Written & reviewed by NotALawyer Review AI · Updated June 26, 2026
Whether you can sublet usually comes down to one thing: your lease. Many leases require your landlord's written consent before you bring in a subtenant, and some ban subletting outright. Even when it's allowed, you almost always stay on the hook for the rent and any damage. Getting the arrangement in writing protects everyone.
Most leases fall into one of three buckets: they require your landlord's written consent to sublet, they ban subletting entirely, or they're silent. Read the assignment and subletting clauses closely before you do anything, and don't assume silence means yes.
In a number of states, if your lease requires landlord approval to sublet, the landlord can't refuse for no good reason. What counts as 'reasonable' varies, so check your state's landlord-tenant law and put your request in writing so there's a record.
Subletting doesn't erase your name from the lease. In most arrangements, you remain responsible to your landlord for the rent and for any damage your subtenant causes. If they stop paying or move out early, the landlord can still come after you.
Say a tenant on a $1,500/month lease takes a summer job out of state and sublets to a friend for three months. If the friend pays late or damages the unit, the original tenant — not the friend — is typically the one the landlord holds responsible.
A written sublease that spells out rent, dates, deposit, and house rules protects you if something goes wrong. Get the landlord's consent in writing too, even when the lease doesn't strictly require it, so nobody can dispute it later.
More on this topic: the Landlord & Tenant hub
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