Rinlgley group logo
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    About Us Our People Awards Savings for Clients Results for Clients Green Management Strategies Market Overview Leasehold Reform Campaign Money Back Guarantee
  • What We Do
    • Block Management
      • Block Management Overview
      • for RTM Companies
      • for Freehold Management Companies
      • for Resident Management Companies
      • for Estates of Houses
      • for Freeholder Investors
      • Ground Rent Collection
      • How to Change Agent
      • Block Management Packages
      • Can't Afford an Agent?
      • Legal work & Tribunals
      • Section 20 Major Works
      • Ringley's Top 10 Tips
      • Staff on Site
      • Moving or Buying?
      • Report an Incident
    • Asset Management
      • Asset Management Overview
        • Asset Management Overview
        • Stabilised Assets
        • Project Monitoring
        • Mobilisation & Lease up
        • Asset Managers TechStack
        • Accounting & Reporting
        • Brands & URLs for sale
        • ESG Consultancy & Implementation
        • UK Build to Rent
        • UK Later Living
        • UK Coliving
        • UK Student Housing
        • BTR Smart PropTech
        • BTR Strategic Marketing
        • BTR Resident Experience
        • BTR Tenancy Management
        • Asset Management Clients
        • Site Finding/Digital Land Search
      • Law
        • Legal Services Overview
        • Our People
        • Recommendations
        • Right to Manage
        • Lease Extensions
        • Freehold Purchase
        • Absentee Freeholder
        • Court Appointed Manager
        • Conveyancing
        • Service Charge/Rent Arrears Recovery
        • Company Secretary
      • Valuation
        • Valuation Overview
        • Company Accounts
        • Lease Extensions
        • Freehold Purchase
        • Rent Reviews
        • Development Valuations
        • Purchase & Mortgage
        • Insurance Valuations
        • Expert Witness & Litigation
        • Tax, Trusts & Accounts Valuations
        • Trading Business
        • Compulsory Purchase
        • Residential Valuations
      • Engineering
        • Engineering Overview
        • EWS1 Consultancy
        • Asbestos
        • Contract Administration
        • Fire Assesment
        • Homebuyer Survey
        • Building Survey
        • Schedules
        • Party Wall Matters
        • Principle Designer
        • Disability Access Audits
        • Small Building Works
      • Finance
        • Finance Overview
        • Get Accounts Quote
        • The Law & Property Accounts
        • Industry Update
        • To audit or Not?
      • Plant & Facilities Management
        • Plant & Facilities Management
        • Fire Door Inspection APP
      • Site Staffing Solutions
    • Insights
      Property Management Articles Property Management Blogs Rental Market Blogs Customer Comments FAQ - Ask Our Experts
    • E-books
    • Portal Login
    • Get In Touch
    • Clear Filter
    • Property Blog INDEX
    • PlanetRent Blog

    Want to make money from short-term lets? Check your lease first!


    Responsive image


    Thinking of sub-letting? Think again... Many of us now use short-term lets to pay for our holidays or to make a regular income. As we’re right in the middle of the holiday season you might be tempted to give it a go. But before you do - think again. Here’s a cautionary tale for renters or leaseholders thinking of using Airbnb or another online platform to make a bit of extra cash. Toby Harman was taken to court in July and was hit with a whopping £100,000 fine for renting out his London flat on Airbnb. He had been renting out his 'cosy studio apartment with a hot tub’ on the short-term lettings website since 2013. Sounds great if you fancy a bijou London base for a spot of sightseeing. Unfortunately for Toby, he was caught out when Westminster City Council discovered the host masquerading on Airbnb as ‘Lara’ was in fact one of their tenants. It turned out that Toby was sub-letting his flat in strict breach of his social housing tenancy agreement. After a failed appeal he was evicted and told to pay back £100,974 in unlawful profits. This case revolves around the dos and don’ts of social housing but the same rules are likely to apply to any homeowner who doesn’t own their freehold. If you are renting, it goes without saying that your landlord may not be thrilled to find you are sub-letting his property. Eviction is the likely outcome if you’re caught out and you could end up in court. And if you are a leaseholder, don’t even think about going down the Airbnb route without first checking your lease. Read the small print – the devil is always in the detail. Most leases state that a flat can only be used as a private dwelling and short-term lets are very unlikely to fit the bill. This is clear from the widely reported 2016 case of Nemcova v Fairfield Rents Ltd (now known as the Airbnb ruling). Well worth a closer look if you’re in any doubt. The other important point to note was highlighted earlier this year in the case of Bermondsey Exchange Freeholders Limited v Ninos Koumetto. This case draws attention to the fact that most residential leases don’t allow owners to share possession or occupation of their flat or to use it for a commercial purpose (which includes AirBnB lettings) without consent of the freeholder. By all means talk to your landlord but don’t be surprised if you get a negative reaction. What all these court cases clearly show is that short term lets are a minefield if you live in a flat. So tread carefully!



    13/08/2019
    Author : Mary-Anne Bowring

    Social
    Facebook Linkedin Twitter Blogger

    Subscription

    Keep up to date

    (Weekly, fortnightly or monthly)


    To find out more what we do with your data, please read our Privacy Policy


    Insights, Blogs, Research, E-Books

    Landlord blog bg

    Landlord blog
    Read landlord blog
    Property blog bg

    Property blogs
    Read property blogs
    Articles bg

    Property articles
    Read property articles
    E book

    E-books
    Read E-books
    Facebook footer Instagram footer Linkedin footer Twitter footer
    Facebook footer
    Instagram footer
    Linkedin footer
    Twitter footer
    • Ringley Group
    • About us
    • CSR
    • BusyLiving
    • PlanetRent
    • Fire door inspection
    • Talk to us
    • Careers
    • Ask a Question
    • Insight
    • Articles
    • Blogs
    • Subscribe
    • What we do
    • Asset Management
    • Block Management
    • Facilities Management
    • Property Law
    • Surveying / Valuation
    • Building Engineering
    • Financial Services
    • Managing Agents
    • Block Management Locations
    • Co-working
    • Offices
    • London
    • Ringley House
    • 1 Castle Road
    • London
    • NW1 8PR
    • T: 0207 267 2900
    • Manchester
    • 11 Swan Street
    • Northern Quarter
    • Manchester
    • M4 5JJ
    • T: 0330 174 7777
    • Cardiff
    • 122 Bute Street
    • Cardiff Bay
    • Cardiff
    • CF10 5AE
    • T: 0330 174 7747
    • Email: solutions@ringley.co.uk
    • Emergency line 1: 0207 428 2056
    • Emergency line 2: 0207 267 2900
    • Report incident
    Privacy Policy
    Ringley Staff
    Ifsm Irpm member New iso Arla licensed Ombudsman services Rics vertical Gbc

    All content © copyright 2022. Ringley Limited. All Rights reserved. Ringley Limited, incorporated and registered in England and wales. Registered office: Ringley House, 1 Castle Road, London, NW1 8PR. Company No. 03302438
    Terms of use | Privacy Policy | Modern slavery act | COVID-19 risk assessment