if you have any questions or problems.

    There is also the opportunity to be part of a Refugees at Home ‘hub’ of local volunteer hosts, who come together to share experiences, resources and advice.

    As the UK’s largest independent hosting charity, we also have a wealth of information and guidance on our website and our regular newsletter.
  • Interests: Community, Homeless, Housing, Human rights, Immigrants, Race and Ethnicity, Refugees
  • Suitability: 18 and over
  • Activities: Lending a helping hand
  • DBS Check: No
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