Subletting in 2017: What to Know

By Danielle Wirsansky on December 27, 2016

Maybe you graduated in the fall semester of 2016. Maybe you have an internship taking you out of town from your university. Maybe you are planning to study abroad.

Regardless of the reason, you no longer need your college town apartment. However, you have signed a lease that extends past when you need it. You either have to continue to pay for the apartment even while you are not living there (which can seriously block you from being able to afford to live where you actually need to be) or you need to sublet your apartment. But choosing to sublet can be a big decision and is not one that should be taken lightly.

There are many things you must consider before subletting in 2017.

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Does Your Property Owner Allow Subletting?

The very first thing to think about, and then discover the answer to, is: are you allowed to sublet your property? Some property owners are adamant about not allowing subtenants and they cannot be blamed for that. They do not like allowing just anyone to stay in their properties and they screen their tenants for a reason. You need to make sure you understand the policies in place for subletting.

Will they charge you for technically breaking your lease and, if so, how much will it cost you? If you have a roommate and you do not have separate leases, will they have to sign a new lease with the subtenant you find? Will they allow you to find someone to take your place? If not, it is up to you to decide how to proceed. You can try and bend the rules, though this is not advised.

At least know the rules and situation surrounding it so that you can move forward in an informed manner.

What Qualifications Must A Subtenant Meet?

Now that you know if subletting is allowed in your property or not, you need to decide what qualifications the supposed subtenant must meet. Is gender important to you? You might feel uncomfortable having either a boy or a girl stay in your space. Perhaps your roommate would feel uncomfortable rooming with a specific gender. Are you comfortable with a couple leasing out your room? What about someone with a child? What about someone with a pet? These are all things that you should begin to consider before you start searching and meeting with potential subtenants.

You need to make sure that whoever you choose, you are comfortable with having them take over your place, that you trust them to treat the property well, and to pay their rent on time. They need to fill other criteria for you as well: are they looking to sublet the property for the full length of time that you need to sublet it for, or only a portion? If the subtenant only wants the property for a limited time, who is responsible for finding the next tenant for the remaining time: you or them? It all depends.

These are critical pieces of knowledge you must have before you pick up and leave.

What Will You Leave Behind?

You are leaving your home to go and make your fortune elsewhere. What about the stuff that is in the property where you currently reside? Is the furniture yours? Can you, or do you, want to take the furniture with you to wherever you are moving to? Are you unable to take the furniture with you? Do you plan to return to your apartment at some time in the future? You need to know these things so that you can give your subtenant the appropriate knowledge ahead of time.

Will leaving behind your furniture change the price you are charging a subtenant since the apartment will come furnished? Will taking the furniture with you lower the price since the property will not come furnished for the new tenant? Are you interested in leaving some of the pieces behind? And if you plan to return, is it okay with the new tenant if you leave some boxes behind of your personal belongings?

The subtenant may or may not be okay with your decisions so you need to consider your options and be completely upfront about it with them. You do not want to spring a decision on them too late in the game when paperwork has already been signed and they find that they are unable to live with the new terms you have set them. You need to be fair. You need to decide what allowances you are willing to make in order to keep the subtenant interested in your property and to also keep yourself from crossing any inappropriate boundaries with your demands.

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