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Ask your landlord for consent to sublet or take in a lodger (England)
England · in English · for tenants
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For a private tenant in England who wants to take in a lodger, or sublet a room or the whole home. Most tenancy agreements require the landlord’s written consent first, and subletting without it can breach the tenancy and become a ground for possession. The letter says what you ask for, who would move in, where and for how long, confirms you stay responsible for the rent and will do the right to rent check, and asks for an answer within 14 days. Not for council or housing association tenants, for whom unlawful subletting can be a criminal offence.
- Made for use in England
- Last updated October 28, 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.
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When to use this document
- You rent a flat in England and want to take in a lodger to help with the rent.
- Your tenancy agreement says no subletting without permission and you want to ask properly.
- You are working away for a while and want to sublet your rented home.
- You want written consent from your landlord before anyone else moves in.
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
- Is a lodger the same as a subtenant in England?
- No. A lodger lives in your home and shares it with you. A subtenant rents part or all of the home from you and usually has a room or the whole home to themselves, often as your tenant. Taking in a lodger is often allowed with the landlord’s consent; subletting the whole home is often forbidden outright. Read your tenancy agreement first, then ask.
- What checks must I do before a lodger or subtenant moves into my rented home?
- In England you must check their right to rent before they move in and keep copies (Immigration Act 2014). If you sublet and do not live there yourself, you take on a landlord’s duties to your subtenant, such as protecting any deposit and arranging gas safety checks. Your own landlord’s consent does none of this for you.
- What if my landlord does not answer or refuses consent to sublet?
- Do not go ahead without consent: subletting in breach of the tenancy is a ground on which a court can order possession. If your agreement says nothing about subletting, the law implies a term that you need the landlord’s consent, and the landlord may refuse it for any reason (section 15 of the Housing Act 1988). Ask again, offer more information or reasonable conditions, and keep copies; Shelter and Citizens Advice give free advice.
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
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