Accommodation certificates (fitness for human habitation)
Information about accommodation certificates.
- Are you sponsoring someone to come into the country and live with you permanently or for a short period?
- Do you need a letter from the council confirming that your accommodation/property is suitable for that relative or friend to live in?
Community Regulation can undertake an assessment of your homes to assess its suitability for additional family members, friends, and students etc to live in for home office/visa/entry clearance purposes.
To arrange an assessment a response/enquiry form must be completed together with the payment of the fee charged for this service, currently £99.50. The fee can be paid at the Council's cash office at Connect or by credit card. Cheques must be made payable to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council.
You should contact Community Regulation on 0121 704 6833 and request an appointment for the assessment to be arranged. Generally an appointment can be arranged within 21 days of receipt of the form and payment. After the inspection has been carried out a written report of the assessment will be sent to you within 10 days of the visit.
The inspection will involve an officer assessing the condition of the property to establish whether it meets the fitness for habitation standards as per the Housing Act 1985 and new Decent Homes Standard. During the inspection the officer will measure habitable rooms such as living rooms, dining, and study rooms to calculate the maximum permitted number of persons able to live in the property, as a single household, avoiding statutory overcrowding in the property.
Once an appointment has been arranged please ensure that the officer can gain access to all of the property and that the enquirer/sponsor is present at the property at the time of the inspection
If the property should fail the fitness standard you will be advised what works need to be carried out in order that the property can be made fit and suitable to live in. These works will need to be satisfactorily attended to before the Council can confirm that the property is suitable.
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. Once an officer has carried out an assessment the fee can not be refunded. A new application will need to be completed for other properties and a fee is chargeable for each application.
When assessing fitness the following points are considered
Any dwelling house is deemed fit for human habitation unless it fails to meet one or other of several requirements and by reason of that failure is not reasonably suitable for occupation.
The requirements used to determine fitness for habitation are:-
- it is structurally stable;
- it is free from serious disrepair;
- it is free from dampness prejudicial to the health of the occupants (if any);
- it has adequate provision for lighting, heating and ventilation;
- it has an adequate piped supply of wholesome water; there are satisfactory facilities in the dwelling for the preparation and cooking of food, including a sink with a satisfactory supply of hot and cold water;
- it has a suitably located water closet for the exclusive use of the occupants (if any);
- it has, for the exclusive use of the occupants (if any), a suitably located fixed bath or shower and a wash hand basin each of which is provided with a satisfactory supply of hot and cold water; and
- it has an effective system for the draining of foul water and surface water.
If the council identifies a property which fails to meet one or more of the above requirements, it is deemed to be unfit for human habitation. In these circumstances the council must determine the most satisfactory course of action to be taken with that property. There are several options available to the council:
- a repair notice
- a closing order
- a demolition order, or
- include the property in a clearance area
There is a set procedure to be followed by the council in deciding the most satisfactory course of action.
Repair notice
A repair notice would specify the works required to remedy the particular conditions to which the notice relates. It would also specify a reasonable time by which the works must be started and a reasonable period within which they are to be completed.
Works could include improvements such installation of a damp proofing course, as well as repairs e.g. replastering walls which were affected by dampness.
Closing order
A closing order is an order prohibiting the use of the premises for any purpose not approved by the council. This means the council issues this type of order to prevent the premises being lived in.
Demolition order
As the name suggests these orders are issued where demolition of the premises is the most satisfactory course of action.
Clearance area
An area consisting of houses which are unfit for human habitation and are all to be demolished, as the best way of dealing with the problem. There is a very detailed procedure to go through which includes consulting those people who will be affected by the decision.
Contact Details
For more information please contact Environmental Health
Telephone: 0121 704 6833
Email: environmentalhealth@solihull.gov.uk