I’ve been a subletter 3 different times under 3 very different circumstances (all of which I’ll be talking about in a YouTube video on my upcoming channel, so don’t forget to subscribe, but let me just say, they haven’t all been great). With this, I can tell you taking over someone’s apartment definitely has its pros but if you don’t ask the right questions, you’ll quickly find yourself frustrated and wondering if you made the right decision. Even if you feel like you made the right decision, you’ll wonder why you never thought to ask certain things. So, is subletting a good idea and what should you be asking?
What is subletting?
Let’s first talk about what subletting is. Subletting is when someone (or you) is looking to put someone else in their dwelling – this could be if they’re moving and you’ll be there in their place or if they’re just wanting to add a roommate to offset costs because … adulting is a wallet drainer.
You’re subletting (or subleasing) their apartment/room when you agree to move in. They are the sublessee and you are the subletter.
With that out of the way … back to those questions …
When does the lease end and do you plan on coming back?
This one might seem like a no-brainer because of course you’re going to ask when the lease ends. What you may forget to include in the question is IF they plan to come back.
If you’re a roommate with someone, instead of asking if they’re planning to come back, you’ll want to know if they’re planning to re-sign their lease when it ends and if you’re able to continue on (if that’s what you’d like to do). You’d think they’d have the decency to tell you this with enough advance warning but don’t assume, ask questions.
If you’re taking over a lease through an apartment complex (as in your communication is with the complex after signing and not with the sublessee), they’re probably not coming back because the lease is, really, now yours.
If you’re taking over the lease for someone and going through them (meaning it’s likely an under-the-table deal and the complex doesn’t even know you exist), ask not only if they plan on coming back when the lease ends but if there’s any chance they may come back before that time.
Are there any damages to the apartment/things that need to be returned to their original condition and will you be taking care of those before you leave?
Once you take over their lease, especially if it’s directly through the apartment complex, make sure you find out if there are any damages to the apartment because you are now responsible for them. This means being responsible for either fixing them on your own or paying the complex to have them fixed. This also isn’t limited to things like holes in the walls (from nails or … yikes … fist), it’s also things like painting if they weren’t supposed to.
Ideally, they’ll take care of those things on their own before they leave because they’re a good human. If they’re not willing to, be willing to walk away if you don’t want to be stuck with the charges.
Is this lease through you or the apartment complex?
As briefly mentioned earlier, there are situations where you could be taking over the lease and solely communicating with that person or taking it over and communicating with the complex.
In the former of the two, your name will never appear on the lease and the complex won’t know that you’re there. This is great if you’ve got a credit issue that may have kept you from renting on your own or if you can pay the rent but simply don’t have multiple times that amount … something many apartment complexes and landlords want.
This also means your name isn’t on the lease and, if the complex finds out the actual lessee has sublet to you without their permission, you can be evicted. It won’t show on your public records but you’ll also be scrambling for a new place at best and homeless at worst.
Even with the lease being through them, you’ll want to make sure you’re paying the complex directly – either with a money order or a cashier’s check. If the actual leaseholder shares the information with you, you can pay it online through the resident portal as well, which still won’t help your credit but can get you some cash back, hotel points, or airline miles if you use your credit card.
When renting through the complex, your communication is with them and your name will appear on the lease. This means your credit will be run and you are now responsible for making sure rent is paid monthly if you don’t want an eviction on your public records. This also means when you pay through the online resident portal, you could be boosting your credit with your monthly payments as well as getting those credit card benefits.
Will you be hiring a professional cleaner prior to moving in?
This is one everyone doesn’t seem to think of doing before they move out of their apartment for someone else to take over their lease but they should. Moving on its own sucks, having to clean your place after packing up all your belongings only to have to clean your new place (and all their gross germs, dirt, and trash) around your newly moved boxes really sucks.
Everyone loves entering into a nicely cleaned environment, so if they’re not willing to hire a cleaner before they move, see if they’re willing to leave a few days before you’re set to move in at their cost. Meaning that they’ve likely already paid the rent for that month, so they’re not shelling out new money to the complex or a cleaner. This not only keeps you from having to bring your stuff into a dirty environment, it means you can either use those days to clean your new place (physical and time payment) or use the money you otherwise would have given them in prorated rent for the extra days for a cleaner (actual monetary payment with money you may not have been planning to spend).
Have you ensured all maintenance issues have been addressed?
This is outside of things like holes in the walls or updating the paint. This falls into things like making sure all the lights have been changed, the garbage disposal works, and the bathtub/sinks aren’t clogged with someone else’s hair and grim. Ensuring these things have been fixed prior to you moving in is definitely a must when you’re renting through the person and not the complex but it also helps to really make you feel like you’re moving into a place that was prepped just for you to call your own home.
Wrap up | Is subletting a good idea?
Is subletting a good idea? As I said above, I’ve done it 3 times now and I’ve actually done every one of those subletting situations. I’ve been the roommate, I’ve gone directly through the tenant, and I’ve gone through the complex – the latter of which I did before becoming an official Uptown Charlotte resident. It’s not the worst idea and definitely great in a pinch or if you’re just wanting to try out an area with limited commitment.
I didn’t think to ask the questions above in every situation or even any of those situations really. They’re all things I realized after my most recent experience and what I realize I *should* have done in retrospect because it would have saved me a lot of grief and time.
I would always recommend going through the complex over going through the tenant because there are just far more pros to that method. Regardless, I would always suggest asking these 5 questions to not only assist you in your hunt but to save you time and money.
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