DocMuse is a private, paid service run by The Muse Technology EOOD (Bulgaria). It is not a government website and is not connected with nidirect, the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service or any other public body. It is not a law firm and is not regulated by the Law Society of Northern Ireland or any other legal regulator; its documents are not legal advice.
Ask your landlord for consent to sublet or take in a lodger (Northern Ireland)
Northern Ireland · in English · for tenants
€2.00Fill it in online free — pay only to download
10 questions · about 4 min
Made for use in Northern Ireland
Fill in the form
Your answers stay on this device for 7 days, or until you clear them.
- Instant download after payment
- Backup link emailed to you
- No account needed
For a private tenant in Northern Ireland 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 going ahead without it can breach the tenancy and lead to its end. The letter says what you ask for, who would move in, where and for how long, confirms you stay responsible for the rent and every term of the tenancy, and asks for an answer within 14 days. Not for Housing Executive or housing association tenants, whose own tenancy terms apply.
- Made for use in Northern Ireland
- 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 privately in Northern Ireland and want to take in a lodger to help with the rent.
- You are going away for months and want to sublet your room while you are gone.
- Your tenancy agreement says you need the landlord’s consent before anyone else moves in.
- You want to ask your landlord in writing so there is a record of the answer.
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
- Do I need my landlord’s consent to take in a lodger in Northern Ireland?
- Your tenancy agreement decides it: most say you need the landlord’s written consent to take in a lodger or to sublet, and some forbid subletting the whole home outright. Going ahead without consent can breach the tenancy, which can lead to its end. Ask first, in writing, and keep a copy of the answer with your tenancy papers.
- What do I take on if I sublet my rented home in Northern Ireland?
- If you sublet and the subtenant has the home or a room to themselves, you may become their landlord, with a private landlord’s duties: registering with the Landlord Registration Scheme, protecting any deposit within 28 days and giving a tenancy information notice within 28 days. Your landlord’s consent does none of this for you, and you stay liable for the whole rent to your own landlord.
- What if my landlord in Northern Ireland refuses consent or does not reply?
- Do not go ahead: silence is not consent. Ask again with more information — who the person is, how long they would stay, a reference — or offer reasonable conditions, and keep copies of every letter. Housing Rights gives free advice on what your tenancy agreement allows and what to do next.
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.
Related documents
- Ask your landlord for the tenancy information notice (Northern Ireland)
For a private tenant in Northern Ireland who has not been given the tenancy information notice — the free notice of the main facts of the tenancy that a landlord must give within 28 days of the tenancy starting, and again within 28 days of a change. The letter asks for it within 14 days and names the next step: the district council, which enforces the rule and can give a landlord who does not comply a fixed penalty. Short, polite, and a dated record of when you asked.
- Tenant’s notice to quit a private tenancy (Northern Ireland)
For a private tenant in Northern Ireland who wants to move out of a periodic tenancy, including one that has rolled on after a fixed term. A tenant ends it by notice to quit in writing: at least four weeks if the tenancy has lasted ten years or less, twelve weeks if longer (Article 14A of the Private Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Order 2006). The notice gives your end date with a saving clause, can ask the landlord to agree an earlier date, asks for a check-out and the deposit, and gives your new address. Send it by recorded delivery, or hand it over.
- Tenant’s reply to a rent increase notice (Northern Ireland)
For a private tenant in Northern Ireland who has received notice of a rent increase. Since 1 April 2025 the rent can rise only once in 12 months, by written notice at least three months ahead stating the date and the new rent (Articles 5D and 5E of the Private Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Order 2006). The letter tells the landlord why the notice does not meet those rules and that you will keep paying the current rent — or, if it does, asks the landlord to reconsider the amount. There is no cap on the amount. Sent by recorded delivery.
- Ask your landlord to return your deposit (Northern Ireland)
For a tenant in Northern Ireland who has moved out and is still waiting for the deposit. A letter before claim to the landlord or letting agent: it gives the date the tenancy ended, the deposit and the scheme protecting it — TDS Northern Ireland or myDeposits Northern Ireland — and asks for the deposit back within 14 days, or a written list of any deduction with evidence, saying which deductions you dispute. Next comes the scheme’s free dispute service, then a small claim in the county court (up to £5,000). If the deposit was never protected, report it to the council.
- Landlord’s letter to a tenant about rent arrears (Northern Ireland)
For a private landlord or letting agent in Northern Ireland whose tenant has fallen behind with the rent. The letter sets out the arrears period by period, asks the tenant to pay or propose a repayment plan by a set date, points to free advice from Housing Rights, Advice NI and others, and carries the landlord registration number. It says that if the arrears are not resolved the landlord may end the tenancy by notice to quit, as the law and the tenancy allow, and then apply to the court. It never threatens to change the locks or remove belongings.
- Rent statement and receipt for rent paid (Northern Ireland)
For a private landlord or letting agent in Northern Ireland to confirm the rent a tenant has paid — for a benefit claim, a mortgage or visa application, a new landlord’s reference or the tenant’s own records. It names the property, the landlord registration number, the rent and how often it is paid, the period covered and each payment received, and states whether any arrears are owed, signed and dated. A landlord must give a free written receipt for rent paid in cash (Article 5 of the Private Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Order 2006).