Shared ownership leaseholders
If you want to sublet all or part of your home, you should always check with your PMO to see if this is allowed. If you are allowed to sublet, you will be responsible for the subtenants, and you would be held responsible if their actions broke the terms of your lease.
Leases for most shared ownership properties will not allow subletting and NHG is not able to grant consent to sublet your property as this would breach the terms of your lease. However, in a small number of circumstances (i.e., a need to relocate temporarily for work, caring responsibility or armed service) NHG will tolerate shared ownership leaseholders subletting for a time-limited period provided certain conditions are met.
Subletting and building safety
There are also circumstances where we allow shared owners to sublet because the need for building safety works or the lack of an EWS1 prevent a sale. In these cases, the permission to sublet can be considered for a period up to 2 years and extended further if necessary, following a supplementary request.
100% owners
If you own 100% of your home, you do not generally need NHG’s permission to sublet your property. However, the leaseholder will remain responsible for their property as if they lived there and they must fulfil certain responsibilities. For example:
- Fulfilment of lease terms: the leaseholder continues to hold responsibility for the fulfilment of lease terms. This includes the payment of service charge and ground rent (if applicable), it’s still your responsibility as the leaseholder to cover the cost to ensure that you do not fall into arrears. It’s important that you are still complying with the terms of the lease even if you are not occupying the property
- Landlord’s insurance: ensure to take out landlord’s insurance. Our building insurance policy does not cover the rehousing of subtenants in the event of insurable peril, therefore you must take out landlord’s insurance to ensure this is covered. It will also provide you with financial protection. Please also let us know if you are a landlord so we can inform our insurers and ensure our buildings insurance is not voided
- Access: if NHG requires access to the property for any reason (eg, for a repair) it is for the leaseholder to comply with our request and ensure the subtenant can provide access if the leaseholder can’t
- Subtenant behaviour & anti-social behaviour: the leaseholder, not NHG, is responsible for the tenant’s behaviour. This includes any anti-social behaviour (ASB) committed by the tenant. If there are reports of ASB, NHG will contact you and follow our ASB procedure as normal
Airbnb
We do not allow our residents to Airbnb their property, regardless of their equity share. This is because under the terms of most leases, there is a clause regarding private residence in single occupation. As most Airbnb lets are short term of under 90 days, you cannot use your flat for this purpose as this would be in breach of your lease and likely planning permission too.