Subletting seems simple enough: Someone leaves, someone new moves in for a bit. But beyond the official rules of subletting (aka those set by landlords), there’s some necessary etiquette to go by. Not sure how much stuff to leave in your room or how to switch sublets last minute? We’re here to help.
SUBLESSORS
So you're all set to jet off to study abroad in Spain, go on JR in New York City or otherwise escape Northwestern for a quarter or two. You have a subletter to keep your bed warm and pay your rent while you're away. Now all you have to do is pack your suitcase and leave, right? If only it were that easy.
DO decide ahead of time how rent and all the other bills will be handled. You don’t want to get a frantic call from your subletters mid-summer because the lights went out and they didn’t know they had to pay utilities.
DON'T leave your room looking like a wasted toddler lived in it. I know, I know, no one wants to clean their room while they're wrapping up finals/celebrating wrapping up finals. But your subletter isn't going to be too happy if they move in and find your dirty underwear under the pillow or pizza crumbs on the desk.
DO consider asking for a security deposit if you're not going through the landlord. Make an agreement for subletters to sign before moving in and have them give you a chunk of money. If the apartment looks fine when you return, the money goes back to the subletter. If not, you'll have some cash to cover a new vacuum cleaner or, in more desperate situations, a maid service.
SUBLETTERS
You found a kickass apartment to sublet. Hooray! You've just made your sublessor's life a million times easier. But this isn't a pay-my-rent-and-that's-all deal.
DO make a commitment and stick to it. But, you ask, what happens if I commit to subletting one apartment... and then two weeks before I move in, I find another one closer to my pals? If you can't handle being an extra 10 minutes from your friends' beer fridge, find someone to replace you in the original apartment. This doesn't mean find a couple maybe-subletters and hand their phone numbers to the person you're bailing on, but rather finding someone who definitely wants to live in that apartment.
DON'Tbreak anything. If you do, fix it or replace it. The place should be in the same state its owner left it in, and if it's not, you should at least acknowledge the issues.
DON'T have unreasonably high expectations. Remember: You're a college student and not a wealthy businessperson staying on the top floor of the Hilton. Your sublessor will probably leave things in the drawers, under the bed, in the nightstand and so on, so just work around that. Make sure to take out your own stuff when you leave, or at least leave cool things if you insist on leaving some souvenirs. Tip: Tube-top floor-length jumpers do not count as "cool things."