Renting - Sub-Letting

[Sideways Rich]

We've moved abroad and rented our house to a couple of chaps (brothers) the tenancy agreement was done in the older brothers name. Younger brother has now decided to move out, older brother is asking can he sub-let and bring someone else in.

In principal we're perfectly happy with this, as long as rent is paid on time we're fine (so far so good). Our intention is that the original tenant pays us in full and obtains the other half of the rent as a direct arrangement with his new housemate, ie we're renting it as 1 house not speprate rooms

Apart from getting a reference for the new person, are there any other impacts we need to consider?

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Thanks all

[98elise]

As a landlord I would prefer all people over 18 to be on the tenancy agreement. What if the sub-let decides to burn the place down, will your insurance cover that?

[Sideways Rich]

That is exactly my question, first time we've let a place in the UK, so it sounds like both should be on the tenancy agreement.

[Wings]

98elise said:

As a landlord I would prefer all people over 18 to be on the tenancy agreement. What if the sub-let decides to burn the place down, will your insurance cover that?

^^^^agree, always best to end the old/present tenancy agreement, unprotecting any Deposit, and set up new tenancy agreement and protect again the Deposit, both including the new tenant's name.

[Sideways Rich]

Thanks Gents, so we update the tenancy agreement with the new tenants name and re -issue to both tenants to sign.

We're renting the house as a whole and not on a per room basis, having just one person on the previous tenancy agreement made this straightforward. Now that there will be two tenants how do we avoid a situation where if one moves out the remaining tenant thinks their only responsible for half the rent?

[spikeyhead]

Sideways Rich said:

Thanks Gents, so we update the tenancy agreement with the new tenants name and re -issue to both tenants to sign.

We're renting the house as a whole and not on a per room basis, having just one person on the previous tenancy agreement made this straightforward. Now that there will be two tenants how do we avoid a situation where if one moves out the remaining tenant thinks their only responsible for half the rent?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_and_several_liability

[Sideways Rich]

Much obliged