Subleasing is very common in Gainesville. There are always students studying abroad, interning in a different city, graduating earlier than anticipated, or in some sort of unexpected scenario, who need someone to take over their lease! Subleasing is also an excellent route if you need a semester lease, as a lot of student apartments in Gainesville don't offer lease terms shorter than 12 months. Another benefit of subleasing is the opportunity to sign for a room at a lower price than the current market price, which is typical if the individual has lived there for a couple of years and therefore has a lower rate than current rates.
If you're considering subleasing and need some guidance on the process and best practices, you've come to the right place!
First steps towards subleasing
Lucky for you, the Swamp Rentals team has built a one-stop shop for help with finding a room to sublease. Our Facebook group,
UF Subleases and Roommate Search? University of Florida, is a great place to scroll and see your options for rooms available to sublease.When narrowing down your options, consider factors such as price, floorplan, distance to campus, and much more just like you would when leasing normally. Once you find a couple of options that are in your budget and meet your preferences, Facebook messenger will become your best friend! Message the person subleasing their room and ask any questions you're wondering. Here are some examples of good questions to be asking…
- Is this apartment all females, all males, or co-ed? (Typically, leasing offices only allow people to sublease to individuals of the same sex unless they have written permission from roommates that they are ok with co-ed living).
- Can you tell me about your roommate's lifestyles? How clean are they? Do they have friends over a lot?
- What does your rent include? If utilities aren't included, what's your average utility bill each month?
- Is parking included? Is there covered parking? Do you ever have trouble finding parking?
- What are the fees involved that I'll be paying on my end for subleasing?
Deciding on & signing a sublease agreement
- If you find a sublease you feel is a good match, we recommend visiting the apartment in person to ensure the photos of the room aren't misleading. People typically set up a time between the two of them to visit, but it's also an option to schedule a tour through the leasing office to get a tour of the whole community if you want more in-depth information! Additionally, a lot of people will just FaceTime to check out the apartment.
- Once you've decided you want to take over the lease, get ready for some paperwork! Make sure the sublease will be processed and contractually approved through the leasing office. Going through these proper channels ensures you're locked into the room at the correct rate.
- Be prepared for some application fees and other leasing fees. A benefit of subleasing is the original leaseholder already paid all the typical move-in fees, so you won't be responsible for those, but there are normally at least a couple of fees still in place to process your application and secure your spot.
Preparing for move-in
- One major aspect to note about subleasing is taking an apartment as-is. Most apartment complexes don't "turn" units before subleases move in, meaning you sign to take the room as-is and understand that the room won't be cleaned, painted, or looked at before you take over the lease. Be prepared to do some cleaning on move-in day and potentially run into a couple of hiccups, as maintenance staff doesn't check the apartment for maintenance issues before you take over either.
- Once the sublease contract is signed and approved, ask for the roommate's contact information! It's always a good idea to get in touch prior to move-in to introduce yourself and discuss the shared living spaces. For example, do I need to bring my own pots and pans, or do you guys share kitchen supplies? Can I bring my TV for the living room or is there already one there?