Sometimes as a student renter you might find yourself in the position of having to move out and find an apartment before your current lease expires. But beware: breaking your lease can be expensive (or even illegal!). Instead of worrying about the expenses and worries that come with breaking a lease, consider subletting your room for the remainder of the term of your lease.
Maybe you need to move locations to be closer to your job or for a quicker commute to school; maybe you’re having trouble with your roommates; or maybe you need a pet-friendly apartment. Whatever your reason for needing to find a subletter, here are a few steps you can take to make the search a little quicker.
Check with Your Landlord First
Some apartment leases prohibit subletting under any circumstances, while others require you to clear the subletter with your landlord first. Before you start the search to find an apartment, check your lease or check with your landlord to determine what your apartment’s rules are when it comes to subletting.
Find a New Apartment
Before you commit to renting your room to a subletter, be sure you have a new place lined up. To find an apartment in your area, use an apartment locator tool like ApartmentSearch.com so you can narrow down your options easily. As a student, it can be hard to find an apartment that fits your criteria for an ideal home. Maybe you have budgetary restrictions that mean you can only look in a certain price range; maybe you need to find an apartment for you and a new roommate; maybe you want to find an apartment that’s close to campus; or maybe the new apartment is only a short-term solution. With ApartmentSearch.com you can narrow your apartment search by price range, number of bedrooms, view a map of apartment properties in your area, and even find an apartment specifically as a student or for short-term leases.
Set a Sublet Rate
Next, decide how much you’re willing to rent your room for. You most likely won’t be able to get the full months’ rent for your room, so decide how low you’re willing to go and set that as your asking price.
Get the Word Out
To advertise your space, you’ll want to craft an ad for a local newspaper and put one up online. Make sure your apartment is clean and tidy, then take some photos to include in the ad. You can also put up “take a stub” flyers around your school’s campus and send out emails to your classmates using school List-servs. Put the word out over social media as well. You never know which of your friends or relatives knows somebody who is looking for a temporary place to live.
More Advice for Student Renters
For more tips for student apartment life (like advice about student furniture rental and how to find an apartment as a first-time student renter), keep reading the ApartmentSearch.com. Want to contribute some advice of your own? How did you find a subletter for your student apartment? Check out ApartmentSearch.com on Twitter and Facebook and tell us your tips!
