What is the host family application form template?
Exchange programmes, language schools and boarding schools all need the same thing from a prospective host family: a clear picture of who lives in the home, what the student's room is like, what meals are included, how the student would get to school and which students the family would welcome. This template collects that in four short pages, so your homestay coordinator can shortlist families before arranging a home visit.
The household page asks for the applicant's contact details and address, the type of home, how many adults live there, a description of everyone in the home, languages spoken, pets and smoking. The room page covers a private or shared bedroom, the bathroom arrangement, what's in the room, the meal plan and the journey to school, with space for up to five photos. Hosting preferences cover lengths of stay, student ages, diets the family can cater for, previous hosting and, in the family's own words, why they'd like to host.
The last page holds a placeholder for your own requirements, two references, consent to your checks and a home visit, a declaration and a signature. Each application is saved as a PDF in your FileIt vault, with the photos filed alongside as attachments.
- Best for
- Exchange programmes, language schools, boarding schools and homestay agencies
- Filled in by
- The main adult in the host household
- Time to complete
- About 10 minutes
- Includes
- Household, room and meals, hosting preferences, photo upload, two references, signature
Who uses a host family application form?
- A language school builds a pool of homestay families before the summer courses
- An exchange programme recruits families for a year-long placement
- A boarding school finds weekend and half-term hosts for international pupils
- A college accommodation office adds families to its homestay list
- A returning host family updates its details for a new academic year
Questions on this host family application form
34 questions over 4 pages · includes signature, file upload, conditional questions, multiple pages, consent checkbox.
1 Your household
- Your name*
- Email*
- Mobile*
- Home address*
- Type of home* House · Flat or apartment · Townhouse · Farm or rural property · Other
- Adults (18 and over) living in the home*
- Who lives in your home?*
- Languages spoken at home*
- Adults' occupations
- Do you have pets?*
- Does anyone smoke in the home?*
- Which pets, and do any live indoors?* asked only when it applies
2 The student's room
- The student's bedroom* A private bedroom · Shared with another student
- Bathroom* Private or en-suite bathroom · Shared with the family · Shared with other students only
- In or near the room Desk and chair · Wardrobe or drawers · Wi-Fi · Lockable door · Heating · Window that opens
- Meals included* Breakfast and evening meal every day, packed lunch on school days · Breakfast and evening meal · Self-catering with access to the kitchen
- Travel to the school or college*
- Photos of the student's room and the outside of your home
3 Hosting preferences
- Length of stay you could offer* Short stays (under 4 weeks) · One term · A full school or academic year · Holiday courses
- Student ages you'd welcome* Under 16 · 16–17 · 18 and over
- Student you'd prefer to host No preference · Female · Male
- Diets you could cater for Vegetarian · Vegan · Halal · Kosher · Gluten-free · Dairy-free · Nut allergy
- Have you hosted a student before?*
- Who did you host with, and when? asked only when it applies
- Why would you like to host a student?*
- Describe a typical weekday and weekend in your home
4 Checks & declaration
- Reference 1 — name and relationship*
- Reference 1 — phone*
- Reference 2 — name and relationship*
- Reference 2 — phone*
- Checks*
- Declaration*
- Signature*
- Date*
The host family application form, page by page
1 Your household
The applicant's name, email, mobile and home address, the type of home and the number of adults aged 18 and over. "Who lives in your home?" asks for first names, ages and relationships. Then languages spoken, adults' occupations (optional), and required yes/no questions on pets and smoking — a yes to pets asks which pets and whether any live indoors.
2 The student's room
Whether the student has a private or shared bedroom and which bathroom they'd use, a checklist of what's in or near the room (desk, storage, Wi-Fi, a lockable door, heating, a window), the meals included, and "Travel to the school or college" — how long the journey takes and how. An optional upload takes up to five photos of the room and the outside of the home.
3 Hosting preferences
Required lengths of stay (short stays, a term, a full year, holiday courses) and student ages the family would welcome, an optional gender preference, and the diets they could cater for. "Have you hosted a student before?" asks who with and when on a yes. "Why would you like to host a student?" is required, and the family can describe a typical weekday and weekend.
4 Checks & declaration
A placeholder paragraph for your own hosting requirements, two references with phone numbers (the first must not be a family member), required consents to background checks for adults in the home and a home visit, a declaration that the answers are true, a signature and the date.
Make the template yours
- Replace the placeholder with your own checks, home-visit process, weekly payment and safeguarding policy
- Change the meal options to match your programme's homestay standard
- Add a question about the nearest bus stop or station if students travel independently
- Ask for references' email addresses as well as phone numbers
- Remove the under-16 age band if you only place adult students
- File applications in a folder per intake or per region
Tips for a better host family application form
- Ask for photos — they speed up shortlisting and help you match students to homes
- Use the Responses table to filter families by diets they can cater for when a student has dietary needs
- Arrange the home visit before contacting references, so you only chase references for families you'll place
- Re-send the form each year so household details, occupations and rooms stay current
- Keep each family's signed application with their check results in the same vault folder
Every response becomes a PDF in your vault
Each application becomes a signed PDF in your vault, the room photos are filed as attachments of that document, and your coordinator receives an email. The family sees a message saying you'll be in touch about a home visit.
Search the Responses table by town, length of stay or student age, export to CSV to build your host list, and open any application's PDF ahead of the home visit.
- Start from this template. It opens in the FileIt Forms designer — change any question, add pages, set the rules for when questions appear.
- Share it. Turn on a public link, or send it to people by email, each with their own link. They don’t need a FileIt account.
- Get the answers as PDFs. Each response is saved as a PDF in the vault folder you choose, with uploaded files attached — and listed in a Responses table you can export to CSV.
Host family application form: frequently asked questions
Is this host family application template free?
Yes. It's included in the Forms app on every FileIt account, and every question and option can be changed.
Can families upload photos of the room?
Yes. The room page has an optional upload for up to five photos, and each one is filed with the application in your vault.
Does the form run the background checks?
No. It records that the family agrees to your checks and a home visit. You run those through your own process and can store the results in the same vault folder.
Can I use it for adult students only?
Yes. Edit "Student ages you'd welcome" and remove the under-16 and 16–17 options.
Do host families need a FileIt account?
No. They fill in and sign the application from a link you share or email.