Half the rent, double the trouble?
Question
I live in a shared house in East London and my girlfriend wants to move in with me, we've agreed she would pay half the rent but I'm not sure if this is allowed. A friend told me its illegal to sublet to my girlfriend, and I have to tell my landlord. But if I tell him, I think he might throw me out or put the rent up. Can you give me advice on this please?
Answer
It's common for couples living in London to choose to share housing because rent is so expensive.
It's important to know subletting is actually when someone rents their whole home to another person. This doesn't seem to apply in your situation, as your girlfriend would be sharing with you. You can read about lodgers and subtenants on the Shelter website.
Most private tenants have the right to live in their home with anyone who is part of their household. This means you can normally have your girlfriend live with you even if she isn't on the tenancy agreement. But there are exceptions, for example, some tenancy agreements specify who is allowed to live in the accommodation.
You also say you're worried your landlord might ask you to leave if he finds out your girlfriend is living with you. Your rights to stay in your home also depend on what kind of tenancy you have and for some types of tenancy your landlord can evict you without having to give a reason.
It's important you check your tenancy agreement and, if you're not sure about anything in it, it's worth seeking further advice.
Once you know what kind of tenancy you have, you will also be able to find out how the landlord can go about increasing the rent. If you're claiming benefits and someone else moves in with you this can affect how much money you get. You may want to think about getting more advice and information about this too.
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Question answered by Shelter
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