What adequate accommodation means
For a spouse, partner or family visa, you have to show there will be adequate accommodation for the whole family without claiming public funds. That includes anyone else who lives in the same home, even if they aren't part of the application.
The rules set three tests:
- the family owns the home or lives in it, with at least one room just for them
- the home won't be overcrowded once the new person moves in
- the home doesn't break public health rules, for example by being unsafe to live in
The same test comes up again when you extend your stay and when you apply to settle, so it's worth getting right the first time.
How the overcrowding count works
Overcrowding is measured using Part X of the Housing Act 1985. Only bedrooms and living rooms of 50 square feet or more count. Kitchens, bathrooms and hallways don't.
Counting people. Babies under 1 aren't counted. Children from 1 up to their 10th birthday count as half. Everyone else counts as one, including the person joining you.
The space standard gives two limits, and the lower one applies.
- By the number of rooms that count: 1 room allows 2 people, 2 rooms allow 3, 3 rooms allow 5, 4 rooms allow 7½, then 2 more for each extra room.
- By the size of each room: 110 sq ft or more allows 2 people, 90 to 110 allows 1½, 70 to 90 allows 1, and 50 to 70 allows ½.
The room standard is about who sleeps where. Two people aged 10 or over, of opposite sexes, who aren't a couple shouldn't have to share a bedroom.
A worked example: a two-bedroom terrace
Say the home has a main bedroom of 12 ft by 11 ft (132 sq ft), a second bedroom of 10 ft by 8 ft (80 sq ft) and a living room of 13 ft by 12 ft (156 sq ft).
- By rooms: 3 rooms count, so the limit is 5 people.
- By size: 2 + 1 + 2, so the limit is also 5 people.
- The household: you, your partner joining you, your brother and your 7-year-old (who counts as half). That's 3½.
3½ is under the limit of 5, and you and your partner share the main bedroom while your brother has the second, so the home passes. Add two more adults and it wouldn't.
You can try your own rooms with the free check on our visa accommodation report page. It uses the same rules.
What evidence to send
There's no single form for this. Applicants usually send two things:
- proof you can live there: a tenancy agreement, a mortgage statement or title deeds, or a letter from the owner if you live with family
- a property report that sets out each room's size, who lives there and how many people the home allows
The rules don't say who has to write the report. Some councils offer inspections, and private firms do too. Whoever writes it, the caseworker makes the decision, so nobody can promise a report will be accepted.
Getting a report from us
We're a Birmingham letting agency, and we've been measuring and managing rented homes since 2004. Our signed report gives every room size, the household and the count, on our letterhead.
- £99, you measure: our guide shows you how. Works anywhere in the UK.
- £159, we visit: we measure the home for you, within 12 miles of Birmingham.
- Ready in 48 hours once we have the measurements and photos. A 24-hour option is there if you measure yourself.
Check your home for free first, then order on our visa accommodation report site.