Finding an apartment on campus can be hard, especially with the University’s current housing shortage.
Once students find apartments on or off campus, they face the challenge of paying their bills on time throughout the school year. However, when the academic year ends, they have to pay rent for their apartments during the summer — despite not living there.
One alternative that students can use is subleasing. Unlike renting, subleasing is when a tenant temporarily lends their apartment to someone for a specific period.
Subleasing is a notable option for students to avoid worrying about paying rent for their apartments over the summer or when spending a semester studying abroad, as they don’t have to be concerned about breaking their lease.
Subleasing an apartment has a few perks, as it can temporarily reduce the cost of rent the original tenant pays, which can potentially result in the prospective tenant paying cheaper rent.
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Since first-time apartment-living students might not know how to sublease when the time comes, this primer can provide the steps needed to make subleasing less stressful.
How to sublease effectively
In Illinois, tenants have to ask their landlord if they can sublease their apartment in most cases. Not doing so could be a violation of their lease and can result in eviction.
Once a tenant has the landlord’s permission, they can ask their prospective tenants if they’re willing to sublet the apartment.
Tenants don’t have to rely on people they know to take their sublease, as the Illinois Abroad Housing Board and University Housing-related Facebook groups are designed to help tenants find willing sublessees.
Residents of Green Street Realty and University Group apartments can apply to have their subleased apartments advertised on the websites.
Once tenants find someone to sublease their apartment, they need to draft a legally binding agreement that outlines the terms and conditions of the living situation. The agreement should include the duration of the sublease, the cost of rent, both parties’ main responsibilities and the payment methods for bills.
When these steps are taken, both parties should have an easy and successful subleasing experience.
