The rights of sub-tenants<\/strong><\/p>\nYusuf, 23, used SpareRoom to legally sublet his room with the landlord\u2019s permission \u2018despite him not being too fond of the arrangement\u2019.<\/p>\n
He found a sub-tenant \u2018almost immediately\u2019, believing this to be an indicator of the demand for cheap, flexible and short-term housing.<\/p>\n
However, the sub-tenant left after only a week due to a maintenance issue he was unhappy with.<\/p>\n
Yusuf said: \u201cThat kind of situation has to go through me as the official tenant, and I think it\u2019s quite unfair on the sub-tenant because they can\u2019t really have any formal complaints towards the landlord.\u201d<\/p>\n
While sub-tenants can find themselves without a contract, squeezed into a small room, and even hiding from the landlord, they have more rights than they realise.<\/p>\n
Jones said: \u201cSub-tenants actually have more rights than people often think. It\u2019s a bit of a weird situation which means the original tenant becomes the sub-tenant\u2019s landlord, and even though the tenancy is unlawful, the landlord to the original tenant can\u2019t actually evict them legally without a court order.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn terms of renting \u2013 peoples rights and protections are only really as good as their knowledge of them. Often that\u2019s the same for more normal tenant relationships as well. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe see landlords abusing the law all the time and tenants, if they\u2019re not aware of their rights, don\u2019t interrogate it. So, if you enter into informal, under-the-radar agreements, the usual signposts towards your rights aren\u2019t there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Social media and through word of mouth are other popular ways to find an illegal sublet.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, Suzi, 24, wanted to move out of her parent\u2019s home and live closer to friends in London.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A friend-of-a-friend was doing a four-month sabbatical and was looking for someone to sublet unofficially to avoid the \u00a3400 fee to change the tenancy name.<\/p>\n
Suzi\u2019s landlord doesn\u2019t know she lives there and she has no written agreement with the other tenants or the person whose room she\u2019s in.<\/p>\n
\u201cI transfer her the money each month for rent and bills\u2026 it is all based on friendship and trust because I knew one of the girls in the flat previously,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
New legislation is coming<\/strong><\/p>\nLabour\u2019s flagship renter\u2019s policy, the Renter\u2019s Rights Bill, <\/strong>received royal assent last month and is expected to come into effect in 2026.<\/p>\nIt will remove no fault evictions, reduce how often landlord\u2019s can increase rent, and implement rolling-tenancies which will be attractive for those seeking short-term housing.<\/p>\n
However, Jones argued that the bill doesn\u2019t go far enough.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThe difficulty we\u2019re facing is a result of repeated political decisions, particularly the loss of social housing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA vital first step is addressing the power imbalances between renters and members, but particularly in London. We need to see the Mayor given powers to cap the cost of rent.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople in London just like me are paying far, far too much of our income on rent which is being swallowed up by landlords, removed from local economies and pricing people out of the city.<\/p>\n
One of the bill\u2019s strengths, according to Jones, is that it will end bidding wars where prospective renters offer the landlord more than the advertised price.<\/p>\n
Jones said: \u201cThere\u2019s nothing worse than queueing for a viewing, getting there and being told that someone\u2019s already made an offer at \u00a3300 above the asking price and the asking price was your limit. That\u2019s really demoralising.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paul Shanks, Press Officer at Renter\u2019s Reform Coalition, said: \u201cit\u2019s a pretty exploitative and difficult renting market for renters.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shanks called the Bill\u2019s abolition of Section 21, that allowed landlords to carry out no fault evictions, will be a huge step forward for renters.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cThat means you\u2019ll have more security in your home but will be calling for the government to go further when it comes to making renting more affordable because that\u2019s one area that this legislation doesn\u2019t address.\u201d<\/p>\n
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