What is the difference between subletting and reletting my off-campus apartment in Clemson?

Are you not returning to your Clemson off-campus apartment next semester? Whether it be for study abroad, graduation, or another reason, you have some options! Considering many student housing options offer individual leases, you are able to make decisions for just your room, not the entire apartment. To make the best decision for you and your situation, two choices you have are subletting or reletting. There are lots of factors to consider with both options, some of which are listed below.

What is subletting?

If you choose to sublet, this means that you have found someone else to live in your apartment for the duration of your time away. You do not have to pay any of the rent, utilities, or other fees included in your lease during this time as long as your subleaser keeps up with their payments. It is their responsibility to pay the bills on time, but in case they do not, your landlord will expect you to make up for it given that your name is still attached to the lease. This also applies to any damage that the subleaser causes while you are not there. In these situations, the landlord may seek to pursue legal action against you.

What is reletting?

Reletting your off-campus housing near Clemson campus occurs when you find someone to take over your lease completely. This means that your previously existing lease no longer exists because the landlord created a whole new contract for the new tenant to sign. If this new tenant forgets to pay their rent or something breaks during their time living there, they will be held responsible for it, not you. This is a major difference between subletting and reletting.

How to decide if you should sublet or relet your Clemson apartment?

Understanding what each option is, it is time to weigh their costs and benefits. To start, it is important to read over your lease and talk with your housing community or landlord to make sure that they are aware of this process. In certain housing situations, subletting your apartment may not be an option for security reasons.

The length of time you are going to be away from your Clemson apartment also matters. If you are only away for a couple of months, such as for a semester abroad, you may choose to sublease. You may be able to get an International student who is studying abroad to sublease from you! By subleasing, this means that once you are ready to move back in, your apartment will still be available to you as long as your sublease agreement has expired. This can simplify the transition back to Tigertown, and you'll be ready to get right back into cheering your team on in Memorial Stadium.

If you do not plan on returning to your apartment, such as if you are graduating in the winter but your lease ends in the summer, you may choose to relet your apartment near Clemson. Choosing to relet your apartment gives you one less thing to worry about after you have moved out, as it serves as a clean break. However, keep in mind that if your housing community has not found anyone to relet your apartment, you will still have to make rent payments. 

With all of this information, you can now make a decision about your Clemson apartment that you feel good about! Make sure to check out different Clemson social media groups and ask your apartment community to add you to a subleasing list if they have one!

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