Advertising a Summer Sublet
At this time of year, many students start to think about summer plans, including subletting their campus-area rented rooms and apartments while they’re away. Finding someone to sublet a student’s rental might be a good option, but there are many considerations to keep in mind.
What is subletting?
Subletting is an arrangement between a current tenant (sublessor), a “substitute” tenant (sublessee), and the property owner/manager. A sublessee takes the sublessor’s place and resides in the unit, paying either part of or all of the rent.
It is important to note that the sublessor (original tenant) is still liable for any damages or unpaid rent until the end of the lease term.
Things to know when considering subletting:
- Not all property owners/management companies permit subletting. Your student should be sure to ask their management company/landlord if subletting is allowed and if there are any additional charges to sublet. For those property owners/management companies that do allow subletting, tenants should understand and follow their subletting process.
- If there are other roommates in the rental, tenants should have their support. Roommates should feel comfortable with the new sublessee. They may be required to sign the sublet agreement. Roommates can be one of your students best marketing strategies, helping to find a replacement roommate through their friends and contacts.
- Tenants should advertise the sublet rental early and often, making sure it is competitively priced. Remember that taking on a small “loss” each month may be better than paying 100 percent of your rent when you’re gone.
Ways your student can promote a sublet:
- Advertise with Campus Area Housing at a cost of $15 per listing. The listing is posted on the website for up to five months.
- Spread the word via social networking, other advertising websites, and campus newspapers.
- Post flyers on and near campus (be sure to ask for approval when posting on bulletin boards in campus buildings).
- The original resident and any co-signors on the original lease may still be responsible for timely rent payments and any damages through the end of the original lease term. Damages incurred by a sublessee can be taken from your original security deposit.
- A written sublet agreement between the sublessor and sublessee should always be completed. If your property owner/management company does not provide one, an example can be found on the Tenant Resource Center’s website.
- For more information about the legalities and specifics of subletting, please refer to the Tenant Resource Center.
You can find important advice about these topics and more on the Campus Area Housing website.