Fee to move in with husband?

Hi all,
I have a situation and was looking to see if anyone has dealt with something similar.
My husband has been renting a house through an agency. When getting the accommodation letter for the visa they told us that when I move to the UK and move in with him that I would legally have to be put on the tenant agreement as I am over 18 and “that is the law” also they want to charge us £450 in order to do this. They called it a “change of sharer” fee. My husbands brother lives with him and will continue to live there when I move in.
“Change of sharer” as defined on their website is when a named tenant leaves partway through a tenancy and is replaced by another sharer. This is not what is happening but they insist that we must pay this fee! I will not be working or responsible for any part of the rent. I am basically a dependent.
Is this something we should fight? Does it sound like a normal thing in the UK. Does everyone who rents have to pay such a large fee just to live in with their husband? For nine months left on the lease!!!!


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Ah estate agents - always trying one on. Would be nice if Parliament would get off their asses about the rental fees bill languishing in Parliament right now.

Is the brother listed as a tenant or a permitted occupant on the current lease? Does the current tenancy agreement state that any occupant needs to be added to the lease as a tenant? If it does then you will have to be added (which is good as it gives you a paper trail for immigration purposes later) and will have to pay fees of some sort. Sounds like someone over there is being an idiot (this will happen frequently, so best to start getting used to it) - is there a list of fees on their website or they can send? They are required to have this list somewhere visible (possibly in office). But you are right it isnt a change of sharer, and they may be counting on you being foreign and not understanding the rules. Tenants have little power/protection in the rental game here, unfortunately.

You may want to put this up over at moneysavingexpert.com forums and see what they say for best approach.

Sounds like someone over there is being an idiot (this will happen frequently, so best to start getting used to it) -

Yeah I'm wondering if maybe they thought the brother would be moving out and OP would be moving in perhaps?

No I told them that no one was moving out and explained clearly that I am not responsible for any part of the rent. The brother is on the lease as a named tenant and pays half the rent currently. I feel as if they are just trying to get money out of us because we are young (in our 20’s) and I am foreign. They have a list of their tenant fees on their website and there is none listed for adding tenant to the agreement. That is where I found the description for the change of sharer fee and realized that it’s not at all what we are doing but what they are trying to make us pay. Just don’t know how much to fight this or if we should just pay the £450 to avoid issue and perhaps losing a good rental reference in the future.


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Do they know the exact date when you are moving in? Because they aren't going to come banging down the door to check if you are there or not.

If they do know the date, then you may just have to go over there on a Saturday and sit down in person with them and explain it using simple words and sock puppets. Most estate agents are complete and utter morons, but if you get a good manager of the branch who knows what they are doing, they can sort something in about five minutes. Surely they have had people been added to the lease before.

I would fight it - you let these dopes take advantage of you now, they will do it again in 9 months when the lease comes up for renewal and they hike your rent a bunch.

Do they know the exact date when you are moving in? Because they aren't going to come banging down the door to check if you are there or not.

If they do know the date, then you may just have to go over there on a Saturday and sit down in person with them and explain it using simple words and sock puppets. Most estate agents are complete and utter morons, but if you get a good manager of the branch who knows what they are doing, they can sort something in about five minutes. Surely they have had people been added to the lease before.

I would fight it - you let these dopes take advantage of you now, they will do it again in 9 months when the lease comes up for renewal and they hike your rent a bunch.

I agree with this.  You don’t even need to be added to the lease.  Just listed as an occupier.

Do they know the exact date when you are moving in? Because they aren't going to come banging down the door to check if you are there or not.

If they do know the date, then you may just have to go over there on a Saturday and sit down in person with them and explain it using simple words and sock puppets. Most estate agents are complete and utter morons, but if you get a good manager of the branch who knows what they are doing, they can sort something in about five minutes. Surely they have had people been added to the lease before.

I would fight it - you let these dopes take advantage of you now, they will do it again in 9 months when the lease comes up for renewal and they hike your rent a bunch.

They don’t know when exactly as I didn’t even know when my visa would come through. But they have recently emailed my husband asking if I am there yet and that we need to come in as soon as I arrive and take care of this. Sadly the dumb-dumb I spoke to while I was there before the visa application was a manager and he is the one who was trying to pin this fee on us.
Thank you for your advice. I’ll have to take my husband with me and sit down and show them we aren’t stupid I guess.


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Ah estate agents - always trying one on. Would be nice if Parliament would get off their asses about the rental fees bill languishing in Parliament right now.

Laws take years to go through as they go back and forwards between the elected MPs and the unelected Lords. Look at how long the important laws like the Welfare Reform  laws and the "stopping the National Health Service from being used as a world health service" laws took/are taking.

It sounds like these estate agents are trying for their last pound of flesh with that charge. But because you are an adult (over age 17) then they do have a right to put your name on the tenancy agreement and credit reference you too. You not working, won't be helping as it takes many months to remove tenants from properties, even if they aren't paying the rent. You can try asking the good landlords on thelandlordzone what the present laws are for adding a tenant as I'm a bit rusty on any housing law changes.


This is the idea behind the landlord paying the letting agent fees, they can put their property with LAs who have lower fees.