We offer a house inspection service to anyone who needs a letter in support of an application to visit or live in Peterborough, showing that the accommodation they will be living in is suitable.
Immigration assessment form, fees and appointment booking
The fee for this service is £138 (not refundable) and must be paid before an appointment is made to inspect the property. The application and fee relate to one assessment (in exceptional circumstances, more than one visit may be required to complete the assessment) of one property.
You must deliver all documents to us as stated within the assessment form, and make payment online or enclose a cheque with your application. An officer will contact you to make an appointment to inspect the house.
Property inspection
- You should bear in mind that the inspection may take place up to two weeks after the appointment is made
- allow time to carry out any remedial works identified before the property could be considered satisfactory.
The property will be inspected against certain standards. All deficiencies found during the Housing Health and Safety Rating System inspection will be recorded and assessed for any risk they may pose.
Where high risk (Category 1) hazards are identified, a ‘satisfactory’ letter will not be issued. The applicant, usually the home owner, will be told of the defects. If the property is rented, the landlord will also be informed.
All remedial works will need to be satisfactorily attended to before we can confirm that the property is suitable. If necessary, we will take statutory action to ensure works are carried out, whether or not the application proceeds.
Where lower risk (Category 2) hazards only are identified, the applicant will be notified of the defects. Category 2 hazards alone will not render the house unsatisfactory.
Overcrowding standards
In addition to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System assessment concerning crowding and space crowding and space, an assessment will be made against the statutory overcrowding standards.
In order to make this assessment, the officer will measure the size of every habitable room such as living rooms, dining and study rooms, as well as bedrooms. It is essential that the officer has access to all these areas, otherwise an overall assessment cannot be made and the house will be judged to be unsatisfactory.
When making this assessment, the sponsored person will be included in the calculations as if they were already living in the house. If the property would become statutorily overcrowded as a result of the person/s moving in, then you may have to find alternative accommodation for the person/s being sponsored to live in. In these circumstances a satisfactory letter will not be issued.
Decent homes standard
The house must meet the decency standard set by the government. If the house fails to meet the decency standard, a satisfactory letter will not be issued.
Many of the requirements for meeting the decent homes standard are linked to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System and in these cases, meeting the requirements of one will generally satisfy the requirements of the other.