# Is a Short Term let suitable for a spouse visa accommodation requirement?



## styam (May 30, 2014)

Dear expatforumers please advise on whether or not we can consider a short term let from an agency as a temporary solution to our accommodation in the UK. My husband, our 2.5 year-old son and I shall be traveling together. We don't own any property and we don't have relatives in the UK. If it is a valid accommodation for a spouse visa, please help me with the following questions:

1) What is a minimal term we have to sign this short term tenancy agreement for? 1 week? 1 month?

2) Do we have to sign a tenancy agreement?

3)What kind of documents can we request from an agency for attention of ECO? My guess is that a simple letter that confirms a 1 month booking of a flat/house with an address is not enough.

Many thanks in advance!


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

This is always a tricky situation. As you are already married, a simple evidence of temporary accommodation won't do. You need a proper signed tenancy agreement for 6 months or more. That's why almost everyone lives temporarily with friends and relatives. 
Read https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...-maa--2#maa9-assessing-adequate-accommodation


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## JbRK (Aug 13, 2014)

Not to Hijack the thread, but does this agreement have to be 6 months or more at the time of applying or could you show an agreement that was made for 6 months, but now is down to 2 months left on it. An example being your agreement for 6 month tenancy started in May and ending in October.. is that suitable?


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

That's fine.


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## Pallykin (Mar 30, 2014)

Joppa said:


> This is always a tricky situation. As you are already married, a simple evidence of temporary accommodation won't do.


So for Fiance visa, the standard is less stringent, as not everyone is willing to live together before marriage? Have you noticed any flexibility for couples coming the the UK at the same time?

I read the link you provided. It is quite general... so quite a bit of discretion is left up to the ECO... Have you encountered people being refused on the grounds of inadequate accommodation?


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Yes plenty. While in case of fiancé(e), they will accept prospective accommodation, e.g. living with relatives till marriage before getting a place of their own, for married couple or unmarried partnership, they want more solid evidence of accommodation. As it's difficult to secure a place before arriving in UK, most people just lodge with relatives and friends until they can get a place of their own. For those without such a possibility, it becomes difficult. Hotel or purely temporary accommodation will not be acceptable, so you either have to gamble by signing a tenancy agreement or getting agreement in principle to rent a property with documentary evidence, such as correspondence with letting agent or landlord and details of property. This isn't something easy to put together in the fast-moving rental market. So I urge people to dig deep and find a relative or friend and ask if they can do a favour, with willingness to contribute towards costs.


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## Pallykin (Mar 30, 2014)

Joppa said:


> Yes plenty. While in case of fiancé(e), they will accept prospective accommodation, e.g. living with relatives till marriage before getting a place of their own, for married couple or unmarried partnership, they want more solid evidence of accommodation. As it's difficult to secure a place before arriving in UK, most people just lodge with relatives and friends until they can get a place of their own. For those without such a possibility, it becomes difficult. Hotel or purely temporary accommodation will not be acceptable, so you either have to gamble by signing a tenancy agreement or getting agreement in principle to rent a property with documentary evidence, such as correspondence with letting agent or landlord and details of property. This isn't something easy to put together in the fast-moving rental market. So I urge people to dig deep and find a relative or friend and ask if they can do a favour, with willingness to contribute towards costs.


Thanks. So the recent post from someone who received their visa even through they sent evidence of searching for accommodation instead of evidence of having it sorted was a bit of a surprise...

We've got relatives (cousins, aunties) and friends in the UK, but would prefer not to impose, not so much on the staying with them front, but on the private important documents we would need for the application. Even if we did go that route, I imagine we would arrange a short term let (or maybe even a long term one) once the visa was issued and go straight there.


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## andrewnz (Jan 16, 2014)

Similar situation for me again... I really didn't want to ask any relatives etc but after advice on these boards I had to swallow my pride and ask my aunt for all the guff. We might stay at her place for a few days tops, maybe not even that. I just had to explain to her that these were UK immigration requirements, not mine!!


