Accommodation

Homestay & Residential Accommodation

Homestay accommodation

Living with a local host is one of the best ways to practise your English and experience everyday British life.

  • Stay with a welcoming host
  • Practise your English at meal times and in the evening
  • Have fun and join in with family life
  • Learn about British culture and share yours
Where homestay is availableHomestay is available in Cambridge, Colchester, Bristol and Portsmouth. ILC Birmingham does not currently offer homestay; residential accommodation is available there instead.

Standard of accommodation

Your room

  • Good-size single bedroom with a comfortable bed
  • No sharing unless you want to
  • A table and chair for studying

Meals

  • Half-board as standard
  • Self-catering or bed & breakfast may be available on request*
  • Tell us about any dietary preferences or restrictions

Laundry and linen

  • Sheets, pillowcases and towels provided and changed each week
  • Your clothes are washed; you do your own ironing
  • Please bring your own toiletries

The homestay provider cleans the home and students keep their own room tidy. *Self-catering: you buy and cook your own food. Bed & breakfast: your host provides breakfast only. Self-catering and bed & breakfast are for students aged 18 and over.

Meals on half-board

  • Monday to Friday: breakfast and evening meal. This also applies to individual students aged 16 and 17.
  • At weekends: all of your meals
  • Monday to Friday you cannot stay at the homestay between 09:00 and 16:00

Getting to school

  • On your first day, your homestay provider brings you to the school
  • Homes are on average 10 to 25 minutes from the centre on foot or by public transport, up to a maximum of 40 minutes

Homestay prices

Single half-board homestayfrom £225 per week
Self-catering homestay*from £200 per week
Bed & breakfast homestay*from £210 per week
En-suite supplement£40 per week
Special diet (halal, gluten-free, lactose-free and certain medical requirements)£40 per week
One additional night£40
Accommodation handling fee£70
Good to knowHomestay is booked in one-week periods, starting on the Sunday before your first week. Prices vary by centre and rise during the high season (21 June to 23 August 2027). See our Accommodation page for full prices.

*Self-catering and bed & breakfast options are only for students aged 18 and over. Our Accommodation Team can also help you book a bed & breakfast or hotel at our special rates.

Residential accommodation

We work with partner organisations to provide residential accommodation. Over the summer, ILC Colchester hosts students who request residential accommodation at HOST Colchester, which offers:

  • A common room with large TV and seating
  • Games tables, a study area and outdoor space
  • A laundry room with washing and drying facilities
  • Bicycle parking with plenty of spaces

Single en-suite student residence rooms: please contact ILC for prices. Residential accommodation is also available at ILC Birmingham.

HOST Colchester details  |  HOST terms and conditions

Contact our Accommodation Team

Life with ILC

Blogs
Jobs
Digital Resources
Terms and Conditions
Accommodation

Copyright © 2026 by ILC. All Rights Reserved.