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Ask your landlord’s written agreement to sublet or take in a lodger (Scotland)
Scotland · in English · for tenants
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For a tenant in Scotland with a private residential tenancy who wants to take in a lodger, or sublet a room or the whole home. The statutory terms of every private residential tenancy forbid this without the landlord’s written agreement, and breaking a term of the tenancy can be relied on as an eviction ground. The letter says what you ask for, who would move in, where and for how long, confirms you remain responsible for the rent and every term of your tenancy, and asks for a written answer within 14 days. Not for council or housing association tenants, whose tenancies have their own rules.
- Made for use in Scotland
- Last updated October 29, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Published byDocMuse
When to use this document
- You rent a flat in Scotland and want to take in a lodger to help with the rent.
- You are going away for a few months and want to sublet your room while you are gone.
- A friend needs somewhere to stay and you want to ask your landlord first.
- You want your landlord to agree in writing so that you do not break your tenancy.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Tenant
- Tenant's address
- Town or city
- Tenant's postcode
- Date
- Landlord
- Landlord's address
- Landlord's postcode
- What you ask consent for
- Who would move in, which part of the home, from when and for how long
Common questions
- Does my landlord in Scotland have to agree in writing before I take in a lodger?
- Yes. One of the statutory terms of every private residential tenancy says you may not sublet the home or part of it, take in a lodger, assign the tenancy or otherwise give up possession without your landlord’s written agreement. A spoken yes is not enough: keep the written answer with your tenancy agreement. The Scottish Government’s free model tenancy agreement sets out the same term.
- What duties do I take on if I sublet my rented home in Scotland?
- If you sublet and do not live there yourself, you become your subtenant’s landlord: you may need to register as a landlord with the council, lodge any deposit with an approved scheme and make sure the home meets the repairing standard, and ending a subtenancy has its own prescribed notice. A lodger who lives with you and shares your home is different. Your landlord’s agreement does none of this for you.
- What if my landlord in Scotland refuses to agree, or does not answer?
- Do not go ahead without written agreement: subletting or taking in a lodger in breach of the tenancy can be relied on as a ground for eviction at the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland. Ask again, give more information or offer reasonable conditions, and keep copies of everything. Shelter Scotland and Citizens Advice Scotland give free advice if you think the refusal is unfair.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
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