Ukrainian hosts
Offering to host a guest or guests can be a life changing experience for both you and your guests.
This page explains how to become a host, thank you payments and what support is available if guests are looking to move out. It also has information on the new UPE2 scheme and what that means for you.
Become a host
To offer to sponsor a guest, you must:
- have a separate room, rooms or property that you can host your guests in
- have permission from your landlord or housing provider, if you are living in rented accommodation
- be able to offer a minimum term of 6 months to host your guests
- be a British or Irish citizen or settled in the UK with indefinite leave to remain
If you do not meet the final point on the list above, it may still be possible for you to host a guest that already has a visa.
If you are considering hosting, or for an informal chat about what hosting could look like for you or your household, email homesforukraine@elmbridge.gov.uk or call us on 01372 474603.
Thank you payment
Changes to thank you payments are coming. See the information on the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE2) Scheme below.
As a thank you for the support that you offer to your guests, we can currently make a monthly thank you payment of £600 per property, paid in arrears. This is to help cover any increase in bills that you may incur while hosting.
This payment can be made for a maximum of 36 months after your guest first arrived in the UK if they applied for their visa before 19 February 2024.
If your guest applied for their visa after 19 February 2024, their visa length will be granted for 18 months and the thank you payments will continue for this time.
We will make these payments if the accommodation and your sponsorship is approved as suitable for the guests you are hosting.
Other expenses
Guests are entitled to any benefits that a UK citizen would be such as Universal Credit, housing benefits or pension credits. Therefore, you are not expected to pay for your guests' food, transport or living costs, although you are welcome to contribute to this if you would like to.
Ending a hosting arrangement
If you would like to end your hosting arrangement with your guests, please tell us as soon as possible.
If your guests need help moving to new accommodation, please give us 2 months’ notice to help make arrangements.
To tell us, email homesforukraine@elmbridge.gov.uk.
Guests moving out
If your guests are looking to move out, and they have not moved across to the UPE2 scheme, we may be able to:
- support them through our Rent Support Scheme by funding the deposit and first month’s rent of their new property
- assist with furniture at the new property if it is unfurnished
- offer a 50% reduction on their Council Tax bill, if all tenants in the property are Homes for Ukraine visa holders
Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE2) Scheme
The Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE2) Scheme allows eligible Ukrainian nationals already in the UK to extend their permission to stay and continue to live and work in the UK.
In September 2025, the government confirmed the UPE scheme will be extended by 24 months. This means applicants can receive up to 3.5 years (42 months) total permission, when combined with their existing leave and the extension.
To help us plan support and prevention activity, we will:
- send you a short online form to understand your future intentions
- follow up with direct contact where support or planning is needed
Changes to host payments
From 2026, once a guest moves onto the additional 24‑month extension (UPE2) following their initial 18‑month permission, the £600 monthly ‘thank you’ payment to hosts will end. This change aligns with Surrey County Council policy.
Hosting arrangements under UPE2
Hosting can continue after UPE2 if both the host and guest agree. There is no requirement for placements to end because thank you payments stop.
Hosts and guests may agree to revised arrangements, such as contributions towards household costs. These arrangements should be clear, fair and agreed by both parties.
We can offer general guidance but cannot set or enforce private agreements.
Support for hosts
We may be able to offer you support through:
- early conversations and mediation (where helpful)
- advice on next steps and realistic options
- help with planning a managed move-on
- signposting to local advice and services
Concerns about arrangements
If you have concerns about your current arrangements, please email homesforukraine@elmbridge.gov.uk as soon as possible.
If hosting cannot continue
If hosting cannot continue, please email homesforukraine@elmbridge.gov.uk as early as possible. Early notice allows time to:
- support a planned move-on
- avoid last-minute or emergency situations
- ensure guests receive appropriate housing advice