Home inspection report

Hello there.

Is this report really necessary for settlement visa for my case (fiancee visa) where I am currently lodging a double room of a family friend's house (mind that there is no tenancy agreement involved here) ? I have not acquired any info about prices for this one but will there be a cheaper way for this?

Many thanks in advance.

Hi! Not necessary but helpful. There were applicants who got approved without it. But I think the tenancy agreement is needed. You need proof that you and your fiancee have the right to stay at that place. How were you planning to prove this?

The landlord is a family friend, who can say in their support letter that me and my fiancee can live in their house indefinitely or until we are married or whatever is the best thing to say really as they have been really helpful to me. I guess photos of the house and council tax bill as well will suffice?

The house is a 3 bedroom one with large living room and kitchen/dining... proper family home. And there would be 3 of them apart from me and my fiancee, (couple and their son)

The inspection report is recommended if you are sharing accommodation with people that is not your immediate family.

As @Numpters said others have been successful without it so you can risk it but better safe than sorry.

I just recently got aware of that report. when you saw my checklist of the documents from my other thread how come you never mentioned about this? I dont really want to risk anything so might have to get one done.

What the ECO is looking at are 2 things.

Potential overcrowding in the property

Is it an address where you will be living at for the foreseeable future ie not a transit address.

Personally I would definitely take photos of all the rooms including those you won't have access to,also the garden , the front of the house.
I would provide a room floor plan of the house.
I would get your friend to write a comprehensive letter stating that you will live there for as long as practical I wouldn't even mention the landlord bit, many friends in the modern world share.

That's my view some might say it's a risky view but if the rest of your application is strong then you should be successful.

Take the view never be dishonest with disclosures but sometimes never volunteer everthing

Thanks mattecube for the input. Of course the address will be a transit one because someday we want to have our own home when we start our own family. Did you mean to say on that letter not to mention about being a landlord but just a friend who wanted to lodge one of their rooms?

In the first place you should have mentioned that you are sharing your accommodation so I could tell you that you need the inspection report. You didn't say anything about that in your checklist.

Like i said, i did not know anything about the report until 2 days ago. And the family friend owns the house and im lodging one of their rooms. So i thought its more of a landlord/tenant thing. Looks like the report is necessary for my case. Thanks @Brom27

Generally transit means a few days a few weeks not months and months!
As far as the letter goes if you have no tenancy agreement how can he be a landlord as they will/should pay tax on the income from your rent so he is either acting as an illegal landlord or he is friend helping you out.
In your shoes I would get him to write as though I am seen as a close friend very much part of the family etc. Some will say a report is needed others will say do one if you want it is after all your application.

I see. So its a not transit address then. Ahh i completely understand now. I dont really have a solid grounds yet in tenancies as i am quite new to it. I used to live in a property where tenancy agreement can be made after a year of living in there. Apparently its how her solicitor advised her as she provides short term lodging as well. Good thing im not there now i suppose.

Inspection report wise, id have to have one as we are considering the premium service as well and we dont want to delay anything in connection with the accommodation. Thank you very much.

Try this to get an idea. Prices depend on the location. They reply right away if you have any more concerns.

http://www.hussaindesigns.co.uk/frequently-asked-questions.php

thank you ill give it a try

You'll be able to submit your visa application with more confidence once you obtain the property report

