7 Steps To Subletting Your Apartment For Fall

By Francine Fluetsch on July 24, 2015

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Are you thinking about subletting your room in your house or your apartment? Whether you want to sublet it for the summer or while you are studying abroad, subletting doesn’t have to be hard, as long as you follow these 7 easy steps.

1) Check with your landlord

While most landlords are okay with the idea of subletting, some may be against it. Maybe they had a bad experience with it or don’t want to deal with new people in their house, but whatever the case, make sure to check with them and adhere to what they say. You could be violating your contract if you go ahead and sublet without consulting them.

It is also a good idea to ask them, because they may have the subtenants sign an additional renters agreement, so if something were to happen, the blame would not be yours to take, which is a very wonderful thing.

2) Talk to your roommates and housemates

Some people will not want strangers utilizing their things and being in their space, so you definitely want to clear it with your housemates before you start looking for subtenants. If some of your housemates are going to stay at your place over summer, they should be able to help you pick the sublettees to make sure they will be compatible.

You and your housemates should also set up ground rules that the subtenants would have to adhere to, like if they would be able to use everything in the house or if certain things would be off limits and so on. It’s their space too, so you want to make sure they are comfortable with other people living there while they are also there or away for the summer.

3) Advertise your sublet

Advertising your place might seem a bit stressful, but you’d be surprised at how many students are looking for a place to sublet over the summer, so if you do it right, you should have people lining up to look at your place in no time.

The best way to get your place out there is to first ask your friends if any of them would need a place to stay over the summer/ while you are away, or if they know anyone who needs a place. Going this route first is best since you would have people living in your room that you would trust.

If you can’t find anyone like this, it’s time to hit the Internet. More than likely, your school will have a Facebook group designated for housing where you will be able to advertise your space. Post some cool pictures and make your place look inviting.

You can also post it up on Uloop and see if you get any takers there! If people respond to your post and ask questions, make sure to answer promptly and offer your email/phone number if they would like to talk about the details.

Photo Via: http://thewichitan.com

4) Meet and greet

Once you have some people wanting to look at your place, make some meeting times where you can meet them and show them around. You want to have a few options so if you think someone won’t work out, you won’t feel pressured to pick them. Once you have met them all, take a few days to really decide. This isn’t a small matter, and your decision shouldn’t be rushed.

Do let the potential sublettees know when you will make your decision, and even if you don’t end up picking them, make sure to at least send them an email/text to let them know, so they will have a chance to start looking for a different place.

5) Be realistic

It would be wonderful if the subtenant was down to pay your full rent amount while you are away, but this is usually not how subletting works. If you really like a potential sublettee and they don’t want to pay the full amount, it might be time for you to negotiate. You still want to benefit from the arrangement, but don’t be set on them paying the full price. Just think of it as everything they are paying, that’s money you are saving, so even if they are only paying half your rent, that’s a whole half you don’t have to pay for a couple of months.

6) Make it official

Even if you are subletting to your best friend, you don’t want to agree on the sublet with a handshake — you are going to want it in writing. This is to save your butt if anything goes wrong, if they decide they aren’t going to pay the rent they promised, if they break something, if they do something against your landlord’s policies, etc. This is a good life lesson as well that you should always have agreements in writing so you’ll always have an exit strategy.

**Bonus tip: Invest in renter’s insurance. You never know when you might need it, especially if you aren’t home.**

7) Clean until pristine

You want to make your living space as clean as if your mother was going to stay there and judge you on your mess. You want to clear out some space in the closet for the subtenant to hang their things, and possibly give them some drawer space to put their things. If you have any valuables in the room that you don’t want to go missing, I suggest taking them with you or investing in a safe. This will give you peace of mind and will allow the sublettee to have more room for their things.

Subletting doesn’t have to be hard, you just have to be smart about it. Good luck!

(Based on this article on uwcu.org.)

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