What you'll need to become a sponsor

The most important thing is that you're able to provide at least 6 months of stable accommodation. This can be anything from an empty room to an unoccupied home. 

To ensure the safety and privacy of guests, we are asking for sponsors who can offer an empty room as a minimum. A bed in a shared space (a sofa bed in a sitting room for example) would not be appropriate accommodation.

You should also consider how many people you can accommodate so they have sufficient space.

Two people should not be in one room unless they are:

• adult partners
• a parent and child
• two siblings of the same gender aged over 10
• two siblings regardless of gender aged under 10 

Individuals who didn't previously know each other should not be given the same room.

You should make sure your accommodation is safe for your guests and that it's in a suitable condition. It needs to be free from serious health and safety hazards.

We need the accommodation to be kept clean and in a reasonable state and have: 

• adequate kitchen and bathroom space
• access to drinking water 
• a working smoke detector on each floor of the property and other fire safety precautions suitable for the building such as fire doors or escape routes as appropriate (see more information on making a home safe from fire) 
• a working carbon monoxide detector in any room that has a solid fuel burning appliance (a coal fire or wood burning stove) 
• sufficient heating to keep the property at a comfortable temperature 
• safe gas appliances, fittings and flues and have undertaken a Gas Safety check within the last year (see more information on making your home gas safe)
• safe and working electrics, a qualified electrician can help with this if you are unsure
• no damp or mould
• doors and windows at entry level that lock properly
• no excessively steep staircases that may cause harm

Document checks

The government will carry out checks on documentation before a visa is issued.

Household and property checks

We will visit your property to make sure that the accommodation is fit for purpose and suitable to receive guests.

These visits should take place as quickly as possible. We will contact you to arrange this visit.

Criminal records checks

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) carry out checks on individuals. There are different types of check dependent on the needs of your guests.

Basic DBS check for adults

Basic DBS checks are undertaken on all adult sponsors in the household where the accommodation is self-contained or only adults with no specific vulnerabilities are arriving in the household.

Enhanced DBS checks for children

An Enhanced DBS check (including a check of the children's barred list) will be undertaken on all people in the sponsor's household over 16, if children under the age of 18 are going to be arriving in the household. This does not apply if the child guest is related to the sponsor, in this case only a Basic DBS check is needed.

Enhanced with Barred Lists DBS check for adults with vulnerabilities

A request for an Enhanced DBS check with check of the Adults' Barred List can be made where we know there is an adult guest arriving in the household, who is vulnerable (due to illness, disability or age) and has particular needs which the sponsor will need to provide support.

When the checks are complete and if there are no concerns with the accommodation, the criminal records checks or safeguarding concerns, we can start paying the optional £350 thank you payment to sponsors.

If a sponsor fails a check then we would inform the government.

We are then responsible for providing accommodation for the refugee. Homelessness support is available under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. We are waiting for government guidance on re-matching refugees with a new sponsor.