3 Things to Look for in a Sublet
Housing can be one of the most stressful (and expensive) aspects of college. Sometimes living with your best friend doesn’t work out or your work order for the leaking pipe was never put through to maintenance. Often, students find themselves between leases during the summer and without a place to stay.
Instead of uprooting your life at school and moving back home for the summer, look for a sublet you can stay in during the summer while you are in between leases. When looking for a sublet, you should consider the following things to make your sublet experience as easy as possible.
Pricing
Depending on how you are looking for a sublet, the pricing can vary drastically. If you are subleasing from a close friend or an acquaintance, they may drop their intended price because they both trust you and know you. If you are subleasing from someone you found through a Facebook page or Craigslist, chances are negotiations for pricing may be harder for you.
When you start your search for a sublet, figure out how much you are willing to pay by looking at your budget and what you want in a sublet. If you want to be close to campus or a bus stop, you may be willing to pay for convenience. If you just care about having a roof over your head with running water, you may be looking to spend as little money as possible for your summer living space.
Some people will barely drop their asking price from the full amount of rent, saying that they would like to limit the amount of money they are losing out on from not living in the apartment or house themselves. If they continue to ask for a high price, look elsewhere — if you are looking to sublease in a college town there will be plenty of students subleasing their places for summer.
As the summer goes on, people often continue to drop the price they are asking for as their desperation grows. If possible, wait out deciding on a sublease until you are almost completely satisfied with the sublet terms, pricing included.
Accessible amenities
Ask a potential subletter what is included. Is there a washer and dryer in the housing unit, or is it somewhere else in the housing community that you are still able to access? Can you expect to have free parking all the time or do you need to purchase a parking permit to bring your car to your new location?
Another great thing to ask for is if an AC unit is accessible, especially if you are subleasing during the summer and cannot stand hot weather.
House conditions and roommates
If possible, try to visit the living space you are considering as a sublet. It is one thing to hear about the living space or see pictures, but it may be completely different when you see it yourself. Check to see if you’re going to have to be dealing with any pest issues — something that renters may hide from you in their desperation to find a subtenant for the summer. If the apartment looks extremely cluttered and dirty when you go to inspect it, chances are that it is like that all the time and the roommates that you may or may not live with could be the reason behind the mess.
When inspecting the apartment, try to see if you could also meet the roommates you will be living with. Sometimes only one person out of an entire apartment will sublease and you will only be taking over temporarily. The other tenants may have been living together for an entire year, or more, and it’s a good idea to figure out their personalities or if there are any pre-existing policies set between the roommates and if you are expected to follow them as a subtenant.
There may be policies on guests, partying, cleaning, etc. Figure out what is expected of you as a temporary roommate and also wh
at you can expect yourself. You don’t want to go through with subleasing the space only to discover that the roommates throw house parties once a week and expect you to help clean after every single one.
It is also a good idea to ask if the apartment will come furnished. Depending on if it’s your first apartment, you may have plenty of belongings and furniture to occupy space or none at all. If the person you are subleasing from only plans on subleasing for the summer or just a month, there is a chance that they may leave their personal belongings and furniture in the space. It’s good if you don’t want to bring any of your stuff, but not ideal if you have no other place to temporarily store your belongings.
Follow Uloop
Apply to Write for Uloop News
Join the Uloop News TeamDiscuss This Article
More Uloop Campus Life Articles
- Is Group Studying More Effective?
