omario2016

Hi everyone,

Thanks to everyone who contributed to my wife's settlement visa (it has been just over a year). Yes, time flies and we are already thinking about her FLR.

The question I had is in relation to accommodation. We are private tenants. I got the tenancy only under my name (sponsor) because at the time of the application my wife had just arrived and did not have a credit history yet so we were afraid that our tenancy may be rejected (the agency carried out credit checks) and also because we wanted to save the extortionate estate agent's fee that you have to pay for each adult that lives in the party....

Having said that my wife's name is on all utility bills and council tax, our join bank accounts etc.

So my question is, when it comes to applying for her FLR, is it going to be ok if we explain this to the ECO? I don't want to raise any unnecessary suspicions.

We were thinking to get a short statements from couple of of neighbours to say that we both live here together.... etc.

Any feedback will be highlight appreciated.

Thank you!

spouse of scouse

You haven't gone about things the right way. By failing to tell your landlord that your wife is also living at the property, the landlord hasn't been able to carry out a Right to Rent check, which is a legal obligation https://www.gov.uk/check-tenant-right-to-rent-documents
Some insurances that the landlord may have taken out, such as rent guarantee insurance, may well fail in the event of a claim
Plus, as a landlord myself I'd be pretty angry to find out that someone I had no knowledge of was living in the property

I don't know what you should write in the FLR application, or if you could get away with an explanation - although I suspect that admitting that you deliberately lied by omission wouldn't go down too well! I'd suggest that your regularise your wife's tenancy prior to submitting the application.

SanDiegogirl

Agree with Spouse of Scouse....... get your wife on the tenancy agreement.

At time of FLR you will need a letter from the landlord agreeing to her staying at the property. Statements from neighbors are irrelevant.

Come to think of it you would have needed such a document agreeing to her staying for the initial visa.(?)

DernierVirage

Just out of curiosity, what fees are you referring to? We didn't pay any fees at all to the agent, just deposit and one month's rent in advance. As it happens, neither my wife nor I had any UK credit history at all but it was never a stumbling block with any of the agents that we were in contact with. Given that you have plenty of time in hand, it shouldn't be difficult to get your wife's name onto the lease agreement.

omario2016

@spouse of scouse, @sandiego girl and @darnierVirage,

Thank you all for your feedbacks. All points taken on board. I realise I made an irrational decision even though it made sense at the time (saved us about £175).

*This is the second place we are renting since she obtained her visa. First flat, we had to move out after 6 months as it was a temporary arrangement.

*We are hoping to buy our own place, hopefully in the next 5 months, do we have to submit all accommodation documents in which we would have lived throughout her 2.5 years? or documents for the last accommodation prior to apply for FLR will suffice?

*I will speak to the agents and see what they say. I am not sure if they will backdate her name on the agreement though and instead add her name from now. In London the fees they charge for adding just a name on the tenancy agreement, is ridiculous.

*the estate agents carried out a credit history check on me prior to agreement. I am not sure if that is just in London or just this estate agents....

Invisible

Any Letting Agent letting a property out on behalf of a third party will perform a credit check on a tenancy applicant.

angie_329

if someone has no credit history in the UK, then the credit check by lettings agent will be blank but also show no adverse history like county court judgements, however if you are salaried and it's your spouse joining you on the tenancy agreement, there should be no problem with most landlords.
It's true in london it's often stricter and if both applicants have no credit history they may be asked to pay rent in advance,up to the first break clause. you could let the agent know your wife has now joined you but being from overseas would not pass a credit check so ask if they can they give you a discount on adding her on the agreement.(give a copy of her passport visa page) and they can ok it with the landlord.
Then you should get a supplemental page to your tenancy agreement.
Often old lettings contracts used to state ' mr x and immediate family'.

if you have had council tax in both names and utilities that is good for the next visa application. If you are buying jointly shortly that will be good as evidience of permanence in the relationship. I do not know if you have to supply evidence throughout the period though.