Free Sublease Agreement Template
Sublet the whole place or one room, with the parts a generic template leaves out: the sublease sits under your original lease, it cannot outlive it, you stay liable to your landlord — and the landlord gets somewhere to sign. Download Word & PDF, generated on your device.
- Free
- No signup
- Word & PDF
- Landlord consent block
How it works
- 01 Whole place or one room
Pick which, and name the shared areas if it is a room.
- 02 Tie it to the original lease
Dates of the master lease, so the sublease cannot outlive it.
- 03 Set rent, deposit and utilities
Who the rent goes to, what the deposit is, which bills are included.
- 04 Download Word & PDF
With a consent block for the landlord to sign at the end.
FAQ
Sublease questions
- Do I need my landlord’s permission to sublet?
- Almost always, yes. Most residential leases either prohibit subletting outright or allow it only with the landlord’s prior written consent, and subletting without a required consent is usually a breach of the lease — which can put both your tenancy and your subtenant’s occupancy at risk. Read the subletting clause in your lease first. This agreement is written so that it does not take effect until that consent is given, and it ends with a block for the landlord to sign.
- What is the difference between a sublease and an assignment?
- In a sublease you stay the tenant: the landlord’s lease is still with you, and you become the landlord of your subtenant. In an assignment you hand the whole lease over and step out, and the new tenant deals with the landlord directly. Subleasing is the common arrangement for a semester abroad or a few months away; assignment usually needs the landlord to agree to release you, which is a bigger ask.
- Am I still responsible if my subtenant does not pay?
- Yes. That is the single most misunderstood thing about subletting. Subletting does not move your obligations to someone else — you remain fully liable to your landlord for the rent, for damage and for everything else in the original lease, including things your subtenant does. That is why this agreement spells it out in its own clause, and gives you the right to recover from the subtenant anything you lose because of them.
- Can the sublease run longer than my own lease?
- No. You cannot give away more than you hold. The sublease ends no later than the day your own lease ends, and it ends automatically if your lease ends early for any reason. The generator asks for the master lease end date and writes that ceiling into the document.
- Can I charge my subtenant more than I pay?
- Sometimes, and sometimes not. Some leases forbid it, and in rent-regulated housing charging above your own rent — or above a permitted surcharge — can be a serious violation with penalties attached. Check your lease and, if the unit is rent-regulated, the local rules, before you set a number.
- Should I collect a security deposit from my subtenant?
- It is common, and this agreement includes it. Keep it separate from whatever deposit your landlord already holds from you, and return it on the timetable your state sets for deposits, with an itemized statement of anything you deduct. The state guides on this site cite those deadlines for California, Texas and Florida.
- Is this legal advice?
- No. Free Contract Generator provides self-help templates and general information, not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created. Subletting rules are state- and city-specific and your own lease controls; consult a licensed attorney for advice about your situation.