If you want a friend, relative or employee to come and live in the UK, you may need to apply for an 'immigration property inspection'.

What is an immigration property inspection? 

When you (or the person wanting to enter the UK) make an application to the Home Office for entry clearance into the United Kingdom, you may be asked to get an independent assessment of the property that they plan to live in during their stay.

The inspection is to make sure that the property is safe, suitable and won't be overcrowded. 

Find out:

• how to apply
• what the inspection involves
• what it will cost

How to apply

Please print and complete the form below, you will need to know:

• the name, address, contact telephone number and date of birth of the person supporting the application (the 'sponsor')
• details of the people applying to enter the UK (the 'applicants'), including their names, ages, and relationship to the sponsor
• details of the property they intend to live in, including the full address 

If the applicants will be living in a rented property while they are staying in the UK, you will also need copies of: 

• a current valid gas safety certificate (this must be from a registered Gas Safe contractor)
• the tenancy agreement
• the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for the property
  If our documents are not accessible to you, you can request a different format here.

  Immigration Inspection Application Form

  (PDF 164 KB)

Please send the completed form with the relevant documentation and payment to the address shown below. 

Fees 

The fee for this service is:

• £100 if the inspection is required within a 4 week period
• £150 if the inspection is required within a 5 day period

The property inspection will only be arranged once the completed application form, relevant documentation and fee have been received. 

The inspection 

When we have received the completed application, including documents and payment, we will contact you to arrange a date and time to inspect the property. 

The inspection will check that the property:

• is safe, in a good state of repair, and doesn't pose a health and safety risk
• has adequate kitchen and bathroom facilities (shared facilities with another family are not acceptable)
• is owned or occupied exclusively by the sponsor and their family (if the applicants will be moving into the sponsor's home) - the property is not suitable if it is shared with members of another family
• has a smoke detector fitted on every floor if it is a rented property, in accordance with current legislation 
• has a sufficient number of rooms that are of adequate sizes; an assessment will be made of whether or not the property will become overcrowded if more people were to move in   

Inspection letter

After we have inspected the property, will will send a letter to the sponsor within seven working days; the letter will state:

• the name, address and date of birth of the sponsor
• the names and dates of birth of all the applicants
• the address of the property that was inspected
• whether the property is owned or rented, and details of the owner or landlord 
• the names and dates of birth of all current occupants, and their relationship to the applicants
• whether the property provided a safe and healthy living environment at the time of inspection*
• whether the property will become statutorily overcrowded when the applicants move in*

* If the property meets these standards, the confirmation letter can be used as part of a visa application.

Expired letters

The immigration authorities will not accept confirmation letters that are more than 12 weeks old. 

If your letter expires we won't issue another until we have carried out a further inspection of your property, and you will have to pay the full fee again. 

Contact details

Phone: 01246 345748

Email: psho@chesterfield.gov.uk

By post: Private sector housing team, Chesterfield Borough Council, Town Hall, Rose Hill, Chesterfield, S40 1LP.