Turning your home into a holiday let: how to rent your London home to holidaymakers while you're abroad

Question: We own a flat in London but plan to spend the next few months in my mother's place in Majorca. Could we rent out our home for holiday lets just while we are away?

Answer: Holiday letting is considered in general to be a business. Check if there are any covenants on the title to your flat restricting its use and preventing it being used for holiday lets.

If you have a residential mortgage secured on the flat, you shouldn't go in for holiday letting without first obtaining your lender's consent.

They may require you to take out a different type of mortgage with a higher rate of interest to reflect the fact that your home is now being used for business purposes.

Let your buildings and contents insurers know your plans and ensure you have sufficient public liability insurance in case your tenants suffer injury and sue you.

The flat and contents will have to satisfy the safety regulations that apply to holiday letting.

Consider employing a holiday letting agent to help you with such matters and also to help you find tenants. Your rental income will be taxable.

These answers can only be a very brief commentary on the issues raised and should not be relied on as legal advice. No liability is accepted for such reliance. If you have similar issues, you should obtain advice from a solicitor.

If you have a question for Fiona McNulty, email legalsolutions@standard.co.uk or write to Legal Solutions, Homes & Property, Evening Standard, 2 Derry Street, W8 5EE. Questions cannot be answered individually, but we will try to feature them here.

Fiona McNulty is a solicitor specialising in residential property.