Can a tenant sub-let an entire property?

SanguineSteve

FYI - My mother knows the LL by virtue of them being neighbors for years. So, not 'friends' per se and LL has moved to the other end of the country. So, it would be a bit of an awkward phone call, but i think it's worth doing.

chappers

I agree, particularly as the LL is absent, you should also make her aware of her risks as have been pointed out on here.
I suspect the fact that the LL isn't hands on is part of the motivation for the tenant doing this.
If your mother thinks she needs to justify the phone call then say she was concerned about the number of different people coming and going and staying at the property and so asked some of the guests if they had moved in and they told her they had rented through Air BnB

PlutoinCapricorn

Guest101 wrote: »

What I don't get in principle (lets put aside the insurance stuff for a second)

LL wants £x per month, and gets it.

Tenant can now get £x + Y amount and make some profit.

Where's the problem, everyone egts what they want

The landlord also wants someone they have vetted to live continuously in their property. If they wanted more rent and any old tenants, they would advertise their property on Air BnB.

It is dishonest and deceitful unless the tenant has permission to sub-let, and even then the permission might not be for a series of short-stays.

I agree that a casual mention is the best approach.

AdrianC

SanguineSteve wrote: »

"Instead of speculating, why don't you ask the landlord if that is the case."

Because, it could cause alot of fuss either way.

Unless she does do this, then there is absolutely nothing you, your mother, or anybody else can suggest that will make a blind bit of difference. The landlord is the ONLY person who has the power to do anything, if indeed it is against their tenancy.

While not a nuisance in an ASBO way, my mother says she feels like she's living in a hotel. It's semi-detached, so she can hear alot of what's going on in there

Then perhaps she should consider moving to a detached property?

Wouldn't you feel uneasy about that, in a place you have lived most of your adult life?

It's all very nice to appeal to emotion like that, but - in reality - it's irrelevant. Next door is not her house. She has no say over how it is used, except that if the use is against the law (including anti-social behaviour or excessive noise), then she can bring in the relevant authorities - the council and/or the police. But all they will do is deal with the immediate symptom. They cannot do anything about a tenancy contract, except if there's a court-ordered eviction that turns lively.

And, since finding the ad on Airbnb, if the occupancy was even as much as 50%, there will be a significant profit being turned going by the AST rental price in the area.

Umm, and...?

She's known the landlady for years (she lived in the property for about 10 years) and IS worried she's being taken advantage of, yes.

Then she needs to get in contact with them. That simple. End of.

PasturesNew

I think this IS the mother's business. Even though the fleeting visitors are "nice" what happens when one's not nice?

As a friend of the person who owns the house next door, her ex-neighbour, she has a friendly obligation to "keep an eye out" for anything unsavoury or untoward happening that might risk the property.... indeed, might risk the mother's property.

I lived next to a holiday let, so know how these things can turn with each tenant. One week you've got dope smokers outside the window, the next week there's 3 dogs, then 6 children, then a party, then a lovely old couple who simply want to go walking ....

But, the mother's friend/neighbour hasn't rented her house to "random strangers of all and unknown sorts", it's highly likely that her house insurance could become invalidated by this business situation.

If the owner knows, all's well. If she doesn't know - then she needs to at least be informed, so she can choose if she's concerned or not. She might not care, but she'd appreciate knowing.

I'd tell her in a shot.

PasturesNew

AdrianC wrote: »

Next door is not her house. She has no say over how it is used,

I'd say that her concern isn't about how it's being used, but whether her friend is being hoodwinked/scammed and is completely unaware that the house is being sub-let.

I'm sure the mother wouldn't mind what the house is being let for, so long as she felt that her friend, the owner of the house, knew. The mother appears to believe that the property owner is unaware of the situation and she doesn't like the feeling that "if something should happen" and if her friend turned out to not know, she'd feel guilt for not having told her.

Guest101

PlutoinCapricorn wrote: »

The landlord also wants someone they have vetted to live continuously in their property. If they wanted more rent and any old tenants, they would advertise their property on Air BnB.

It is dishonest and deceitful unless the tenant has permission to sub-let, and even then the permission might not be for a series of short-stays.

I agree that a casual mention is the best approach.

And as I said, it's no longer their property.


The tenant could have anyone living in there with them because they have exclusive use of the property.


Whilst sub-letting is different, I just don't see the principle of 'being taken advantage of' how is the LL losing out?

Guest101

PasturesNew wrote: »

I'd say that her concern isn't about how it's being used, but whether her friend is being hoodwinked/scammed and is completely unaware that the house is being sub-let.

I'm sure the mother wouldn't mind what the house is being let for, so long as she felt that her friend, the owner of the house, knew. The mother appears to believe that the property owner is unaware of the situation and she doesn't like the feeling that "if something should happen" and if her friend turned out to not know, she'd feel guilt for not having told her.

What's the scam?


A scam typically involves the victim 'losing out', and I don't see how they have done so to date.

cloo

How is the landlord losing out?


She isn't as yet. However, if the house is indeed on airbnb, she's being put at risk in terms of anything untoward happening and her insurance, for a start. Her property is being exposed to risk that she hasn't authorised. What if she wants to sell the property but an airbnb tenant has decided they'll stay put, thank you very much? An area still rather ambiguous under UK law in how you get them out, IIRC, though it may have been dealt with since I last heard about it.


When you let you, hopefully, vet people coming through in terms of whether they'll pay up (not relevant here) and whether you think they'll look after the property (relevant here). The tenant is totally abusing the landlord's rights and trust if they are putting it on short lets without permission.

Mossfarr

Just a thought.......
Does the former neighbour/landlord manage the property herself or has it been let through letting agent?
If the latter, contact the agent to ask if they are aware of the subletting.