• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
College Magazine logo

College Magazine

College Life, Dating, Career & Campus Advice

  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
    • Find Your College
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
Home » Latest Posts » How to Sublet an Apartment When You Need Out of Your Lease ASAP
Life

How to Sublet an Apartment When You Need Out of Your Lease ASAP

FacebookTweet
how to sublet an apartment
Brittany Loeffler April 13, 2018

You might have to sublet your apartment while in college for a few reasons. Maybe you want to transfer to another university or study abroad for a semester. Or you can’t stand another semester of living with your current roommates. Whatever the reason for subletting your apartment, look into the process, risks and rules of subletting.

Read on for how to sublet an apartment like a pro rolling stone.

What Does Subletting Mean?

Subletting your apartment technically lets you out of your lease without completely breaking it or paying the landlord rent each month. You’ll make a separate agreement between you and the subtenant, whoever will be living in your apartment. Think of it as the landlord leasing out your room to a tenant.

Even though you don’t own the property, you do take on the role of the landlord. Your actual landlord may or may not require you to go through their leasing agency to make this agreement. Either way, they should always know about it. Even though you handed off your apartment to a subtenant, you’re still legally responsible to pay the landlord rent if your subtenant doesn’t. Also, keep in mind that your agreement with the subtenant can only be for the length of your lease, no longer. If they decide they want to stay, then they need to sign a lease with the landlord.

What to Do When Subletting

1. Get Permission

how to sublet an apartment permission
giphy.com

Make sure to read your lease carefully before signing it. Some landlords will not allow you to sublet your apartment due to the hassle, bad prior experiences or because of state laws. Some states, such as Pennsylvania, do not allow tenants to sublet rental properties. Talk to your landlord about the reason you want to sublet your apartment and ask them for advice. They may have their own protocol for subletting where they must approve the subtenant. It’s always important to keep the landlord informed of these decisions since it is ultimately their property.

2. Ask Friends and Family First

how to sublet an apartment trust
giphy.com

Before you go about putting advertisements on Facebook and Craigslist, ask your friends and family if they or someone they know needs a place to live for a little while. Since you are still ultimately responsible for the rent, subletting your apartment to someone you know and trust rather than a stranger ensures you won’t go broke in this arrangement. Use your network and other people’s networks to find a trustworthy person to take over your apartment.

3. Interview Potential Tenants

how to sublet an apartment who are you
giphy.com

Whether you found someone to sublet the apartment through friends and family or from the Internet, sit down with them for an interview to investigate their character. The interview doesn’t have to be formal; it can happen after they have seen the property. Get a feel for the kind of person they are and ask questions about their lifestyle and occupation. Focus on their income and how they expect to pay rent. A good rule of thumb that landlords typically use is that the rent should be no more than 30 percent of a tenant’s monthly income. It never hurts to ask for references.


trending

107

How Graduation is Causing Me a (Good) Existential Crisis

Gretchen Rubin, author of Life in Five Sense
96

Awaken Your Five Senses with #1 NYTs Bestselling Author Gretchen Rubin

77

Adulting with Your Mom Is Fun


4. Require a Security Deposit

how to sublet an apartment security
giphy.com

Once you find someone you trust to move into your apartment, make them put down a security deposit before they move in. This will act as protection in case they miss a month of rent or damage the property so much that you don’t receive your original security deposit back from your landlord. Typically, a security deposit equals one month’s rent. The person holding the deposit must keep it in a non-interest bearing escrow account. Just go to your bank and tell them the situation and they will help you set up the right account. Once the lease ends and your subtenant has paid all necessary rent and paid for any damage, you can withdraw their security deposit and return it to them.

5. Sign a Written Agreement

how to sublet an apartment sign
giphy.com

Get things in writing, especially when money is involved. Ask your landlord if they happen to have any subletting agreements handy that you can use. If not, take a look online to find one that will fit your situation. Make sure to have the subtenant read it over and sign it before they move in. Keep it on file throughout the duration of the lease for reference.

About Brittany Loeffler

Q&A with ASCEND app Creators Sydney Campos and David Richeson

How a Last-Minute Gap Semester Changed My Life

Is Online Learning Right for You?

10 Things All International Students Understand

5 Pre-Finals Rituals to Follow for Optimum Study Time

Life Lessons I Learned in Fitness Classes

A Dream Deferred

So I Moved Back Home After Graduation…

I Adopted a Kitten During Midterms and Here’s How That Went

Previous Post:24 Things to Do in Pittsburgh in 24 Hours
Next Post:24 Things to Do in St. Augustine in 24 Hours

colleges

  • College Guides
  • College Rankings
  • Campus life
  • Academics
  • Dating
  • Freshmen Year
  • Health
  • Party

majors

  • All College Majors
  • Most Popular Majors
  • Choosing a Major

intern

  • Internships Directory
  • How to Write a Resume
  • How to Write a Cover Letter
  • How to Interview
  • How to Get an Internship
  • How to Network

money

  • How to Make Money
  • How to Save Money
  • How to Get a Job
  • Credit Cards 101
  • College Loans

travel

  • Study Abroad
  • College Spring Break
  • How to Travel Cheap
  • Things to Do

shop

  • College Packing List
  • Gift Guides
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

College Magazine logo

Copyright © 2023 Powered by BizBudding