We ask you to complete a questionnaire, which you can find here. This gives you all the information about our requirements, the most important of which is that you have a spare private bedroom that is suitable. Our requirements are almost exactly the same as they are for any live in landlord but we also have to check that it is safe to place potentially vulnerable people in your home and this means getting what's called a DBS check. We pay for this and it is done confidentially. We'll also contact you to check everything is clear and to arrange a brief inspection of your property at your convenience. If you are not living in the property please let us know as we do not request a DBS check but we also look for longer tenancies of at least 6 months.

They are typically families with children who have just lost their home. There are different factors that can lead a family to lose their home, including eviction by a landlord or other financial issues. We are particularly keen to find hosts who will accommodate families as this is where the pressure on homes is greatest and disruption to children’s lives can have profound consequences. Alternatively, there's also the opportunity to place a pregnant woman or a disabled person in your home.

To a certain degree. For example, a woman host can choose to have only a woman guest (normally a pregnant woman) or a woman with children. Let us know if you want to discuss this.

Your guests are very much people like your family or friends, only they've fallen on hard times. Croydon Council will work very closely with us to screen guest families carefully and we don't accept anyone who has a known addiction, a criminal record and a mental health challenge that might pose a risk to others. If you ever have any concerns you can always discuss these with us.

For live in landlords we expect your guests will stay for up to a maximum of eight weeks, most likely around six, but in certain cases it can be shorter. For landlords who do not live in the property, we normally seek longer tenancies of six months or more.

Anyone who stays with you will always have the opportunity to stay in a B&B. If for any reason you were to feel uncomfortable with your guest, the family will be asked to leave and stay in a B&B. This option is always open. Likewise, guests can opt to move out to a B&B.

We pay £15 a night for a single room, £20 for a double and £25 a night for a triple. This means we would pay you £1,120 for hosting guests in a double room over an eight week period or £840 for a six week period. We pay you weekly in arrears.

No, we don’t expect hosts to provide breakfast. However, we’d love you to provide it on the first morning of your guest's stay to help them settle in and also to give you an opportunity to get to know them a bit. But that’s entirely up to you.

If for any reason you can’t address a problem directly with your guest or you just need some advice there is a hotline you can use to call us on during working hours. Your guest can call their appointed case worker.

Guests should have full access to the property during their stay. Normally the best way to do this is to give them a spare set of keys. Access to the property normally means to their bedroom and the communal living area and kitchen. You can, of course, keep some areas of the house private.

Families will be moved into accommodation elsewhere. Either the family will have either found alternative accommodation for themselves or the council will place them in accommodation. The council and Fairbnb support the moving out process.

No, that won’t be needed. They’ll be expected to find space for their storage elsewhere.

In the unlikely circumstances that guests damage your property or commit theft, Croydon Council will underwrite any legitimate claim up to £500.

If you are a live in host you are exempt from this. If you are a landlord who does not live in the property you will need to register for this.

If you are currently in receipt of single person’s council tax discount for the six to eight-week period you are a host you will not be eligible for this discount. This means that if you live in Croydon and are eligible for the single person council tax discount you should declare your tenancy to the council. If you are in a Band D property, the cost would be £43.10 and for a Band E property it would be £52.68 for a six week period.

We expect potential hosts may well have other questions which are not covered in this FAQs section. Don't hesitate to call 0208 688 0650 or e-mail contact@fairbnb.org.uk for any further queries.

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