Landlords should be warned that a number of tenants are subletting properties without the landlord’s permission, according to the latest survey conducted by ‘Property Let By Us.’
The research found that more than a third of tenants have sublet their property without the consent of their landlord, while 40% plan to sublet in the near future.
The study found that the primary reason for subletting was to help friends and family, however more than 80% of respondents stated that it was to help with rent costs.
Of those surveyed, more than half of tenants plan to sublet in the future but with the consent of their landlord, but more worrying is the fact that 78% of tenants felt that they should not need their landlord’s consent in order to sublet.
The vast majority of tenancy agreements do not permit subletting without the approval of a landlord, with more and more evictions being made on the grounds of subletting without the consent of the landlord, commonly on short term letting sites such as Airbnb.
This has led to landlords being advised to conduct regular checks to make sure that their tenants are not subletting without their prior consent to do so, as this can cause further problems for landlords.
‘Property Let By Us’ Managing Director, Jane Morris, said that the group is concerned that so many tenants feel it appropriate to sublet without the consent of their landlords and that landlords must ensure they make regular checks on the property to check for more occupants than permitted.
She added: “Many tenants will try to hide the fact they are subletting, so the warning signs can be excessive rubbish and accelerated wear and tear.
“When there is multiple occupancy in a property, wear and tear and damage is dramatically accelerated. There can be increased mould and condensation with more occupants.”
