It’s the typical summer renter dilemma: you want to take a vacation, but you hate the thought of paying rent and utilities for an apartment while you’re not even living in it! The good news is that there are plenty of people trying to find an apartment to stay in over the summer. Whether they are in between apartment lease terms, college students attending summer classes, or going on vacation themselves, apartments for sublet are in high demand. If your bags are packed and you’re ready to go with no subletter in sight, use these tips to find a temporary occupant for your apartment while you’re away.
1. Check with management to make sure it’s okay.
Check with your landlord and read your lease thoroughly. There might be a pesky little clause or two in your lease that dictates who can stay at your apartment (apart from the people named on the lease, that is) and how long they can stay. If guests are verboten, or having a subletter could result in major penalties for you, reconsider your sublet plans.
2. Decide on an asking price.
Next, evaluate how much you’re willing to rent your apartment out for. It’s unlikely that you’ll get a full month’s rent, but you can still expect to make quite a bit of your money back.
3. Work out the money.
Once you’ve found an occupant for your apartment, the first and most important thing to establish is the procedure for paying rent while you’re away. Unfortunately, as the lessee, you will be most likely still be responsible for paying rent, even while you are subleasing. Plus, if your subletter is late with a payment or misses one altogether, those fees will fall on you. Establish up front what your expectations are regarding payment dates and amounts.
4. Be clear with your potential subletter.
Before you leave your beloved apartment in the hands of a subletter, make sure he or she knows the rules about apartment life in your home. Be clear about the costs, your expectations for maintenance and cleanliness, the property’s rules about things like parking and amenity use, pet policies, and guest policies.
5. Enjoy your vacation!
Last, once you have all your apartment ducks in a row, go have some summer fun!
More Tips for Subletting
Are you currently a subletter? How did you find an apartment for the summer? Share your stories with us on Twitter and Facebook.
Want more tips for vacationing this summer? Stick around, renters! Next time we’ll give you a handy checklist of things to do in your apartment before you leave for your trip.
