The level of subletting by tenants in private rented property without the landlord’s permission has been revealed and it will come as a surprise for many.
Research has revealed that one in six tenants have rented out all, or part, of their rented property to someone who was not named on the lease.
Of those who did, one in four tenants said they had not checked the terms of the tenancy to see if subletting was permitted.
Another 34% of tenants said they had not told their landlord of their decision to sublet.
The research was carried out by Direct Line for Business and the firm’s Nick Breton said: “With the average rent standing at £739, a third of a tenant’s income is paying for their accommodation.
“Rents grew by 5% on average last year and it seems that a growing number of tenants are looking to offset this by subletting.”
Big increase in the number of tenants looking to sublet their homes
Now Direct Line for Business is warning that 2016 could see a big increase in the number of tenants looking to sublet their homes.
Their research has revealed that 15% of those questioned said they were looking to rent their home out on websites including Airbnb.
Mr Breton added: “There could be serious consequences for tenants who are subletting but landlords need to be aware as there could be insurance implications. Under most insurance policies, subletting is not covered so it’s important that landlords make a tenant aware of their lease restrictions. They should also maintain communication to prevent any breach.”
The firm’s research found that subletting is common in the West Midlands and North West with 27% of tenants in private rented property saying they have sublet their home.
For landlords in London, the figure is 23%, in the South East it is 9% and for landlords in Northern Ireland just 7% of tenants have sublet their home.
However, when asked who the tenant was subletting to, 28% said it was to friends, 21% sublet to family members while 19% sublet to a stranger who had responded to an advert.
Landlords get Right to Rent protection
Meanwhile, after a campaign by the Residential Landlords’ Association (RLA), landlords will not be criminalised immediately for failing to pick up that illegal immigrants have moved into their property.
The controversial Right to Rent legislation is aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration and forces landlords to check whether a potential tenant has a right to live in the UK.
Alan Ward, the RLA’s chairman, said: “We welcome the government’s pragmatic change which will provide protection for landlords and the unintended consequences of the scheme.”
