As the winter semester gets underway, we know that some students are thinking about or even looking for sub-lease options. Beyond The Diag is here to assist students with how to sub-lease successfully!
Looking TO Sub-Lease
-
Reach out to different landlords and leasing companies to ask about current openings.
-
Make sure you fill out all the appropriate paperwork from your new landlord; some landlords also have admin fees and other costs, as if you are signing a normal lease.
-
Make sure you have a copy of the lease and you fully understand it. You are responsible for abiding by all rules in the lease. If you do not understand any part of it reach out to your landlord or Beyond the Diag.
-
Use the Sublease Agreement and Inventory Checklist to help protect both you and whoever you are subletting from. These documents are useful if you are moving in with other roommates and make sure everything is in writing.
-
If there are other people who are also living in the space make sure to talk to them so everyone is in agreement with the living situation. You can use this Roommate Agreement so everything is in writing and mutually agreed upon, before you move in.
Looking FOR a Sub-Lease
-
Review your lease and talk to your landlord to make sure you are allowed to sublet. Many apartments and houses have certain policies to follow when finding someone to sub-lease and have paperwork to complete. Sub-tenants may have to undergo the same approval process as normal tenants, so make sure to allow time for that process to be completed.
-
Ask your landlord if they have resources to help with finding someone to sub-lease.
-
Use the Sublease Agreement and Inventory Checklist to help protect both you and the replacement tenant. These documents are useful if you have other roommates and again, make sure everything is in writing. This is to protect everyone involved
-
If you have roommates or other people who share the space, make sure to talk to them about your plan to sub-lease.
The University's Off-Campus Housing website is a great resource to search for available sub-leases. No matter what resource you use to find a sub-lease, make sure you talk to your landlord, follow their policies, and talk to roommates and anyone else involved.
Sub-lease scams do happen. Follow the tips below to avoid being scammed yourself:
-
Payments should go to the landlord, not you - don’t accept a check from the new tenant
-
Viewing the space - If someone wants to sub-lease, but isn’t interested in viewing the room or apartment first, this could indicate a potential scam
-
Make sure the landlord and other tenants are aware and involved
-
Make sure you’ve seen the property in advance, and are happy satisfied with the condition of the unit, and that it matches the advertised description
-
Have a copy of the lease, and have it checked by Student Legal Services
-
Don’t accept ‘discounts’ in return for you paying cash
The Off-Campus Living Guide is full of information and resources that can be useful for living off-campus, leasing, etc. We know this can be a stressful process and we’re here to assist with any other questions or concerns related to sub-leasing. Other helpful resources include Office of Students Conflict Resolution and Student Legal Services.