Is a property report required for a UK visa?

It is not mandatory in every case. When an application has to show adequate accommodation, a signed report from a property professional sets out the space and condition of the home clearly.

How long does the accommodation report take?

48 hours from when we have your correct measurements and photos, or 48 hours from the visit. Self-measured reports can be done in 24 hours for an extra £59.

What if my home does not pass the statutory test?

We tell you before anything is signed. The fee is not refunded, so use the free check on our page before you pay.

Do you need to visit my property?

Only on the £159 tier. The £99 tier uses measurements and photos you supply, guided by our measuring guide. Both produce the same signed report.

Which visas does this cover?

Any UK visa requiring accommodation evidence: spouse, fiancé, family, visitor, FLR(M), ILR, adult dependent relative, civil and unmarried partner, and settlement.

Can I use the report outside Birmingham?

Yes. The self-measured report is available anywhere in the UK. The visit is only available within 12 miles of Birmingham. Our reports are written to meet the Home Office accommodation requirements, but the final decision always rests with the caseworker.

Why Greengates rather than a generic surveyor?

Greengates is a Birmingham letting agency that has applied the Housing Act 1985 overcrowding rules to the homes it lets since 2004.

Greengates

Room for
one more?

The signed accommodation report for your visa application. £99, ready in 48 hours.

Book my report Check your home first, free

Check your home

Free, and it uses the same rules as your report.

In short, only bedrooms and living rooms of 50 sq ft or more count. Each room of 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 number of rooms that count also sets a limit (1 room 2, 2 rooms 3, 3 rooms 5, 4 rooms 7½, then 2 a room), and your limit is the lower of the two. Babies under 1 aren’t counted, children from 1 to 9 count as half and everyone else as one, including the person joining you.

Book my report Call 0121 248 0033

Part X, Housing Act 1985Sample figures

Permitted maximum10.5

Present occupants3

With them joining4

The number of people allowed to occupy these premises has been calculated to be 10 and a half. At present the occupants are 3, which would become 4 should Sara Sample join the household.

This property would not be statutorily overcrowded should Sara Sample join this household.

The overcrowding box from page 2 of your report. Your figures fill it in as you type.

Your home allows?

Your household2

Type one room to see your count

It updates as you type.

Book my report, £99

How the count works

Only bedrooms and living rooms of 50 sq ft or more count. Each room of 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 number of rooms that count sets a second limit (1 room 2, 2 rooms 3, 3 rooms 5, 4 rooms 7½, then 2 a room), and your limit is the lower of the two. Babies under 1 aren’t counted, children from 1 to 9 count as half and everyone else as one, including the person joining you.

Two ways to get your report

You measure

£99

Anywhere in the UK. We send a simple guide, you measure each room and send us photos.

Need it in 24 hours? Choose that option at checkout.

Book my report

Cover of the Greengates DIY Measurement Guide.

We visit

£159

Within 12 miles of B11 3AA. We measure everything. Travel is free up to 6 miles, then £1.50 a mile.

Book a visit

Shaded: travel included.

Will the Home Office accept it?

Our reports are written to meet the Home Office’s accommodation requirements. The final decision always rests with the caseworker, so nobody can guarantee a result. What we can promise is the best quality paperwork for your application.

Three steps. 48 hours.

1Book onlineTakes five minutes.
2Measure your roomsOr we visit and do it.
3Get your reportSigned and emailed within 48 hours.

What’s in your report

Three pages. Everything a caseworker looks for.

Page 2 of a sample report: the household, the overcrowding count and the condition review. — Sample report. Names are made up.

Every room, measured
Who lives there
The overcrowding count
Signed by Greengates

For these visas

Spouse
Civil partner
Unmarried partner
Fiancé(e)
Family
Visitor
Adult dependent relative
FLR(M)
ILR and settlement

Not listed? Call 0121 248 0033.

Questions

What is a visa accommodation report?

A signed report on the home your family member will live in. It gives the size of each bedroom and living room, who will live there, and how many people the home can hold under the overcrowding rules in Part X of the Housing Act 1985. You send it with your visa application as evidence of adequate accommodation. Some people call it a property inspection report or a housing report.

Who needs one?

Most people applying for a spouse, partner, fiancé(e), family or adult dependent relative visa, extending with FLR(M), or applying for ILR have to show the home is big enough and won’t be overcrowded. Visitors staying with family often send one too.

How many bedrooms do I need for a spouse visa?

There’s no fixed number. It depends on how many people will live there, their ages and the size of each room. The free check at the top of this page tells you how many people your home allows.

Will my report be accepted?

The decision is the caseworker’s, so nobody can guarantee it. Our reports are written to meet the Home Office’s requirements.

How long does it take?

48 hours from when we have your correct measurements and photos, or from our visit. Measuring yourself and need it in 24 hours? Choose that option at checkout.

How much does it cost?

£99 if you measure the rooms yourself with our guide. £159 if we visit and measure for you, with a small mileage charge beyond 6 miles. Measuring yourself and need it in 24 hours? That’s £158.

Do you cover my area?

The £99 report works anywhere in the UK, because you measure. Visits are within 12 miles of our Birmingham office (B11 3AA).

What if my home doesn’t pass?

We tell you before anything is signed. The fee isn’t refunded, so try the free check first.

What do I need to send?

The size and a photo of each bedroom and living room, and everyone’s date of birth.