- What You Need to Know About Moving Mid-Semester
- Dos and Don'ts for the Night Before Midterms
- How To Decorate Your Apartment Walls
TRUMAN MEDICAL CENTER SCHOOL OF NURSE ANESTHESIA HOUSING LISTINGS
See all TRUMAN MEDICAL CENTER SCHOOL OF NURSE ANESTHESIA Housing ListingsTRUMAN MEDICAL CENTER SCHOOL OF NURSE ANESTHESIA Housing Listings
WRITE FOR ULOOP
Apply to Write for Uloop NewsGET TOP STORIES DELIVERED WEEKLY
TOP COLLEGE NEWS
TOP TRUMAN MEDICAL CENTER SCHOOL OF NURSE ANESTHESIA Campus Life Q&A
BROWSE OTHER COLLEGES
- By CollegeUniversity of MissouriWashington University in St LouisUniversity of Missouri-St LouisMissouri State UniversityWebster UniversityUniversity of Central MissouriColumbia CollegeUniversity of Missouri - Kansas CityPark UniversitySaint Louis UniversityA.T. Still UniversityTruman State UniversityOzark Christian CollegeCulver-Stockton CollegeAvila UniversityCentral Methodist UniversityCollege of the OzarksDrury UniversityEvangel UniversityFontbonne UniversityGrantham UniversityHannibal-Lagrange CollegeHarris-Stowe State UniversityLincoln University of MissouriLindenwood UniversityLogan UniversityMaryville University of Saint LouisMissouri Baptist UniversityMissouri Southern State UniversityMissouri Valley CollegeMissouri Western State UniversityNorthwest Missouri State UniversityRanken Technical CollegeRockhurst UniversitySoutheast Missouri State UniversitySouthwest Baptist UniversitySt Louis College of PharmacyMissouri University of Science and TechnologyWilliam Jewell CollegeWilliam Woods UniversityUniversity of Central MissouriEden Theological SeminarySt. Louis Community CollegeSt. Charles Community CollegeAquinas Institute of TheologyMetropolitan Community CollegeMissouri TechThe School of Professional Psychology at Forest InstituteStephens CollegeCottey College Crowder College Jefferson College Metropolitan Community College-Maple WoodsMetropolitan Community College-Penn ValleyMissouri State University-West PlainsMoberly Area Community College North Central Missouri College Ozarks Technical Community CollegeState Fair Community College State Technical College of MissouriAmerican Trade SchoolAssemblies of God Theological SeminaryAviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas CityBaptist Bible CollegeBarnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of NursingBrown Mackie College-St LouisCalvary Bible College and Theological SeminaryCape Girardeau Career and Technology CenterCarthage R9 School District-Carthage Technical CenterCass Career CenterCentral Christian College of the BibleCentral College of CosmetologyChillicothe Beauty Academy IncCity Pointe Beauty AcademyCity Vision CollegeClinton Technical SchoolColumbia Area Career CenterConception Seminary CollegeConcorde Career College-Kansas CityConcordia SeminaryCosmetology College of Franklin CountyDeVry University-MissourieClips School of Cosmetology and BarberingElaine Steven Beauty CollegeEverest College-Earth CityEverest College-Kansas CityFour Rivers Career CenterGraceland University - IndependenceHickey CollegeHillyard Technical CenterHouse of Heavilin Beauty College-Blue SpringsHouse of Heavilin Beauty College-Kansas CityHouse of Heavilin Beauty College-RaymoreIndependence College of CosmetologyITT Technical Institute-ArnoldITT Technical Institute-Kansas CityKansas City Art InstituteKansas City University of Medicine and BiosciencesKenrick Glennon SeminaryLake Career and Technical CenterLester E Cox Medical Center-School of Medical TechnologyLex La-Ray Technical CenterLutheran School of NursingMerrell University of Beauty Arts and ScienceMetro Business College-RollaMidwestern Baptist Theological SeminaryMissouri College of Cosmetology NorthNational Academy of Beauty Arts-FarmingtonNational Academy of Beauty Arts-St LouisNational American University-IndependenceNational American University-Zona RosaNazarene Theological SeminaryNeosho Beauty CollegeNew Dimensions School of Hair DesignNorthland Career CenterPaul Mitchell the School-Missouri ColumbiaPike-Lincoln Technical CenterPinnacle Career Institute-South Kansas CityPoplar Bluff Technical Career CenterProfessional Massage Training CenterRegency Beauty Institute-IndependenceResearch College of NursingSaint Louis Christian CollegeSaline County Career CenterSanford-Brown College-FentonSeymour Beauty AcademySikeston Career and Technology CenterSkin InstituteSoutheast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health SciencesSt Louis Hair AcademyStevens-The Institute of Business & ArtsTexas County Technical CollegeTransformed Barber and Cosmetology AcademyTrend Setters School of CosmetologyTruman Medical Center School of Nurse AnesthesiaUniversity of Phoenix-MissouriUrshan Graduate School of TheologyVatterott College-St JosephWaynesville Career CenterWellSpring School of Allied Health-Kansas CityWentworth Military Academy and College
- By State
- By City