Sublease Agreement Template
Subletting is a common practice across residential and commercial premises. We’ve consulted legal experts and proofreaders to create a sublease agreement (PDF and Word) for you to sublet the property successfully.
Free Sublease Agreement Templates Download
Subletting is a common practice across residential and commercial premises. We’ve consulted legal experts and proofreaders to create a sublease agreement (PDF and Word) for you to sublet the property successfully.
What’s in this template?
- • Payment details
- • Inclusions
- • Bond deposit
Click below to download our sublease agreement form
What is a sublease, and how do they work?
A sublease is where a tenant of property leases out a portion or whole premises to another tenant. Let’s break down the process.
A tenant signs a lease with a landlord for a set period and rental fee.
The tenant leases a portion of the property to a subtenant for a set period within the original lease term for an agreed rent fee.
The subtenant (sublessee) is accountable to the tenant while the tenant is accountable to the landlord as per the original contract.
Therefore a sublease agreement is a formal contract between tenant and subtenant that lays out the terms and conditions of the lease within the lease.
DISCLAIMER: We are not lawyers or a law firm and we do not provide legal, business or tax advice. We recommend you consult a lawyer or other appropriate professional before using any templates or agreements from this website.
Download our Sublease
Agreement Form
Subletting can be a fantastic source of revenue. But it must be done correctly to avoid disputes with subtenants, agents, and landlords. That’s why we’ve created a compliant sublease agreement template for you to use with peace of mind.
Click below to access our sublease agreement sample
Why is a sublease agreement important?
First of all, a sublease is a smart way for tenants to make some extra cash and reduce the financial pressure of paying their rent.
Tenants typically find subtenants online or through personal relationships. It can be tempting to enter verbal agreements with people you know or people that seem trustworthy.
However, horror story after horror story demonstrates that things can quickly turn ugly as subtenants misuse property and breach the privacy of other tenants.
If you’re considering subletting, a sublease contract is essential to mitigate risks from subtenants while also forcing you to get consent from the landlord keeping everything transparent.
Best practices when using a sublease form with prospective subtenants
We’ve outlined three best practices below, to give you the best chance of success when subletting.
1. Get consent from your landlord
This may seem obvious, but this step is often intentionally or unintentionally missed when subletting—which is a foundation for the next horror story. Don’t let that happen to you!
The first thing to do is to review your current rental agreement. Sometimes the landlord or agent will state whether subletting the premises is allowed or not.
Regardless of what the contract says, it’s worth reaching out to your landlord to see if subletting is feasible.
When presenting your case, be specific in what space you plan to lease and for how long. Explain your thought process behind your decision and the steps you’ll take to assume responsibility. You can even forward your sublease agreement template to show the landlord that you’re organized and sensible in your approach.
2. Screen your subtenants thoroughly
To increase your chances of having a successful subletting experience, you need to act like a landlord or a leasing agent, which means screening your applicants.
When you put out your subletting ad, take the copy from the original leasing advertisement, which enticed you to sign the contract. Be specific about inclusions, whether pets are allowed, and so forth.
Having a description advertisement will give prospective tenants more context to see if it’s worth reaching out to you.
If you receive an inquiry, get the subtenant to inspect the property. Even if you know the subtenant and they’ve seen the premises before, still get them to check thoroughly. Seeing the property with the views of formally occupying the space is different from visiting for leisure.
After the inspection, interview your potential subtenant to get a feel for their job security, personal relationships, and track record.
3. Present your agreement and lease terms
At this point, your advertisement, inspection, and interview would’ve narrowed down your applicants. Now it’s time to present your sublease agreement.
If a subtenant is willing to sign your contract, it’s a positive sign that they’re committed to making this arrangement work.
Give your applicants time to review the agreement and follow up to see if they have any questions.
Note that these same practices apply if you’re using a commercial sublease agreement.
Download our Sublease
Agreement Form
Subletting can be a fantastic source of revenue. But it must be done correctly to avoid disputes with subtenants, agents, and landlords. That’s why we’ve created a compliant sublease agreement template for you to use with peace of mind.
Click below to access our sublease agreement sample
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ about our Sublease
Agreement Template
Lease agreements usually require tenants to seek permission from the landlord to sublet the premises. If you sublet without consent, then you’d be breaching the contract, which means the landlord has grounds to terminate your lease altogether.
To avoid these issues, always seek consent from landlords before subletting a property. Depending on your local tenancy laws, a landlord needs a good reason to deny your subletting request.
