Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help tackle exploitative and non‑transparent sub‑letting in the private rented sector; and whether he has assessed the merits of strengthening redress for sub‑tenants who have been misled into paying rent to a legal tenant rather than the landlord.

Subletting a property is subject to the conditions outlined in the tenancy agreement between the tenant and landlord, and the agreement between the sub-tenant and the main tenant.

Where disputes arise, established legal routes and access to the courts are available to provide appropriate remedies.

On 13 November 2025, the government published a roadmap for implementing the Renters' Rights Act, which can be found on gov.uk here.

In implementation Phase 2 from late 2026, we will introduce the national Private Rented Sector Database, providing tenants with more information about private landlords, and supporting local authorities to identify and take action against illegal subletting.