Subletting. The Tenant You Never Vetted

Who is living in your house?

It's one of those quiet Sunday afternoons, and you drive past your property. The curtains are different. A stranger waves at you from the balcony. You wave back, unsure why.

Dear landlord, who is living in your house?

The tenant you never met

You screened your tenant. You checked the payslips, called the referee, maybe even prayed over the lease. Subletting quietly undoes all of it. The person now sleeping in your bedroom passed none of your checks.

So ask yourself. Who pays when the rent stops coming? Who answers when the neighbours complain? Who fixes the cracked tiles nobody told you about? And if your insurer asks who was living there the night of the fire, what will you say?

Meanwhile, your tenant may be collecting rent on your property, at a price you never agreed to. They keep the profit. You keep the risk.

It doesn't have to be a no

Subletting is not always the enemy. Think of a tenant posted upcountry for six months, or a student away for a semester. Sometimes a sublet keeps a unit occupied and the rent flowing. The problem isn't subletting. It's silence.

So put it in writing. Does your lease say whether subletting is allowed? Does it require your written consent first? Do you know who lives in your units today, and not just who signed for them a year ago?

Know who is behind your doors

A property is more than walls and a rent cheque. It is people. Know who they are. Keep a record of every occupant, every agreement and every change. A good property management system makes that easy. A good landlord makes it a habit.

Maybe it's time to knock. Gently.

Learn more.