Become a host for IH Bristol
We are always looking for new hosts for our adult and junior students
Hosting a student provides a wonderful opportunity for a student to experience life in the UK, while providing you with an income for your spare room and the chance to learn about new cultures. Our students come from all over the world to study English in Bristol - in 2019 we welcomed over 41 nationalities to IH Bristol!
You don't need to host students all year round. You can choose to be a host for 2 weeks or 52 weeks - host when it suits you - and you can choose to host adults or juniors*
We are particularly interested in hosts living in the Clifton, Redland, Bishopston and Westbury-on-Trym areas.
*If you are hosting students under the age of 18 a household DBS check (with main caregiver as primary name) is required to cover and check the adult members of the household. IH Bristol can help with this.
Hosts' responsibilities
- Offer a warm welcome to your home and our city - your student(s) should be treated as one of the family
- Provide a clean, comfortable room for students, furnished with a bed, wardrobe and desk for study
- Share access to common areas of the house, and keep them clean and tidy
- Where meals are provided, share them and eat with the student - this is a great opportunity to get to know each other and allow your student to practise their English
- Provide fresh bedsheets and towels weekly, and allow weekly use of your laundry facilities for students to wash their clothes
IH Bristol's responsibilities
- We will match you to suitable students based on the room type and dietary requirements you can cater to
- Handle all payment and invoicing of students' booked accommodation, sending payment to you fortnightly
- Collect and pass on any relevant information about a student including dietary requirements, allergies etc
- Provide a 24/7 emergency number for out of hours assistance
Application process
If you would like to host for IH Bristol please complete our host application form here. If you meet our initial hosting criteria we will contact you to arrange a home visit, to inspect the student room(s) and shared areas of the house and gather required documents such as a gas safety certificate. If you would like to host students under the age of 18, we will also ask for a DBS check.
Once you are approved as an IH Bristol host, we will contact you when we have possible students to place with you. We aim to place students 1-2 weeks before they arrive, but sometimes receive last minute applications.
Interested, but would like to find out more?
Call us today (0117 909 0911) with any questions and we will guide you through the process of becoming a host and answer any questions you may have, or simply complete the application form here and we will be in touch.
Hear what our hosts have to say
Jonathan and Gail have been hosting junior students for IH Bristol since 2011, and have written some short blog pieces for us over the years:
- 'Time flies when hosting is fun' - April 2016
- Connecting with students' families - September 2017
- 'Happy to be hosting again!' - August 2020