I was in a similar situation as I was living with my mother and we did not have a formal agreement so no rent books, as previously said you will need to be careful if claiming a tenant/landlord relationship, you will need to prove that and it will impact on the expectation of your friend to declare his earnings, there are also legal requirements on landlords. I would suggest sticking to the truth, it is always the best way, you have an informal arrangement and you contribute to the household running costs, even better if you have a direct debit or such from your bank account to your friend, it is another piece of good evidence.
My agent advised an affidavit for your friend to state his awareness and agreement, it is a statement of intention to a legal representative, you can write your own or a solicitor will knock one up for you. They are simple and cheap to get and carries a lot of weight, in conversation with my agent I would recommend an affidavit above any other document you are going to provide especially in your situation which is open to speculation from the immigration officer. You are proving that the accommodation is stable so you will not have need to rely on public funds.
Mentioning transit arrangements would be a bad idea.
Proving accommodation is also about meeting legal requirements for UK law, they are not interested in how many bathrooms, kitchens or how big your hall is. If you have SOLE USE of a bedroom for 2 adults you are already meeting the requirements. Throw a couple of children of different genders in with you and you aren't meeting the requirements. Floor plans for me are over complicating things and prove little. You need photos of the property inside but also outside, they can look at street view on google in 30 seconds, the way to remove doubt is to cross reference your evidence. You will need your friend to prove his ownership of the property the same way as if you owned the property.

You will need your friend to prove his ownership of the property the same way as if you owned the property.

oh ? and just how does he go about that ?

I guess the home inspection report is required for my case. Photos of the house will be fine. Will utility bills and council tax bills prove the they own the property apart from their support letter? I am trying not go with a solicitor's assistance so I can use the money for the premium service. But if lodging in a family home can really be a hassle and can increase a risk of getting denied then I would start considering renting my own accomodation. Thanks for your inputs.

My mother gave three letters which included the Council Tax statement, utility bill and the land registry title as she owns the house without a mortgage, I don't know what is available for those with a mortgage but letters from the mortgage company, I would think, will suffice. I don't think its an issue for you if he demonstrates he owns the property and can give an assurance you can stay there with your fiancee which is why I suggest the affidavit. You don't have to use a solicitor for the application to get the affidavit, it's a one off document. It's up to you, this was my experience using the agent, he cost a lot of money so I would be foolish to ignore his advice.

Yep. I was thinking a mortgage letter or a land registry title is also needed to prove their ownership. Although looking at the "How to Apply for Fiance Visa" thread:

Accommodation (Rented)
If the sponsor rents a flat or house, a copy of the tenancy agreement should be provided.
If the applicant is not a signatory to the tenancy agreement, then an additional statement from the landlord (or estate agent) should be provided confirming both the size of the property and agreement that an additional occupant may take up residence there.
If an existing tenancy agreement is to be used, it should have at least six months before expiry. If the tenancy agreement does not have at least six months before expiry, then an additional statement from the landlord/agent showing intent to renew at the same terms should be provided.

If the accommodation is owned by a local authority or council estate, a landlord's confirmation should also be obtained, but if this cannot be obtained a
report from an independent surveyor which confirms the size and suitability of the premises can be submitted instead.

Accommodation (Shared with others and co-sponsors offering accommodation)
If the sponsor and the applicant are to live in accommodation with multiple occupants (Such Family/Friends/etc), the information shown for renters should be provided. Additionally, the applicant and sponsor need to show that they have exclusive access to a bedroom that will be occupied solely by them.
A bedroom may be a family room or study which has been converted for exclusive access (kitchens, bathrooms, and utility rooms do not qualify). Account is taken only of rooms with a floor area larger than 50 square feet(4.65 square meters).

Following the above, being a non-signatory to a tenancy agreement, size of the property and agreement that an additional occupant may take up residence here can be achieved by their support letter. However, having a third party assessment of the size and suitability of the accommodation can give me more confidence with the application so i am definitely going for it. How can we show that we have exclusive access to this bedroom though?

"the information shown for renters should be provided" Not sure what that statement means, you are wandering into an area I have not had experience of so wouldn't like to advise you.
Your affidavit can state you have SOLE USE of the bedroom, if you don't want that route then your friend needs to state SOLE USE in his supporting letter.
50 square feet is a bedroom 10 foot by five foot, it is a very small bedroom, the UK housing requirements regarding space is not a high hurdle to cross, it can be evidenced in a photo. It gets more complicated with children ages and genders.