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When you may be allowed to sublet your entire home

When you sublet your entire home, you are letting it all to someone else and you do not live in it.

You鈥檒l only be allowed to sublet your home in specific personal circumstances.

If you need to move temporarily

A temporary move must be due to:

• ill health
• a need to care for a family member
• a change of work location which results in an unreasonable commute from your home

If you鈥檙e struggling financially

Subletting may help if you need to move temporarily because you鈥檙e struggling due to things like:

• losing your job
• a drop in your household income
• a change of circumstances that leaves you unable to afford your mortgage payments

If your property is affected by unsafe cladding

If your property is affected by unsafe cladding, subletting may help you:

• if you need to move temporarily
• if you鈥檙e struggling financially due to additional costs

What you need to send

You鈥檒l need to send us evidence, which should be:

• a letter from your mortgage lender confirming that they will:
  • allow you to sublet your entire home
  • not change the repayment mortgage to a buy to let mortgage
• a letter from your building or contents insurer saying that they will allow you to sublet your home
• any other information to support your application, we may ask for

If your property is affected by unsafe cladding, you will also need to send one of the following:

• an EWS1 form with a rating of A3 or B2, or evidence this form is not available from your freeholder or management company
• evidence supplied by your freeholder or management company that your property is affected by unsafe cladding

You鈥檒l also have to pay a 拢50 administration fee.

You鈥檒l also need to send a covering letter explaining why you want to sublet.

If you get permission, it will be valid for 12 months, so you鈥檒l need to tell us what your plans are after that, for example, moving back into your home or asking permission to sublet again.

Having a lodger

You can have one lodger without asking for permission, as long as you, the homeowner:

• live in your home at the same time as the lodger
• do not give the lodger a formal lease or tenancy which would give them an interest in your property

Changing to a buy to let mortgage

You cannot change your repayment mortgage to a buy to let mortgage until you鈥檝e repaid your equity loan in full.

Being told about subletting

Sometimes we鈥檙e informed that a Help to Buy home is being sublet.

When this happens, we check the property to find out if an application to sublet has been submitted, or if permission that has already been provided has not expired.

If either of these things has happened, we will not take further action.

If you sublet without permission

We鈥檒l contact you within 5 working days from when the report was made to say you have broken the terms of your equity loan.

If you can meet our criteria for subletting, you can then ask for permission.

If we鈥檙e not able to contact you, we may use a tracing service to locate you and take further action. You鈥檒l have to pay for this process and any other legal fees.

If you鈥檝e already sublet your home and did not ask for permission, you can apply for permission retrospectively (afterwards) by contacting our Customer Service team.

You鈥檒l need to pay:

• an administration fee of 拢50
• any costs associated with breaking the rules and subletting without permission

These costs may include things like:

• credit reference searches
• administration costs
• tracing service fees

If you鈥檙e refused retrospective permission to sublet

You鈥檒l have 6 months to move back into your home, sell it, or repay your equity loan in full.

We will:

• contact your mortgage lender and let them know
• consider enforcement action and repossession with your mortgage lender
• report it to HMRC

Subletting your home without permission means that other agencies or organisations, like your mortgage lender, may take action against you. This may include being asked to repay the repayment mortgage in full or having your home repossessed.

How to apply to sublet your entire home

Tell us you鈥檇 like to sublet your home, and we can give you more information on the process and tell you if you鈥檙e eligible.鈥�

Email:
[email protected]

When emailing our Customer Service team, please include your account number and a brief summary of your query in your email subject line 鈥� for example 鈥楽ublet鈥�.

Phone:
0300 123 4123

Post:
Help to Buy Customer Service team, PO Box 5262, Lancing, BN99 9HE

Our Customer Service team is available 8am-8pm and Saturday, 9am-1pm (excluding UK public holidays).

If you鈥檙e eligible to sublet

If you鈥檙e allowed to sublet, you鈥檒l need to:

• get your evidence documents ready to send to us
• get your covering letter ready with your reasons why you need to sublet and your plans after 12 months
• pay an administration fee of 拢50. We鈥檒l tell you how you can pay this when you contact us

You can then send us all the documents by post or email using the contact details above.

Giving you a decision

You鈥檒l be told after 5 working days if you can sublet your home.

The decision will be either you鈥檙e:

• allowed to sublet
• not allowed to sublet
• not given permission to sublet

A record of the decision will be recorded on your equity loan account.

If you鈥檙e given permission

After 12 months you must either:

• move back into your home
• ask for permission to sublet your entire home again
• repay your equity loan in full

We鈥檒l contact you 2 months before this date and ask you when you鈥檒l move back in, or if you want to ask to sublet again.

You鈥檒l need to ask for permission at least 1 month before the sublet period ends to be able to sublet again after this time.

If you鈥檙e not given permission

You鈥檒l be told why you were not given permission.

If you still decide to sublet your home without permission, we will:

• give you 6 months to move back in or sell your home
• contact your mortgage lender and let them know
• consider enforcement action and repossession with your mortgage lender
• report it to HMRC