Accommodation evidence for a partner visa

Accommodation evidence for a partner visa should identify where the family will live and the lawful basis for occupying that home. Check the applicable adequacy requirements and household circumstances rather than assuming any invitation to stay is enough.

Provide relevant ownership, tenancy or permission information and explain who already occupies the property. Do not invent an address or obtain documents for accommodation that is not genuinely available.

Establish the actual home available to the family

Accommodation evidence should identify where the applicant and sponsor will live, who else occupies the property and the legal basis for the family's occupation. The family-route guidance requires adequate accommodation without recourse to public funds, including consideration of other household members. Owning a property is not the only way to meet the requirement; a genuine rental or suitable family arrangement can also be relevant. ^[1]

Start with the full address, owner or landlord, current occupants and intended occupants after arrival. Explain whether the arrangement is temporary or long term. A sponsor's correspondence address is not necessarily the home the couple will occupy. Keep the application, relationship evidence and housing documents consistent about the proposed living arrangement.

Show the right to occupy rather than only the address

Use evidence appropriate to the arrangement, such as ownership or mortgage information, a tenancy agreement or a letter from a family member making accommodation available. Where the sponsor is a tenant or another occupier, establish that the applicant can lawfully live there under the relevant arrangements. A utility bill can support an address but may not demonstrate permission for an additional person to occupy the property. ^[1]

Check names, property details and dates across the documents. If the landlord or owner uses an agent, explain the agent's authority where relevant. Do not create a permission letter from someone who cannot actually grant occupation. A proposed arrangement should be genuine and workable, not a temporary paper address chosen only because another property appears easier to document.

Describe shared accommodation and exclusive space

The guidance allows accommodation to be shared, provided the family has the required exclusive use of part of it, such as the appropriate bedroom space. It does not impose a universal requirement for a separate house or self-contained flat. Describe which rooms the couple and any children will use and which facilities are shared. Include the other occupants so adequacy can be assessed on the real household. ^[1]

Do not count a room as available to the applicant if another person already occupies it and will remain there. Explain genuine changes in occupancy with evidence where needed. A property advertisement saying “three bedrooms” is not necessarily enough to establish the room sizes, use and number of residents. Our guide to Family applications involving dependent children considers family applications involving children, whose ages and living arrangements may affect the housing assessment.

Address adequacy under the relevant housing framework

Accommodation must not be overcrowded or contravene applicable public-health requirements. The Home Office guidance refers to the relevant housing legislation for England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Avoid applying one country's detailed room calculation indiscriminately across the UK. If the household is large or the arrangement is unclear, obtain an appropriate assessment rather than guessing how many people a room can accommodate. ^[1]

An independent report may help resolve a specific question about size, occupancy or condition, but the guidance does not make a paid inspection report a universal document for every application. Establish what evidence is needed for the actual case before commissioning one. A report also does not replace proof that the family has a lawful right to occupy the property.

Keep temporary and future plans accurately distinguished

The guidance recognises particular accommodation planning for a fiancé or proposed civil partner, including adequate temporary accommodation and a suitable permanent arrangement after marriage or civil partnership. It treats a post-marriage application differently from relying only on prospective accommodation. Identify the application category and explain the actual housing timeline rather than using one future address for every stage. ^[1]

For help through Partner visa application coordination, provide the property location, occupancy, family composition and legal occupation arrangement. Case-specific immigration advice must come from an appropriately regulated or otherwise legally authorised adviser, with housing expertise where needed. Ask which evidence addresses the real adequacy question. Share tenancy and household records securely, limiting unrelated personal information about other residents where it is not required.

Before submission, confirm that the accommodation is still available on the terms described. A tenancy ending before the intended move, an additional occupant or a withdrawn family offer can change the assessment. Update the application evidence honestly if the plan changes and retain the final documents so future extensions can explain where the couple actually lived.

Illustrative scenario

A couple plans to stay temporarily with relatives. They document the real arrangement and household occupancy for an assessment of whether the proposed accommodation meets the requirements.

Preparation checklist

• Identify the genuine proposed home
• Confirm permission to occupy
• Describe household occupancy
• Check any further evidence needed