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UK Spouse Visa Accommodation Evidence: Which Documents

By the Stratovisa team · Published 21 October 2026

For a UK spouse or partner visa, you need documents that show where you will live in the UK and on what basis: owned, rented, or provided by family or friends. Home Office guidance gives these examples:

  • Owned home: a copy of the property deeds, or a letter from the bank or building society about the mortgage
  • Rented home: the lease (tenancy) agreement and rent book. For council or housing association homes, the guidance adds that correspondence from the council or housing association can normally be relied on
  • Living with family or friends: a letter from the family member or friend who is making the home available

The documents should also make two things easy to see: how many rooms the home has, and who lives there. This post covers which papers show this and how to prepare them. It does not judge whether a particular home meets the rules.

All figures and rules were checked on GOV.UK on 11 October 2026. Rules can change, so confirm on GOV.UK before you apply.

Where the accommodation rule comes from

The rule is in Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules. Paragraph E-ECP.3.4 covers applications from outside the UK. Paragraph E-LTRP.3.4 covers applications from inside the UK, including extensions. Both use the same wording. The applicant must provide evidence that there will be adequate accommodation, without recourse to public funds, for the family. This includes family members who are not in the application but live in the same household. The family must own the home or "occupy exclusively" part of it.

The rules say accommodation is not adequate if:

  • it is, or will be, overcrowded, or
  • it contravenes public health regulations.

"Occupy exclusively" is defined in the Introduction to the Immigration Rules. It means that part of the accommodation is for the family's own use only. The Home Office guidance adds that the home does not need to be a separate house or flat.

The detail on evidence is in the Home Office guidance Appendix FM and Adult Dependent Relative: Adequate maintenance and accommodation (version 13.0, published 11 November 2025).

If you own the home

The guidance names "a copy of the property deeds" or "a letter from a bank or building society as to the mortgage arrangements".

For a home in England or Wales, ownership is recorded by HM Land Registry. You can get a copy of the title register on GOV.UK by searching the register. The title register shows who owns the property.

Some practical checks (these are tips, not rules stated in the guidance):

  • the address matches the address on your application form
  • the owner's name matches the sponsor (or both of you)
  • a mortgage letter or statement is recent and shows the property address

If you rent the home

The guidance names "a lease agreement and rent book".

The guidance treats two kinds of rented home differently:

  • Council or housing association homes: "correspondence from them can normally be relied upon as sufficient evidence."
  • Private tenancies: the guidance says "greater care needs to be taken". If anything raises doubts, the caseworker may ask for more evidence.

For a private tenancy, a practical tip is to send the full signed agreement, with every page. Check that it is current on the date you apply, or that you have a renewal or a letter confirming it continues. If the tenancy is in the sponsor's name only, that is common. The agreement still shows the address and the basis on which you will live there.

A tenancy in both names can also count as evidence that you live together. GOV.UK lists it among relationship documents too. See our guide to proof of relationship documents.

Living with family or friends

Many couples first live with a parent or another relative. The guidance accepts this. Its example is a couple with their own bedroom in a home owned by the sponsor's parents, where the parents have their own bedroom. The rest of the home can be shared.

The guidance names "a letter from a family member or friend who is making the accommodation available". It also says that where a couple has as little as one bedroom of their own, caseworkers should make enquiries about:

  • the number of rooms in the property
  • the number of people who live there
  • whether this is only meant to be a short-term arrangement

So a practical owner's letter answers those points directly. It usually includes:

  • the owner's full name, and the address of the property
  • whether they own it or rent it (and their own deeds or tenancy as proof)
  • the number of bedrooms and other rooms
  • the name and age of everyone who lives there now
  • which bedroom the couple will use as their own
  • that the couple can live there, and for how long the arrangement is planned

The guidance does not set a template for this letter. These points are a suggested structure, not a GOV.UK list.

If the home is a house in multiple occupation (HMO), the guidance says the caseworker may need written confirmation from the local authority that there is no objection to an additional resident. This is something the caseworker obtains, not a document you are asked to provide.

Showing the room count

The guidance explains how caseworkers check for overcrowding. They count:

  1. People: everyone who will live in the home, including people not in the application. Children under 1 are not counted. Children aged 1 to 10 count as half.
  2. Rooms available for sleeping: bedrooms, and living rooms that could be used as a bedroom. Kitchens and bathrooms do not count. Rooms under 50 square feet are not counted.

They then compare the two using a published table (for example, 2 rooms for up to 3 people, 3 rooms for up to 5 people). The guidance says they do not measure the floor area of each room.

For your documents, this means the caseworker needs to see the number of rooms and the people living there. If your tenancy or deeds do not show this, a letter or a description of the home can fill the gap.

Property inspection reports, floor plans and photos

GOV.UK does not name a property inspection report as a required document. In the section on housing standards, the guidance says the evidence "may take the form for example of a letter from a housing authority or building society or a description of the property that the decision maker can be satisfied is accurate and genuine."

Some applicants send a report from a council environmental health officer or a private surveyor that describes the rooms and occupants. Others add a floor plan, photos, or council tax and utility bills for the address. These are extras. They can help show the room count clearly, but they do not replace the ownership or tenancy document.

Fiancé(e) applications

If you are not yet married, the guidance accepts accommodation that will be available later. You should send evidence for both the temporary address (for example, with family) and the planned long-term address after the wedding.

A simple checklist

  • Proof of the basis you live there: deeds or title register, mortgage letter, tenancy agreement, or owner's letter
  • If living with family or friends: their own deeds or tenancy as well
  • Something that shows the number of rooms and who lives there
  • Full pages, current dates, and the same address as on your form
  • Optional: inspection report, floor plan, photos, council tax or utility bills

A certified translation is needed for any document not in English or Welsh. See our certified translation guide.

Frequently asked questions

Does the home need to be in the sponsor's name? No. The guidance accepts a home owned by family or friends, with a letter from the person making it available. The couple needs part of the home for their own use.

Is a property inspection report required for a UK spouse visa? GOV.UK does not list it as required. The guidance says a description of the property can be used as evidence, and some applicants use an inspection report for this.

Can we live with my parents? The guidance gives this as an example: the couple has its own bedroom in a home owned by the sponsor's parents, and shares the rest of the home. The rooms and everyone living in the home are still counted in the overcrowding check.

What counts as a room for overcrowding? Bedrooms and living rooms that could be used for sleeping. Kitchens, bathrooms and rooms under 50 square feet are not counted.

How Stratovisa helps

When you choose the Family visa, Stratovisa adds an accommodation evidence slot to your checklist. You upload your tenancy agreement, mortgage statement, ownership letter or Land Registry title there, and the file goes into your package as it is. Optional slots are there for an environmental health report, a floor plan, property photos, council tax and utility bills. When everything is uploaded, Stratovisa puts it into one organised ZIP with your other documents and a cover sheet. For how the whole package fits together, see organising your UK spouse visa documents.