Owning a leasehold flat does not necessarily permit every type of letting. The lease may restrict use, require consent or impose notification and other conditions.
Read the actual lease
- Check restrictions on subletting the whole or part, business use, short stays and multiple occupation.
- Review consent, registration and notice requirements.
- Include later variations and any relevant management arrangements.
Match the letting to permission
- Describe the proposed tenancy, occupants and duration accurately.
- Obtain written consent where required before committing.
- Check related restrictions, such as pets or alterations, without assuming the lease overrides all tenant protections.
Keep the record current
- Complete required notifications and retain evidence.
- Review a change in use, new tenancy or altered terms against the lease.
- Ask the solicitor to resolve an apparent conflict rather than ignoring one set of obligations.
Example: consent covers ordinary residential letting
A fictional freeholder permits a standard residential letting. The owner later wants frequent short stays. Check the lease and obtain any necessary fresh decision; the earlier consent may not cover the new use.
What to do
- Have the relevant lease clauses checked against the proposed letting.
- Obtain any required consent and complete lawful notices.
- Keep lease, mortgage, insurance and public permissions distinct.
Evidence to keep
- Lease and variations, consent and correspondence.
- Required notices, charges and the tenancy arrangement approved.
Sources and guidance
- Buying or owning a leasehold home: permissions and chargesUK Government · checked 20 October 2026
- Considering a tenant’s pet requestUK Government · checked 20 October 2026