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AIBU?

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Original poster

Can I secretly rent my house to my son

157 replies

Pinkpanther111 · 22/12/2025 18:19

i am wanting to rent a bungalow. Instead of selling my house my son will pay rent to me.
can I do this without telling anyone?

TIA

OP posts:
Genevieva · 22/12/2025 20:39

Hankunamatata · 22/12/2025 18:57

But wouldn't that break landlord agreement as he isn't the tenant?

Show quote history

I don’t think so.

Power26 · 22/12/2025 20:41

Secret how/why? In terms of tax evasion? Or government oversight?

MustTryHarderAndHarder · 22/12/2025 20:44

If you're renting your house then you are a landlord and you will have all the responsibilities of a normal landlord so gas safety certificates right to rent guides, electrical safety testing etc. And of course, as everyone else has said you will need to declare the income and pay tax on it and you'll have to do a tax return.

TheGander · 22/12/2025 20:45

All sorts of potential problems. You will be listed as the tenant on a tenancy agreement for the bungalow, not your son. Landlord could object to that. If you are getting rent paid to you and not declaring to HMRC, someone could dob you in and you’d be liable to a fine and back payments. Your son could stop paying rent to you ( it happens) . All landlord forums say don’t rent to family. Only do it if you totally trust your son, and then draw up a proper tenancy agreement with him just in case.

MustTryHarderAndHarder · 22/12/2025 20:45

You will also have to have landlords insurance.

MyDeftDuck · 22/12/2025 20:45

As others have said, make sure you declare to HMRC as the rental income is taxable. Also, I think you’ll need to rearrange your home insurance for the property you own but no longer live in.

TheGander · 22/12/2025 20:47

Do you have a mortgage on your house? If
tou do, you’ll need to inform the bank/ take out a buy to let mortgage ( more expensive). I don’t think landlord insurance is compulsory. Of course you could ignore all this and DIY it, but you’d be a hostage to fortune.

VividSnake · 22/12/2025 20:47

I’m going to guess she means son is claiming housing benefit (element) and she will be the landlord which yes is extremely dishonest

G365 · 22/12/2025 20:48

Genevieva · 22/12/2025 18:55

To prevent income tax liability he should pay his rent to your landlord but live in your house.

A professional Landlord wouldn't agree to this

Nettleskeins · 22/12/2025 20:59

I think I am right in saying your son could live in a house which you own and give you money without it being rent money, but it would count as a gift with seven years before becoming tax free from his estate, over and above the tax free amount he can give in his total life time. You/he can also make total gifts of 3000 a year tax free. And any gifts he wants which are regular gifts out of his total income which allows him enough extra income to" live off".
So he wouldn't technically be giving you rental income at all but a gift.

Similarily if you let him live in a house you own and he pays nothing it would be a gift from you under similar terms.

It's just a question of recording it as a "gift" in both instances. So if he paid bills and was reimbursing you for bills that wouldnt be a gift from him or rent, just reimbursement.

Nettleskeins · 22/12/2025 21:02

If he paid you under the rent a room scheme which is also tax free it would have to be your primary residence.

Notmycircusnotmyotter · 22/12/2025 21:03

You'll be fine. I don't declare a penny from my lodger (he's a friend).

IidentifyastheGrinch · 22/12/2025 21:03

Who are you trying to keep it a secret from?

Who is going to pay council tax and utilities for each property?

Do you have a mortgage?

Presumably you would declare to HMRC?

Nettleskeins · 22/12/2025 21:14

If the market rent was 20k a year and you ask for rent under that of 10k you are deemed to be giving him a gift of 10k and he is going you a gift of 10k, both minus the 3000k gift threshold (if you don't give gifts to anyone else that tax year)...so that's only a 7k gift a year coming out of both your estates (if you breach the seven year rule...which is unlikely)

Nettleskeins · 22/12/2025 21:18

There is nothing to stop you paying council tax on his behalf and bills and him reimbursing you privately but then that's a paper trail that these are "gifts" from him, if he is paying for things relating to your property but not as a registered tenant. I can't see that there is a problem with gifts as such as long as they are recorded as such.

grinchmcgrinchface · 22/12/2025 21:20

VividSnake · 22/12/2025 20:47

I’m going to guess she means son is claiming housing benefit (element) and she will be the landlord which yes is extremely dishonest

housing benefit cant be paid without a proper tenancy’ agreement anyway.

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 22/12/2025 21:26

I would without hesitation.

GreyCloudsLooming · 22/12/2025 21:27

Notmycircusnotmyotter · 22/12/2025 21:03

You'll be fine. I don't declare a penny from my lodger (he's a friend).

But lodgers are completely different.

UxmalFan · 22/12/2025 21:38

You'll have to tell HMRC about the rental income, and the mortgage company if any, and your insurance company. But who is it you don't want to know?

Bimblebombles · 22/12/2025 21:38

I'm pretty sure you'd have to have detailed credit checks to rent a bungalow and be able to declare where your income is coming from?

Let alone the income tax evasion angle.

Is your property mortgaged? Also standard home owner insurance doesn't generally cover tenants.

If your relationship with your son at any point becomes sour he may refuse to pay etc.

You'd have to do all the things that landlords are required to do legally.

undislosed rent can be treated as benefit fraud if you receive benefits.

Hard to unwind the situation if one party wants out - what if you want to go back home and he doesn't want to leave? What if he wants to leave but you're tied into a lengthy rental agreement at the bungalow?

WhatMe123 · 22/12/2025 21:40

You'll void your mortgage if you have one and possibly your home insurance as both are different if renting

MsAmerica · 22/12/2025 21:52

Pinkpanther111 · 22/12/2025 18:19

i am wanting to rent a bungalow. Instead of selling my house my son will pay rent to me.
can I do this without telling anyone?

TIA

Yet another thing that doesn't seem to belong in AIBU.

How can we answer without knowing what's going on? Is your son a criminal? Are you trying to dodge taxes? What's the secret?

Shatteredallthetimelately · 22/12/2025 21:59

Are you wanting to rent a bungalow through private renting and your son pay you rent for living in your owned property which will cover your private rent payment.

Or are you wanting to pretend that you don't own a property and be given a local authority one and your DS move into your home?

I'd have thought you need to declare and do a self assessment yearly as the rent will be classed as an income.

Londonrach1 · 22/12/2025 22:02

Tax man and whoever you got a mortgage with if you had needs to know. Also insurance. Also make sure proper deposit and it stored correctly and all certificates needed to reny a house are up to date. You have to do this legally so else you get into alot of trouble. Apart from that you dont need to tell anyone else eg friends or family as long as son covers council tax, bills etc

Cyclingmummy1 · 22/12/2025 22:05

I'm assuming you want to claim HB and PC? I think you will have to use either income from your property or proceeds from selling your property to fund yourself.

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