Renting out your leasehold property

If you let out your leasehold property to someone else and charge them rent, this is known as subletting.

If you sublet your property, your lease and the leaseholders’ rules and regulations require you to tell us within 4 weeks of the date you have started to sublet.

If you have a mortgage, you may have to get permission to sublet your property from your mortgage lender.

If you are a shared owner, you are not allowed to sublet your property. In exceptional circumstances we will consider your request to sublet. See shared owners.

Registering your sublet

You can register your sublet by completing a sublet registration form. We currently charge £30 for registering a sublet. You will also need to send us a signed copy of the tenancy agreement.

Register your sublet

If the length of the tenancy is over 12 months, you are required to enter into a deed of covenant with your tenant and us.

This makes sure that your tenant is responsible for keeping to the terms of your lease and the leaseholders’ rules and regulations (other than paying service charges and ground rent) in the same way that you as the leaseholder are. We currently charge £171 for drafting the deed.

By registering your sublet we can respond quickly to any emergencies and minimise problems such as water leaks or kitchen fires. We can also make sure that all correspondence, legal notices and bills are sent to your correct address.

For more information read our leaseholder’s guide to subletting or contact our leasehold and right to buy service.

• leaseholders’ guide to subletting

Your responsibilities as a landlord

By renting out your property, you have become a landlord. Some of your responsibilities as a landlord include making sure:

• anyone living in your property keep to the terms of your lease
• an annual gas safety check is carried out every 12 months
• all electrical appliances supplied in your property are safe to use. To find out more about electrical safety, visit Electrical Safety First
• all furniture and furnishings provided by you comply with the Furniture and Furnishings Fire Safety Regulations 1998
• you repair heating and hot water installations, sinks, basins, baths and other sanitary installations that you own within your property
• you pay all service charges and ground rent
• you have given a copy of the Energy Performance Certificate to your tenant before they move into the property

You should make sure your tenants know:

• how to report repairs to you
• how to use fixtures and fittings within you property, for example heating systems, baths and showers, window blinds or locks. Try and provide instruction manuals for all appliances where possible.
• where to dispose rubbish
• who to contact in an emergency. By law you are required to give your tenants an address in England or Wales for mailing notices to you

More information about your responsibilities can be found in our leaseholders rules and regulations.