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Which?, the consumer publication, has warned people that renting property isn’t as easy as letting people stay in your home.

It has written ‘Renting and Letting’, a guide to renting property, which reminds Landlords that they have a number of legal and financial obligations to abide by, or face the risk of prosecution.

The guide has been written in response to the growing number of people who are becoming ‘accidental landlords’. People unwilling or unable to sell their home in this environment are turning to renting out space to get by.

One big concern is that people are renting out property with a regular, residential mortgage. This can lead to all sorts of complications and could ultimately lead to prosecution if the mortgage lender hasn’t given consent.

It’s always best to speak to a financial adviser about your plans to rent, as chances are you will need to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage. But that’s fine – it won’t break the bank and it will certainly save you money in the long run.

Kate Faulkner, author of Renting and Letting, a Which? essential guide, says: “More people than ever are becoming ‘accidental landlords’ as they struggle to sell their homes, and for many, letting them out is the only option.

“However, it’s not just a case of swapping a set of keys for money each month. Being a landlord comes with many responsibilities and obligations, and failure to comply with these could result in problems for landlord and tenant alike.”

To keep up with the latest News and comment on the UK buy to let market visit the Buy to Let Mortgage Blog