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

The problem is you are applying months before your move, and it's difficult to secure or even agree in principle proper rental accommodation. By staying with relatives and friends, at least you have something concrete to put forward. There have been cases where purely speculative accommodation was accepted by Home Office, but that's more of an exception than a rule.


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## andrewnz (Jan 16, 2014)

I still think that, as a principle, if you satisfy the financial requirement, then you have already shown yourself capable of supporting yourself when you arrive. Therefore, I think the accommodation requirement is quite unnecessary and just an awkward and unnecessary hurdle. My 2c anyway... (or 2p I suppose )


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

You should regard accommodation as part of your financial ability to manage without recourse to public funds. While meeting the £18,600 requirement is the central part of your application, it should not deflect attention away from accommodating yourself and your family from your own resources.


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## Pallykin (Mar 30, 2014)

Joppa said:


> You should regard accommodation as part of your financial ability to manage without recourse to public funds. While meeting the £18,600 requirement is the central part of your application, it should not deflect attention away from accommodating yourself and your family from your own resources.


Particularly when accommodation could run more than £20,000/pa, it's a big deal. Going the friends/relatives route is clearly going to be a money saver, if nothing else.


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## styam (May 30, 2014)

Assuming that my husband can get a tenancy agreement for 6 months (privately), starting from around the date we wish to travel. The landlord will provide us with 'title register' and will write a letter that gives permission to myself and our child to stay in the house. We shall be the only tenants in the house. What else do we need to provide to satisfy adequate accommodation requirements? Should we include a certified copy of a current tenancy agreement between the landlord and current tenants to show that it finishes before our agreement start date? Or does the landlord need to issue an official notice to the current tenants and do we need to provide a certified copy of it?

Please advise.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

What you have is sufficient.


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## TrillyPlain&Tall (Aug 13, 2014)

This was informative! We don't have a flat yet (or my visa!) but Mr P&T's work contract says they'd set us up in a hotel for a week. We didn't feel this was enough for the visa, so we had his mother agree we could live with her in her 2-bedroom place. We have no intention of living with her, but we felt it was good to have it as a back up.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Just declare your in-law's property details and nothing about the hotel. As Home Office may contact her about it, make sure she replies appropriately.


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## TrillyPlain&Tall (Aug 13, 2014)

Joppa said:


> Just declare your in-law's property details and nothing about the hotel. As Home Office may contact her about it, make sure she replies appropriately.


We didn't put anything about the hotel in there, just letters from his mom. The hotel information, I do believe, is in the work contract for Mr P&T that we sent a copy of. We figured we'd keep it simple for them but they'll probably see it if they read all of his employment contract.


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## FionaGL (Apr 22, 2014)

When I called and spoke with the UK visa service, I was told that hotel or short term let was acceptable.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Don't take what they tell you on the phone at face value. They are often wrong. Hotel is NOT acceptable, and temporary accommodation, unless with a relative or backed by tenancy agreement/rental contract, is equally unsuitable. The only scenario where such accommodation may be acceptable is if you are a fiancé(e)/proposed civil partner and you will move into more permanent place after the ceremony. But you still need to supply details of prospective accommodation for eventual occupation.


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## FionaGL (Apr 22, 2014)

Why would the service offered by the same organization issuing the visas give false information?

We are meeting the financial requirement through cash savings that exceed the minimum requirement. Does this not play a factor? Isn't the intention to provide them with enough evidence that one won't be a burden on the system?


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## styam (May 30, 2014)

Joppa,

there is a table for overcrowding in the link that you have provided above. It states that a maximum of 5 people can stay in 3 rooms. 
Can 2 families with a two-year old boy each, stay in 2 bedroom house (2 bedrooms + living room)? So we have 4 adults (2 couples) and 2 children under 10. The math works out pretty well: 4+2x0.5=5. But are children from different families allowed to sleep in the same room by the Housing Act?


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Yes, if they are under 10 of whatever gender.


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