Do you have a spare room?

Could you offer temporary shelter to someone forced to flee their country? You could be a host with Room for Refugees.

It’s about removing the borders from our hearts and minds.

Glasgow: Marianna with Joy* and her newborn baby Noah*

We are looking for volunteer hosts!

URGENT REQUEST! We urgently need volunteer hosts with spare room or empty properties in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and London for new refugees especially Palestinians from Gaza. If you are willing to offer spare rooms or a property then please register at www.roomforrefugees.com and we will get back to you.In some cases our guests can also pay a small rent. Our hosts come from all backgrounds, wealth and occupations. In all cases we guarantee confidentiality.

Latest Statistics: In 2022/23, Room for Refugees volunteer hosts provided shelter and sponsorship matches for 610 households, comprising 1,173 direct beneficiaries: 805 adults and 368 children (including 14 young people under 18). The total nights of shelter provided in 2022-23 were 137,241 These do not include nights from previous years' stays. We estimate that the Room for Refugees programme saved £6.7M in 2022/23 in housing costs alone. Room for Refugees accommodated people from 45 countries of origin including Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen

Ukraine programme: use this refugee request form Ukraine Appeal: please support this appeal. Donate to our Appeal today

See also our resources for refugees from Ukraine, and for supporters

So far we have achieved...

More than
0

Nights of shelter arranged

(As of 31 March 2024)

Since 2002,
0

Guests have been placed with our volunteer hosts across Scotland, England, Ireland and the US

(31 March 2024)

Find out more about our impact

Host a refugee family or individual in your home

Today we’re seeing the biggest movement of people to Europe since the refugee crisis following World War II. 

If you’ve come to this page because you want to respond to what you’ve seen on the news, thank you. Showing hospitality is one of the most practical and powerful ways you can respond.

The Room for Refugees network helps those who are seeking sanctuary to rebuild their lives. We connect those with a spare room in their home to refugees and asylum seekers in need of somewhere to stay. Our hosts come from across the UK and the US.

Since 2002, we have placed thousands of people for anything from a week, to months and years, and notched up tens of thousands of nights of shelter.

As a “refugee host”, you decide how long you can offer a spare room or property. We screen all referrals to ensure a safe match, and our team are there to support you and your guest throughout the placement.

Find out more about how it works.

I want to...


Become a refugee host

Find out how to offer a spare room to help a destitute refugee resolve their crisis

Find help and accommodation

If you are a refugee in need of assistance, please contact us.

Make a referral

Find out how to refer someone in need, and apply for a caseworker account

Can you help by volunteering or making a donation?
Your assistance, however modest, gives people hope to rebuild their lives. Thank you.

Subscribe to our Newsletter
We love people. We tolerate social media. (We’re glad you found us, but Facebook/Twitter/Instagram are poor substitutes for real dialogue.) Subscribe to our Newsletter, and form a real relationship. Our emails are sparing, friendly, informative and spam-free.

It’s like living with any other housemate.

Omar with hosts Alister and Eloise

Omar is our first guest and it’s been lovely getting to know one each other. He is (slowly!) teaching us Arabic and has also introduced us to Syrian cuisine. I would definitely recommend hosting to those thinking about it; it’s been an entirely enjoyable experience. Elouise, Environmental Consultant from Glasgow, Scotland

I was a teacher in Darayya, Syria. I lost my wife and everything I had. Alister and Eloise have been very patient and kind to take me into their home. One day I hope I can rebuild my life and repay the kindness they have shown to me.Omar, Teacher from Darayya, Syria

Read more from our hosts and their guests.

Please indicate your consent to this site’s use of cookies

Some cookies are essential for our site to function. We also use cookies for functionality and for performance measurement.