Title owner different with the landlord name

Hi. I am a new tenant wanting to rent a studio apartment in Sheffield. The landlord said that he owned the place but when I check from the landregistry.gov.uk, the title belongs to other person. Is it alright to proceed with the rent agreement with the said person under his name? He told me that he belongs to Rotherham Landlords Association

No, it's not OK unless he- the intending landlord L can show that he has at least consent from the true owner O. This could involve:

a. Power Of Attorney granted by O to L;

b. L being a director, if O is a company etc;

c. O having granted to L a lease for seven years or less- this would usually not be registrable at HMLR; or

d. you having seen only the freehold reversion title and perhaps L does have a long-leasehold title noted against it.

So it's good that you thought to check! Perhaps L is a crook.

Hi. Thank you. I asked him and he told me that it is his son's name (they have the same surname) in the leased title. He assured me that there is nothing wrong with it and send me his council tax bill with his name and address on. I double checked their address and name within the council tax bill, and indeed both his son and he is living in the same house.

Should I trust him?

Property may be in son's name to minimise tax.

As Jeffrey has said get something in writing that shows the owner in the title deeds gives permission for the other guy to act as landlord.

Hi. Thank you. I asked him and he told me that it is his son's name (they have the same surname) in the leased title. He assured me that there is nothing wrong with it and send me his council tax bill with his name and address on. I double checked their address and name within the council tax bill, and indeed both his son and he is living in the same house.

 

Should I trust him?

If all that is true, why on earth is it not his son who is the landlord?

The father could surely function as a letting agent without being named on the Agreement.

It still sounds odd. Is the HMLR title in mortgage (= showing a registered charge in favour of a mortgagee [lender])? If it is, insist on seeing the mortgagee's consent to the letting.