Landlords are being warned to look out for tenants who go away over the Christmas holidays and sublet their rental properties without consent.

Total Landlord Insurance has revealed a 14% increase in the number of malicious and accidental damage claims received this year as a direct result of illegal subletting, through holiday rental sites such as Airbnb.

Airbnb, synonymous with the ‘sharing economy’, has seen rapid growth throughout the UK, particularly in prime London locations, and now has an ever increasing community of users. Many travellers will be using such sites to book accommodation for their break over the festive period, a high season for renting out property, and whilst the majority of holiday rentals will be hosted responsibly, Total Landlord Insurance warns there will be cases where tenants sublet without the relevant permissions.

Eddie Hooker, CEO at Total Landlord Insurance, said: “Whilst off on vacation themselves, tenants may consider subletting to earn extra easy income, but according to findings from the National Landlords Association (NLA), almost half of tenants who sublet their property do so without their landlord’s permission. Subletting can breach a landlords mortgage terms and also invalidate their existing insurance policy – so it’s vital for them to be aware of the problems it can present.”