Shared ownership leases do not normally allow subletting. You must live in your home as your main residence.
This is because shared ownership is a government-backed scheme designed to help people buy and live in their own home. For this reason, you cannot normally rent the property to someone else.
If you sublet your home without our permission, we will take legal action, which may result in you losing your home.
When we may allow subletting
In exceptional circumstances, we may give permission for you to sublet your home for a limited time.
We assess requests in line with the guidance set out in the Capital Funding Guide on GOV.UK.
If you are a serving member of the Armed Forces and are required to live away from the area, we will support your request to sublet, provided you meet the conditions on this page.
Conditions for subletting
If we agree that you have an exceptional reason to sublet, you must meet all of the following conditions.
How long you can sublet for
- We will approve subletting for an initial period of 6 months.
- You must apply to extend your permission every 6 months.
- Permission will not normally be granted for more than 2 years in total.
- After 2 years, you must either return to live in the property or sell it.
Tenancy requirements
- You must use a 6-month fixed-term assured shorthold tenancy.
- You may not use your home for holiday lets, Airbnb or other commercial use.
- The tenancy agreement must reflect the terms of your lease, including rules about causing a nuisance, parking, rubbish disposal and pets.
- You will be responsible for any breaches of the lease by your tenants.
Managing the tenancy
- You must use a reputable letting agent to vet your tenants.
- The letting agent must carry out Right to Rent checks as required under the Immigration Act 2014.
- The letting agent should manage the tenancy and deal with any issues that arise, including ending the tenancy when your permission to sublet expires.
Mortgage and financial requirements
- You must get written consent from your mortgage lender and provide us with a copy. Your lender may charge a fee or apply a different interest rate if you sublet.
- The rent you charge must not exceed your monthly mortgage, rent and service charge payments. We will allow up to 15% above this amount to cover letting agent fees.
- You must pay us a fee of £1,061 for permission to sublet. We will supply details of how to make the payment when consent is granted.
Your responsibilities
- You must provide your contact address and telephone number so we can contact you about any problems with the property or your tenants.
- If you live abroad, you must provide a correspondence address in England or Wales.
- You remain responsible for all repairs to your property.
- You remain responsible for paying us all charges due under your lease.
- You must not have any breaches of your lease, including rent or service charge arrears.
- You must arrange for your property to be licensed, as all private rented homes in Oxford require a licence. See our Selective Licensing pages.
Exemption from the 12-month re-letting restriction
Under the Rent Reform Act, if you end a tenancy so you can move back into your home (Ground 1) or sell it (Ground 1A), you normally cannot rent the property out again for 12 months.
If you are a shared owner using Ground 1A to sell your home, you may be exempt from this 12-month restriction.
This exemption recognises that selling a shared ownership property can take longer and may involve steps outside your control, such as a nominations process.
When the exemption applies
You can only use this exemption if all of the following apply:
- You tell prospective tenants before they move in that you are a shared owner and the 12-month re-letting restriction may not apply.
- You tell your housing provider in writing that you intend to sell before the date specified in your Section 8 notice (the date you have asked your tenants to leave).
- Before using the exemption, you must either get a RICS valuation showing you intend to sell, or actively market your property (for example, through an estate agent).
- You must not have staircased to 100% ownership.
How to request permission to sublet
Use our online form to apply for permission to sublet your home.
Make sure you read the conditions for subletting carefully before you apply.
You will need:
- your name and contact details
- the property address
- your reasons for subletting
Request permission to sublet your shared ownership home
We will contact you once we have made a decision about your request.
