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?
Public Protection 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, please call Public Protection for the current fee. The fee can be paid by cheque only. Cheques must be made payable to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council.
You should contact Public Protection on 0121 704 8043 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 (Housing Health and Safety Rating Scheme- HHSRS) as per the Housing Act 2004. 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
The property will be assessed using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, which uses a risk assessment approach to enable the risk from hazards to your health and safety in dwellings, to be removed or minimised.
The system requires and assessment of risk under 29 possible hazards summarised under the following categories:
- dampness, excess cold or heat
- pollutants e.g asbestos, carbon monoxide, lead
- lack of space, security, or lighting, or excessive noise
- poor hygiene, sanitation, waters supply
- collisions, explosions, structural collapse
- accidents e.g falls, electric shocks, fires, burns, scalds.
The Council has a duty under the act to take action of some kind if they discover a very serious hazard at the property. The type of action would be one of the following.
- an advisory notice
- a repair notice
- a prohibition notice
- a closing order
- a demolition order, or
- include the property in a clearance area
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.
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There is a set procedure to be followed by the council in deciding the most satisfactory course of action..
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Contact Details
For more information please contact Public Protection
Telephone: 0121 704 8043
Email: publicprotection@solihull.gov.uk