Sometimes life happens and you've got to hit the road before your 12-month lease is up. Finding a good subletter – and quickly – is key to lowering your stress, saving money and leaving your old apartment in good hands.
First, check your lease. Before you start showing prospective subletters around, double-check your lease to make sure you understand your rental company’s policy. Some companies don’t allow subletters, some leave it up to the tenant to organize and manage, and some will offer to try to find a tenant for you, saving you a lot of time and effort.
If the company allows subletters and it’s up to you to find one, clean, photograph and advertise your place a.s.a.p. If you have a roommate who will be living with your subletter, involve them in this process. Make sure you include details about your roommate and their preferred living style in the post along with information about the apartment. Posting an ad on Craigslist is a quick and easy way to reach a large audience, but you can keep the search to friends and friends of friends if you and your current roommate post about your search on Facebook or shoot an email out to your local pals.
When you begin to get replies, set up showings. Try to coordinate with your roommate so they can meet the applicants and weigh in on who feels like a good fit. If your rental company requires subletters to complete an application and undergo a credit check before they’re approved, keep showing the place until the ink is dry on the new contract. “Saving” the apartment for subletters who want the place is never in your best interest. It removes their incentive to be prompt about the paperwork and, if they back out or aren’t approved, it puts you in a time crunch to find someone new.
If your move out date is looming and you haven’t found anyone, maximize your time by staging an open house. Open houses have the benefit of being confined to a two to three hour period and of creating a sense of urgency among prospective tenants when they see their competition.
When you find the right candidate, make sure everyone understands the arrangement and get your legal bases covered. If you need to pay the landlord and the subletter needs to pay you for the duration of your original lease, you need to get it in writing. Make sure everyone understands and is comfortable with how everything from rent to utilities to lease extensions will work and signs an agreement that says so in detail.
Subletting doesn't have to be scary. Start early, work smart and draw on your personal network, and finding a new tenant can be seamless and painless.
