Lodgers & Subletting

Lodgers

You have the right to take in a lodger as long as you have the room and do not make your home overcrowded. You do not need our permission. Your lodger will not have the same rights as you and when you move out they must leave or be evicted.

 

You may no longer be entitled to a Council Tax discount if you are no longer the only adult living in your home. Having a lodger may affect your entitlement to Housing and Council Tax benefits.

 

If you receive Housing or Council Tax Benefit then you must tell the Council’s Housing Benefit section.

 

Subletting

Sub-letting means that someone pays you rent to have the private use of a part of your home. You need to get our written permission before you can sub-let any part of your home.

 

You CANNOT sub-let your home to another person and move out of the property. If you move out, your tenancy will no longer be secure. This means you will lose your rights as a secure tenant. We will also take legal action to recover possession of your home.

 

Unlawful Occupation

Unlawful Occupation occurs where the whole of a property is lived in by someone other than the lawful tenant.

Unlawful Occupation occurs where the whole of a property is lived in by someone other than the lawful tenant.

 

It can occur in the following situations:

tickbox  A person who lived with the tenant remains in a property after the tenant has

        moved out and the original tenancy has come to an end.

 

tickbox  A person who lived in the property with the tenant where the tenant has died

        and the person remaining in the property is not able to take over the tenancy

        (succeed to the tenancy) or be given a tenancy through our allocations policy

        and the original tenancy has come to an end.

 

tickbox  Where a joint tenancy is ended by one of the tenants and the other tenant

        remains in the property.

 

tickbox  Where a person has moved into an empty Council property without our 

        permission (commonly referred to as squatting).

 

tickbox  Where a property is no longer occupied by a tenant as their main home.

 

tickbox  Where a tenant unlawfully sublets their entire home.

 

tickbox  Where a tenant has unlawfully passed, (assigned) their tenancy to someone

        else or carried out an unapproved mutual exchange.

 

tickbox  Where a tenant was a person who made a false statement to obtain a tenancy.

 

We will take legal action to recover properties that are unlawfully occupied. If you suspect that a property is unlawfully occupied then please contact us|.