Lodgers and subletting in your council home
Lodgers and subletting in your council home
You can only take a lodger or sublet part of your home if you have a secure tenancy.
Before you decide to do this, it’s important to understand what’s allowed under your tenancy agreement. Breaking these rules could lead to serious consequences, including losing your home.
Taking in a lodger
A lodger is someone who shares all the facilities in your home and rents a furnished room from you.
You can take in a lodger as long as:
- you have a secure tenancy
- you do not give up your whole home
- your home does not become overcrowded
You do not need to ask our permission to have a lodger, but we would prefer it if you did so we can explain the pros and cons. You should talk to your Neighbourhood Housing Officer.
If you're an introductory tenant, you do not automatically have the right to take in a lodger. We may allow it in some cases, for example, if you need a carer to live with you.
Subletting your home
If you have a secure tenancy, you can sublet part of your home to someone else. That person is known as a subtenant. A subtenant has exclusive use of the space they rent and you can only enter it with their permission.
You must not:
- sublet the whole of your home
- sublet part of your home without our written permission
- make a profit from subletting
- cause your home to become overcrowded
Subletting without permission is a criminal offence. It can result in a fine or imprisonment and you may be ordered to repay any profit.
How to request permission
You must get permission from your Neighbourhood Housing officer before you sublet part of your home.
Report subletting or unlawful occupancy
If you suspect that another tenant is subletting their entire home, you should report it. Find out how to report subletting or unlawful occupancy.
If you’re receiving benefits
If you take in a lodger or are subletting part of your home, any income you receive could affect your benefits. You should get advice from:
If you do not, you may be given too much benefit which you will have to repay. Failure to declare additional income may also be regarded as fraud and you could risk prosecution.
When friends or family stay in your home
If a friend, relative, or partner is not paying you rent, you don’t need our permission for them to move in. However, you should still tell us so we can update our records.
If you get Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit, you must also tell the benefit service, as it may affect your claim.
Away for more than 3 months
If you’ll be away for more than 3 months and want someone to stay in your home, you must get permission from your Neighbourhood Housing Officer. You’ll need to tell them who’ll be staying and how we can contact you while you’re away.
If you leave someone in your home without our permission, they may be considered an illegal occupant.
We don’t usually allow tenants to be away for more than 6 months unless there’s a good reason, such as working or studying in another area.