Sublease agreement template
A sublease agreement lets a tenant rent all or part of their home to someone else, the subtenant, while the tenant's own lease with the landlord stays in place. This template covers the dates, rent, deposit and furniture, binds the subtenant to the original lease's rules, and ends with the landlord's written consent. Read it below, then open it in SignMaster and send it to all three signers.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 3 min read
The contract
Gray blanks are yours to fill in before you send. Each signer fills in the blanks in their color.
- You, before sending
- Subtenant
- Tenant
- Landlord
Sublease Agreement
This Sublease Agreement (the "Sublease") is made on Sublease date between Tenant name (the "Tenant") and Subtenant name (the "Subtenant"), with the consent of Landlord name (the "Landlord").
1. The space
The Tenant rents the following space at Rental address under a lease with the Landlord dated Original lease date (the "Original Lease"). The Tenant subleases to the Subtenant: Space subleased, with shared use of Shared areas.
2. Term
The Sublease begins on Sublease start date and ends on Sublease end date. It ends earlier if the Original Lease ends for any reason, and the Tenant will tell the Subtenant immediately if that may happen. The Subtenant will move out by the end date; staying longer requires a new written agreement signed by all three parties.
3. Rent
The Subtenant will pay Monthly rent a month, due on the Rent due day of each month, to Rent payment details. Rent more than five days late carries a late fee of Late fee. The Tenant will keep paying the Landlord the rent due under the Original Lease and will tell the Subtenant at once if the Landlord gives notice of any default.
4. Deposit
The Subtenant will pay the Tenant a deposit of Sublease deposit before moving in. Within Days to return the deposit days after the Subtenant moves out, the Tenant will return it, less unpaid rent and the cost of repairing damage the Subtenant or their guests caused beyond normal wear, with a written list of any deductions. The Tenant's own deposit with the Landlord is not affected by this Sublease.
5. The Original Lease
A copy of the Original Lease, with the rent amount optionally blacked out, is attached. The Subtenant has read it and will follow every rule in it that applies to the space and the people living there, including those on pets, smoking, noise, guests, parking and use of common areas. The Subtenant will not do anything that would put the Tenant in breach of the Original Lease, and may not sublease further or let anyone else move in.
6. Utilities and belongings
Utilities and services are divided as follows: Utilities split. The Tenant's furniture and belongings left in the space, and their condition, are: Inventory of belongings. The Subtenant will use them with care and leave them in the same condition, except for normal wear.
7. Condition and responsibility
The Subtenant accepts the space in its current condition and will report needed repairs to the Tenant promptly, who will pass them to the Landlord. The Subtenant is responsible to the Tenant for rent and for damage the Subtenant or their guests cause. The Tenant remains fully responsible to the Landlord under the Original Lease. At the end of the Sublease, the Subtenant will leave the space clean, remove their belongings and return all keys to the Tenant.
8. General terms
This Sublease is governed by the laws of the state where the space is located. It is the entire agreement between the Tenant and the Subtenant, can be changed only in writing signed by both, and may be signed electronically. It takes effect only when the Landlord signs the consent below.
Subtenant phone: Subtenant phone Email: Subtenant email
I have read this Sublease and the attached Original Lease, and I agree to follow the Original Lease's rules.
Subtenant
Tenant
Landlord's consent
The Landlord consents to this Sublease. This consent does not release the Tenant from any obligation under the Original Lease, does not create a lease between the Landlord and the Subtenant, and is not consent to any other sublease or assignment.
Landlord or authorized agent
Opens it in SignMaster as a template you can edit and send.
A starting point, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review it for your state and situation.
On this page
How a sublease works
The original tenant becomes a landlord of sorts: the subtenant pays rent to them, and they keep paying the landlord. The original lease doesn't go away. If the subtenant stops paying or damages the place, the landlord still looks to the original tenant, which is why a clear sublease, and a deposit, matter more to the tenant than to anyone else.
Common reasons to sublease: a summer internship, a semester abroad, a work posting, or a roommate taking over a room. If the tenant is leaving for good and the landlord agrees to release them, a lease assignment or a new lease for the incoming tenant is usually cleaner than a sublease.
What's in the sublease
- The three parties: the tenant subleasing, the subtenant moving in, and the landlord giving consent.
- The space: the whole unit or a named room, plus shared areas the subtenant can use.
- Dates: a start and end date that fall inside the original lease's term.
- Rent and deposit: what the subtenant pays, to whom, by when, and the deposit held by the tenant.
- The original lease: attached, with the subtenant agreeing to follow its rules on pets, noise, guests and smoking.
- Utilities and furniture: who pays which bills, and an inventory of the tenant's belongings left in the unit.
- Responsibility: the tenant stays responsible to the landlord; the subtenant is responsible to the tenant for damage and rent.
- Landlord's consent: a signed section in which the landlord approves the sublease without changing the original lease.
Sublease mistakes
- Subleasing without consent. Most leases require the landlord's written approval, and some states let landlords refuse; an unapproved sublease can be grounds to end the original lease.
- Running past the original lease's end date. The tenant can't give the subtenant more time than they have themselves.
- Charging more than the lease allows. Some leases and some cities limit what a tenant can charge a subtenant.
- No inventory. If you leave a couch and a TV behind, list them with their condition, or prove nothing when one comes back broken.
Three signatures in one envelope
- 1
Open the template
Choose Use this template above. It's saved with three signers in order: the subtenant, then you as the tenant, then the landlord.
- 2
Attach the original lease
Start an envelope and add a copy of your lease as a second document, then fill in the gray blanks: the space, dates, rent, deposit and utilities.
- 3
Let each party sign in turn
The subtenant signs first and adds their contact details. You sign next. The landlord signs last in the consent section, so they approve the final version both of you agreed to. A signing order handles the sequence.
- 4
Everyone keeps the same copy
When the landlord signs, all three of you get the signed PDF and its certificate of completion, so there's one version of who agreed to what.
Property managers who allow subletting can keep this template on hand and send it each time a tenant asks. For student housing that sees dozens of summer sublets, bulk send works from a spreadsheet with one row per unit and columns like Sublease start date and Monthly rent, with each tenant, subtenant and the manager signing their own copy.
Questions? Answers.
Is subleasing legal?
Usually, if the original lease allows it or the landlord consents. Some states and cities give tenants a right to sublease with reasonable consent, others let the lease forbid it. Read your lease first.
Who is responsible if the subtenant doesn't pay?
The original tenant, to the landlord. The subtenant owes the tenant under the sublease, so the tenant can pursue them, but the landlord's rent is still due.
Does the landlord have to sign the sublease?
When the lease requires consent, getting it in writing on the sublease itself is the safest way. This template includes a landlord consent section and signature.
Can the sublease be for just one room?
Yes. Describe the room and the shared areas in section 1, and the rest of the template works the same way.