If you own 100% of your lease, you may be allowed to sub-let your property. However, you’re not allowed to use, or allow the flat to be used, for any purpose other than a private dwelling-house occupied by one household. It’s also important to remember you’re legally responsible for your sub-tenants.
What you need to tell us
If you want to sub-let your flat, make sure you write to Charlton Triangle Homes and let us know who will be living in the flat, and where we can contact you if there’s a problem with your property.
It’s really important you give us up-to-date contact details if you’re not living in your flat, especially a daytime phone number and an address to send service charge bills to. If we don’t have an address, correspondence will be sent to the flat. Please note that you, not your sub-tenant, are liable for all service charge costs. If we don’t have a forwarding address and there’s a problem, we could start debt recovery action against you without your knowledge.
Accidents happen. For example, if your sub-tenants cause a flood from your flat into another, we’ll need to contact you to make sure it’s sorted quickly. Remember, you’re liable for the first £500 of any damage to our property. If the tenant’s possessions below are damaged, they could also seek to recover costs from you. The sooner we can contact you to let you know there’s a problem, the less damage will be caused.
Make sure you have adequate insurance cover to protect you if there’s an accident, though an insurance company may refuse a claim if you haven’t given us your contact details. If you’re going abroad, consider having a family member or an agent who can deal with your flat and any emergencies while you’re away. Please give us their details in writing, and your authorisation to deal with anyone on your behalf.
If you have a mortgage and want to sub-let, tell your mortgage company and your contents insurers. Standard household insurance doesn’t usually cover lodgers or sub-tenants. Not having valid insurance or permission to sub-let will also probably breach any mortgage conditions.
What you need to tell your sub-tenants
Make sure your sub-tenants have all the information they need while living in your flat. You’re responsible if your sub-tenant breaks any of the terms and conditions of the lease. We’ll take action against you if your sub-tenant causes a nuisance or any damage, or behaves anti-socially. We recommend you seek independent advice before sub-letting, so you comply with the law and the terms of your lease. Make sure your sub-tenants:
- know where the bins are in the block, how and when to use them and how to dispose of large items of rubbish
- and their visitors understand local parking regulations and tell their friends and visitors
- have up-to-date contact numbers for you or your lettings agent
- know where the main stopcocks for water and gas, and mains electric and fuse boards are (plus any keys for these services), and understand how they operate, so they can deal with emergency leaks and faults. Keep this information handy if you or your letting agent need to send anyone else to your flat in an emergency.
We don’t issue communal entrance fobs or information to sub-tenants without your written permission, and we’ll usually contact you to confirm any requests are genuine. You’ll usually need to pay for extra keys or key fobs to access communal main entrances.
Finally, you’re legally obliged to have an annual gas safety check if you have sub-tenants in your property. You could face prosecution if you ignore this and your sub-tenants are injured or killed as a result.
