Households offering accommodation
Homes for Ukraine Scheme
If you want to offer a home to people fleeing Ukraine, you can become a sponsor as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Register your interest to provide accommodation by completing the online form
The Homes for Ukraine scheme requests sponsors provide at least 6 months of stable accommodation. This can be anything from an empty room to an unoccupied home, as long as it's safe, heated and free from health hazards, and gives your guests adequate access to bathroom and kitchen facilities.
The scheme asks for sponsors who can at least offer an empty room, rather than a dining room or conservatory, to ensure the safety and privacy of guests. A bed in a shared space would not be an appropriate offer of accommodation for 6 months.
Budgeting and insurance
Council tax discount will not be affected if you sponsor and host a Ukrainian household in your home. The scheme is offering a monthly ‘thank you’ payment to all sponsors – this will not affect benefit entitlement or any council tax discounts and is tax free. Sponsors who claim the optional payment will receive £350 per month for a guest's initial 12 months in the UK. Sponsors who carry on hosting guests after 12 months in the UK will receive an increased amount of £500 per month from months 12 – 24. As well as there being no impact on a sponsor’s discount for their main home, there will be a 50% discount for empty or second homes that are used to house Ukrainians on the scheme.
In some cases, you’ll need to check with your landlord, freeholder or mortgage provider, and insurance company, about whether they’ve got any policies which you need to factor in. It’s important you think through any possible implications for your tenancy, mortgage, lease and insurance before your guest arrives in the UK.
Insurers have agreed that for homeowners accommodating Ukrainian Nationals in their home there is no need to contact your insurer on the basis that they are accommodated as non-paying guests. Please refer to the Association of British Insurers’ statement for more details. In other situations, including where the sponsor is a landlord or a tenant, you will need to contact your insurer. The Association of British Insurers has also confirmed that sponsors will be protected from any changes to their home insurance costs, with their cover remaining the same for the first 12 months, even if their policy is due for renewal.
Lenders have committed to enable as many borrowers as possible to participate in the scheme. If you have a mortgage on the property you will need to contact your mortgage lender. The Government is working with the mortgage lender sector to standardise and simplify this process as far as possible.
If you are considering applying to be a sponsor you should refer to your mortgage lender’s and insurer’s websites where further advice will be available as soon as possible.