Hotels, support and cost
How many asylum hotels are there in the UK?
Under 160asylum hotels in use, 12 August 2026
Fewer than 160 hotels were housing asylum seekers on 12 August 2026, according to the Home Office, down from 197 in January 2026 and over 400 at the peak in summer 2023. They held 16,021 people at 30 June 2026, against 56,018 at the peak on 30 September 2023.
People in asylum hotels, quarter end
31 Dec 2022 to 30 Jun 2026. People, not hotels: the Home Office publishes no quarterly count of sites.
Exact values
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2022 | 45,753 |
| 31 Mar 2023 | 47,490 |
| 30 Jun 2023 | 50,520 |
| 30 Sep 2023 | 56,018 |
| 31 Dec 2023 | 45,744 |
| 31 Mar 2024 | 34,486 |
| 30 Jun 2024 | 29,561 |
| 30 Sep 2024 | 35,628 |
| 31 Dec 2024 | 38,054 |
| 31 Mar 2025 | 32,326 |
| 30 Jun 2025 | 32,041 |
| 30 Sep 2025 | 36,273 |
| 31 Dec 2025 | 30,657 |
| 31 Mar 2026 | 20,885 |
| 30 Jun 2026 | 16,021 |
What the figure counts
The Home Office does not publish a regular count of hotels. The site counts here come from ministers' statements, a response to the Home Affairs Committee and Home Office press releases, each on its own date, so they show the direction rather than a smooth series.
The number of people in hotels is published every quarter, and is the more reliable measure of how much the system depends on them. The Home Office does not publish which hotels it uses.
Key figures
| Hotels in use at the peak, summer 2023 | over 400Government response to the Home Affairs Committee, HC 1642 |
|---|---|
| Hotels in use, 17 November 2025 | fewer than 200Home Secretary, House of Commons, 17 November 2025 |
| Hotels in use, 5 January 2026 | 197Government response to the Home Affairs Committee, HC 1642 |
| Hotels in use, 12 August 2026 | fewer than 160Home Office, 13 asylum hotels exited and returned to local communities |
| Hotels exited in 2026 | 44announced April, June and August |
| People in hotels | 16,02130 June 2026 |
| Share of people on asylum support | 17.2%30 June 2026 |
Where people in contingency accommodation are placed
The ten local authorities with the most people in contingency accommodation, mostly hotels, at 30 June 2026. Rate per 10,000 residents. Find any area.
- Hillingdon96529.5 per 10,000
- Hounslow92430.9 per 10,000
- Barnet73117.9 per 10,000
- Manchester70812.0 per 10,000
- Birmingham5895.0 per 10,000
- Croydon55713.6 per 10,000
- Newham54114.4 per 10,000
- Stockport48515.9 per 10,000
- Rugby43334.5 per 10,000
- Brent42712.1 per 10,000
Where are the asylum hotels?
The Home Office does not name them. Its local authority statistics show where people in contingency accommodation, which is mostly hotels, are placed: Hillingdon, Hounslow and Barnet had the most at 30 June 2026.
What is replacing asylum hotels?
Mainly dispersal housing, and a small number of large sites. At 30 June 2026, 744 people were at Wethersfield in Essex and 418 at Crowborough Training Camp in East Sussex. Three more military sites are proposed that could house around 3,750.
How much does an asylum hotel cost?
£199 per person per night in April 2026, according to the Home Office, against £25 in dispersal housing.