You could help your guests to find a new host, for example through:

• someone that you already know
• a recognised provider
• local faith groups
• community groups
• charities
• other organisations

The local council may also be able to help them find a new host.

Once your guests have found a new host, it is very important that they contact the local council so they can make the necessary checks, and to approve the arrangement. You can search for the local council. This should happen before they move in with a new host.

The new sponsor/host will then be eligible for thank you payments:payments.

• Until

  Eligible 1sponsors/hosts can claim Aprilthank 2025,you sponsors/hostspayments. Until are31 eligibleDecember to2026, receive thank you payments ofwill £350be perpaid householdat duringa therate firstof 12£350 monthsa ofmonth aper guest’shousehold. arrivalFrom in1 theJanuary UK,2027, this increasesrate will change to £500£100 a month onceper guestshousehold. haveThis beenchange inwill theapply UKto forpayments 12made months.

• Fromafter 1 AprilJanuary 2025,2027. sponsors/hostsIt will beaffect eligiblesponsors/hosts towho receiveare £350already ain monthreceipt per household, irrespective of howthank longyou guestspayments haveas beenwell inas thenew UK.
• claimants.  

  Eligible sponsors/hosts ofof guests thosewho previouslyhave onmoved from a Homes for Ukraine visasvisa to a Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) visa can claim thank you payments for up to 18 months from the date the guest first moves onto a UPE visa. After this point, thank you payments will beend.  

  In some cases, sponsors/hosts ablemay continue to claimreceive thank you payments ofwhile £350their guest is on a month,second forUPE theextension. 18This monthsis thatbecause guests arecan coveredapply for a further UPE extension up to 90 days before their current permission expires, while eligibility for thank you payments is determined by the Ukrainedate Permissionthe Extensionguest visa.first moved onto a UPE visa and is capped at 18 months.

  See further guidance on the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme.

If they want to move to another area of the UK, they must tell their current local council before moving. The current council will then contact the council in the new area they want to move to, so they can make any necessary checks and can confirm the new living arrangements are suitable. If they do not do this, the guest could be at risk and the new sponsor/host will not be entitled to the thank you payment.

If your current guests move out, you can sponsor/host another guest to continue receiving the monthly thank you payment.

As of 1 October 2024, close family members of Homes for Ukraine visa holders are not eligible to start claiming thank you payments. This applies to new arrivals and those who are already in the UK and move in with a close family member. This also includes where a guest transfers onto the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme.

There is a separate process for rematching children, you can find more information if you sponsor/host a child living in the UK without a parent or legal guardian.

Renting private accommodation

There is high demand for private rental accommodation and social housing. Some councils are using the funding they have received from the government to facilitate access to private rented accommodation for their Ukrainian guests – offering, for instance, 12 month rent guarantees or paying rent in advance. If your guests are ready to rent but are facing challenges getting into the PRS, they should contact the council to understand what schemes and offers of support are available in your area. You can find your council.

As a sponsorship comes to an end, you might want to talk with your guest about moving to a more formal arrangement, if your guest would still like to live in your property or move to another property that you own. This would mean that you may need to become a landlord, which could require you to take on more responsibilities. Your rights and responsibilities could be different depending on whether the guest remains living in your property or moves into another property you own.

Information on what this means is available in the how to let in England guide, and in:

• renting out a property
• rent a room in your home

This will help guests when they are ready and able to move out of sponsorship into independent accommodation.

If guests are considering renting their own accommodation, they can read more information about their rights and responsibilities as a tenant.

There is also Information about renting in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Contacting your local council for alternative accommodation

If your guest can’t take advantage of any of the options above and you are concerned about where they will live after your sponsorship ends, contact your local council.

We have made arrivals from Ukraine under one of the Government’sgovernment’s schemes eligible for housing assistance from day one of their arrival. There is high demand for social housing in most parts of the country and so even those with priority for social housing may have to wait for some time before a home which meets their needs becomes available.