Information for guests

How to get rematched

Guests and hosts are encouraged to use their own networks and connections to find a new match. You can then make contact with the Council to join the Homes for Ukraine re-matching scheme.

You can contact the Council to ask to be put on the ‘re-matching’ waitlist. The Council will attempt to find a new host for you. 

Alternatively, if someone offers to host you directly and you wish to accept, please refer them to ukraine@kingston.gov.uk for the appropriate checks to be completed and the rematch to be formalised

How does the re-matching process work?

If you find a host to accommodate you under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, please contact ukraine@kingston.gov.uk with your details and contact details for your new host. The Council will complete the required checks on the host and support you into your new accommodation if needed. 

If you are a guest who would like to be rematched with a new host by the Council, please attend the Guildhall 2 Information & Advice Centre or contact ukraine@kingston.gov.uk to make this request. You will then be asked to complete a ‘Rematching Profile’ and be added to the rematching waitlist.

The Council team will then attempt to match you with an available host who you will be able to meet before any re-match is confirmed. The ability of the Council to find a re-match is dependent on the availability of suitable hosts, and therefore cannot be guaranteed. If you hope to be re-matched after 6 months, please contact the Council as early as possible to improve your chances of finding a new host by the time your current hosting arrangement comes to an end. 

If you are a Kingston resident who is interested in hosting a guest(s) under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, please contact ukraine@kingston.gov.uk. You will be asked to complete a ‘Rematching Profile’ and will be invited to meet any potential guests before a re-match is confirmed. You may also be interested in booking a place in our upcoming webinar session to find out more about what to expect from hosting. 

The re-match waiting time

There is no guarantee that the Council will be able to find every group a re-match. It can be particularly difficult to re-match groups that require 2 or more bedrooms.

If we have a host available who has completed all necessary checks, the fastest we would be able to re-match you is within one week of enquiry. 

Where a re-match cannot be found, and the guest has no alternative accommodation, guests will be referred to the Council's Housing Options Service (for more details, please see Option 6).

We will try to re-match you but it may not be possible. If it is not possible to re-match you, you will need to try one of the other options outlined in these pages to find alternative accommodation if you cannot stay with your existing host.

Meet each other before the matching

Guests and hosts will be asked to complete a pre-matching questionnaire to understand more about who they are and these will then be shared with the other party. Both parties will be invited for an in-person meeting to give an opportunity to get to know each other prior to confirming a ‘re-match’.

Information for hosts

In case of a re-match, the host is eligible for a 'Thank You' payment in amount based on the guest's actual time spent in the UK, rather than the date of the re-match. 

Guests who move in with a close family member are classified as having left the Homes for Ukraine scheme rather than a re-match, and 'Thank You' payments will not be issued. Please see the definition of close family members in the 'Top-Up payment' section, Option 1.

If you know any friends or neighbours who are open to hosting, please ask them to email ukraine@kingston.gov.uk to express their interest.

When a hosting arrangement ends, either the guest or host will need to fill out this Departure Form to inform the council of the date that the guest moved out. This then prompts the council to update their records and stop 'Thank You' payments, preventing an invoice being issued.