Subletting your leasehold property

You don't need permission from the council to rent out your leasehold property but you must tell us when you do. 

You must register within one month of the date you have started to sublet. If you don't register your sublet, the council will, if necessary, take legal action to get you to register as this is set out in your lease. If this goes to court, you will have to pay the council's costs in addition to the registration fee.

You will have to register your sublet even if you rent your property out to friends or family members and even if you rent it back to the council.

If you have a mortgage on your leasehold property, then you must get permission to sublet from your mortgage lender. It is important that you tell us you are subletting your leasehold property – this is a requirement of your lease.

We are responsible for the safety and security of the building your flat is in. We also work to tackle anti-social behaviour so it is important that we know when a leasehold property is rented out and that we have contact details for you and your tenants, not least because we need to be able to get in touch in case of any emergencies such as a fire or water leaks.

It is also in your interest that we send any correspondence, notices or bills to you at the right address, otherwise we may be taking legal action against you and you don't know about it.

When you complete your registration form, you must choose one of the following subletting charge options:

• Annual charge of £20: If your tenants change every 6 to 12 months, or if their tenancy agreement with you is often renewed, then this is the cheapest option for you and will be included in your service charge once you register your sublet. This way you can update us with the information we need as many times in a year without making any more payments.
• Single registration fee of £75: If your tenants tend to stay long-term (longer than 12 months or are on a rolling tenancy agreement) then this is a better option for you. Every time new tenants rent your property, you will need to complete a new registration form and pay £75.

Register your sublet

To register your sublet or to tell us about any changes to your subletting information (such as a change of tenants) please download and fill in the form below:

Please send your completed sublet registration form via email at leasehold.services@haringey.gov.uk

You can also scan your completed sublet registration form and email it to us.

Information for new subletters

If you are starting a new sublet, you should:

• read about the subletting charges (pdf, 2 page(s), 101.31 KB)
• pass on our rules of residence (pdf, 2 page(s), 103.8 KB) to your tenants

You can also request a sublet registration pack from the Leasehold Services team at: leasehold.services@haringey.gov.uk

Your responsibilities as a landlord

Gas and electrical safety

As a landlord, you are legally responsible for the safety of your tenants in relation to gas safety. By law you must:

• repair and maintain gas pipework, flues and appliances in safe condition
• ensure an annual gas safety check on each appliance and flue
• keep a record of each safety check

The gas safety check must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered gas engineer. Give your tenants a copy of the gas safety record every time the check has been done. Give new tenants a copy when they move in. Failure to do so can lead to criminal prosecution and a large fine or even imprisonment.

Find out more about gas safety responsibilities.

As a landlord, you are also responsible for making sure that any electrical equipment you provide in the property is safe to use.

HMO Licensing

Some properties are classed as Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs). If your property is being let out as an HMO you will need to license the property with Haringey Council. Please see our guidance on how a property is defined as an HMO and how to obtain an HMO licence.

Insurance

Buildings insurance

When you have registered your sublet with us, we will inform Haringey Council's Insurance Department that your leasehold property is rented out. Otherwise any claim you make on the buildings insurance may be invalid.

Your buildings insurance premium will not increase if you comply with the conditions of the buildings insurance policy. This includes ensuring:

• the leasehold property is let for at least 6 months or more
• the sublet is managed by an agent who holds a deposit against loss or damage
• you have set up an assured shorthold tenancy agreement with your tenant(s) which meets legal requirements
• you are renting to a single household (for example, a family) and not to different individuals (for example a group of students)

If you don't meet these conditions, your insurance premium may increase. Also, if your property is empty for 30 days or more, you will only be covered for fire and not for water damage (for example due to burst pipes or flood), theft, attempted theft or malicious damage.

If you have any questions about your buildings insurance policy please contact Haringey Council's Insurance Department on 020 8489 3610 or email them at: insurance@haringey.gov.uk

Home contents insurance

Check with your insurer that your home contents insurance policy will provide cover once you are renting your property. If it does not, extend your cover to make sure it does.

Repairs

Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, landlords are responsible for repairs to heating and hot water installations, baths, sinks, basins, any other sanitary installations, and parts of or installations in the flat which you own or control and whose disrepair would affect your tenants.

Fire safety

You must make sure that any furniture or furnishings you provide for your tenants is fire safe and meets the safety standards as set out in the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1998.