To avoid these issues, always seek consent from landlords before subletting a property. Depending on your local tenancy laws, a landlord needs a good reason to deny your subletting request.
Your security deposit for your lease will be held by your local council and will only be released when you reach the end of your contract. Your sublease agreement has no impact on your initial bond deposit.
If your subtenant has stopped paying their rent, then they are in breach of your sublease contract. As there’s a breach, you may have grounds to evict your subtenant following the correct protocols.
Before evicting your subtenant, take the time to understand their situation. It could be a technical problem with their bank, or maybe they still can pay the rent in a couple of days. These situations are not always black and white, and more often than not, it’s more cost-effective to keep subtenants than to go through the process of finding a new one.
Before evicting your subtenant, take the time to understand their situation. It could be a technical problem with their bank, or maybe they still can pay the rent in a couple of days. These situations are not always black and white, and more often than not, it’s more cost-effective to keep subtenants than to go through the process of finding a new one.
A landlord cannot evict a subtenant as they have no contractual arrangement. Only the master tenant can evict a subtenant through your state laws eviction process.
Yes, you certainly can! We’ve made the template available in Word and PDF file types to modify the document to your liking.
If you make significant changes to our template, we suggest you partner with a lawyer to make sure it’s still compliant.
If you make significant changes to our template, we suggest you partner with a lawyer to make sure it’s still compliant.
document preview
Sublease Agreement
Sublease Agreement
Parties
– This Sublease Contract Agreement (hereinafter referred to as the “Agreement”) is entered into on ______________ (the “Effective Date”), by and between __________________________, with an address of ______________ (hereinafter referred to as the “Subtenant”) and ______________ with an address of ______________ (hereinafter referred to as the “Sublessor”) (collectively referred to as the “Parties”).
Premises
– The premises that are to be subleased are located at (address) ______________.
Payment And Costs
– The monthly rent to be paid is ______________. It is to be paid before the first day of every month, so that the first rent payment is due on ______________.
– The method of payment preferred by both parties is ______________.
Utilities
– Hereby, both parties agree that the Subtenant is responsible for paying all the utilities or other charges associated with the Premises.
Deposit
– Prior to taking the occupancy of the premises, the Subtenant will pay the Sublessor an amount of ______________ as a security deposit to cover the cost of any damages suffered by the premises and cleaning. Such security deposit will be returned to the Subtenant upon the end of this Agreement, provided that the premises are left in the same condition as prior to the occupancy.
Insurance
– The Subtenant is to arrange renter’s insurance that meets the minimum standards required under the Sublessor’s original lease.
Term
– This Agreement shall be effective on the date of signing this Agreement (hereinafter referred to as the “Effective Date”) and will end on ______________.
– Upon the end of the term of the Agreement, this Agreement will not be automatically renewed for a new term.
Termination
– This Agreement may be terminated in case the following occurs:
- Immediately in case one of the Parties breaches this Agreement.
- At any given time by providing a written notice to the other party ______________ days prior to terminating the Agreement.
Dispute Resolution
– Any dispute or difference whatsoever arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be submitted to Arbitration/mediation/negotiation (circle one) in accordance with, and subject to the laws of ______________.
Governing Law
– This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of ______________.
Severability
– In the event that any provision of this Agreement is found to be void and unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, then the remaining provisions will remain in force in accordance with the Parties’ intention.
Entire Agreement
– This Agreement contains the entire agreement and understanding among the Parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersedes all prior agreements, understandings, inducements and conditions, express or implied, oral or written, of any nature whatsoever with respect to the subject matter hereof. The express terms hereof control and supersede any course of performance and/or usage of the trade inconsistent with any of the terms hereof.
Amendments
– The Parties agree that any amendments made to this Agreement must be in writing, where they must be signed by both Parties to this Agreement.
– Accordingly, any amendments made by the Parties will be applied to this Agreement.
Signature And Date
– The Parties hereby agree to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and such is demonstrated by their signatures below:
Subtenant
Name: ______________________
Signature: ___________________
Date: _______________________
Sublessor
Name: ______________________
Signature: ___________________
Date: _______________________
Related Proposals and Templates
Download our Sublease
Agreement Document
Subletting can be a fantastic source of revenue. But it must be done correctly to avoid disputes with subtenants, agents, and landlords. That’s why we’ve created a compliant sublease agreement template for you to use with peace of mind.
Click below to access our sublease agreement sample