Lodgers and Sub-letting

If your house has enough room, you can apply to us to take in a lodger or lodgers.

An application form for this is available from your local Housing office on request. The information which you provide in the form will allow us to make an assessment on whether or not we can grant permission for a lodger or lodgers.

Conditions

If permission is granted then certain conditions will apply, and you will be responsible for the actions of any lodger staying with you. You should also be aware that having a lodger could affect your entitlement to Housing Benefit, Income Support, or other benefits and we will provide you with further information on this when we assess your request for permission.

Sub-letting

You can also apply to us to sub-let your house. If you wish to do this, you must provide us with relevant information to allow an assessment to be made and you should contact your local Housing office for guidance prior to making any decision to sub-let your house. You will normally have to arrange for a formal lease to be drawn up by a solicitor on your behalf before we grant you permission to sub-let your house and we will also ask for additional information regarding the person or persons to whom the house is to be sub-let. If permission is granted, we will impose specific conditions relating to this. If we do grant you permission to sub-let your house you, as the tenant, will remain responsible for the condition of the house and you must ensure that any sub-tenant complies with your own conditions of tenancy. In addition, you will continue to be responsible for the payment of rent and any other charges direct to us.

What Happens if My House Becomes Overcrowded?

You must not allow your house to become overcrowded by allowing any unauthorised persons to stay with you.

If overcrowding occurs as a result of an increase in the size of your family living with you, you should apply to us for a house transfer. In this situation we will assist you to get a larger house and further details of this are given in Section 5 of the Handbook "Moving House and Right to Buy".