What happens after the Inspection Visit?
After the Inspection Visit HFS London will write to you to inform you of whether your registration has been successful. If so, you will receive:
- A welcome letter that confirms details of your registration, categorisation and rates of pay.
- The HFS London Host Family Agreement. You will be asked to print, sign and post us an original copy in order to complete the registration.
- A copy of the HFS London Host Family Handbook.
Please note that HFS London will be your point of contact after your registration has been completed. Any student placed with you will be informed that their point of contact will be their place of study. If you have any concerns of any nature, please contact HFS London directly and not the student’s place of study.
New Host Families often ask how soon after registration they should expect to receive their first student. This will depend on many factors that include:
1. Time of Year
HFS London has students arriving all year round. However, certain times of the year are busier than others. Between January and April there will usually be many international students starting courses. During April to October it can be extremely busy with students visiting London while on holiday from university courses in their home countries. October to December tend to be quieter months than the rest of the year, but many students will start making advance bookings at this time for courses starting the following January.
2. Host Family’s Flexibility
Host Families who are able to be more flexible and register to offer all three boards, for example, will be contacted more often than Host Families that only register to offer one. Similarly if a Host Family is open to male and female students, smokers and so on, they will be contacted more frequently. As a general rule the more flexible a Host Family is able to be, the more students we will be able to suggest to them.
3. Location and Proximity to Transport
International students are usually very specific about the travel time from the Host Family to their place of study. Often this is the most important criteria. Students often prefer bus or tube over rail, but this will depend on where they are studying. As a very general rule, the closer the Host Family is to central London the more frequently they are likely to be selected.