Definition of "Sublease"

Pam  Gabriel real estate agent

Written by

Pam Gabrielelite badge icon

RE/MAX Lakefront Realty Inc

If you came here looking for the Sublease definition, chances are that you know what it means, but you need more information about it, with scenarios and facts to better grasp it. That’s why we’re here!

The obvious and stiff sublease definition is that of a lease agreement between the lessee of an original lease, and a new lessee. For example: John signs a lease for an apartment with its owner Brian that allows John to sublease it to another person if desired. John unexpectedly is offered a position in Europe and, whether out of fear of not liking it and deciding to get back or because his bilateral contract with Brian would require him to pay off a large early termination fee he is not willing to pay – John decides to sublease the apartment for the remaining term of the original lease to a friend called Regina.

The thing is: the sublease represents the agreement between John and Regina. Brian, the original lessor, is *not* a party to the sublease. Any dispute between owner Brian and lessee John typically cannot be passed on to lessee Regina, just like any dispute between Regina and John cannot be passed on to its owner Brian. Because of that confusion and lack of accountability, most renters frown upon and do not accept any subleases to their properties.

A sublease is not illegal. Actually; it’s not a matter of being legal or illegal – it’s up to whoever is the real estate owner to tell them how their home is to be used. However, because of shared responsibilities, there are some cases where, even if the homeowner is fine with a sublease, he or she might not go forward with the idea because the Homeowner’s Association (HOA) does not permit subleasing – typically over claims that the lack of accountability and control that subleases provide produces instability, lack of safety, and, ultimately, devalues the properties within the Homeowner’s Association.

Real Estate tips:

How about that sublease definition? Now you got a better grasp at it, right? We’ll bet you a real estate agent can bring even more insight into that; contact one now!

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

A gift by will of real property. Absolute legasy: An unconditional and immediate gift. Conditional legasy: The bequest of a gift depends on the occurrence of something happening. For ...

A caveat vendor is a legal principle where the seller is legally responsible for warranting the quality and suitability to task of the item purchased. ...

When a property owner defaults on his or her tax payments, the taxing jurisdiction may force a liquidation of the property or tax sale for the purpose of collecting the owed real estate ...

Supports a structure. ...

Interest rate on a mortgage is changed periodically based on the change in a general price index to take into account inflation, such as a yearly adjustment. An example is the consumer ...

A financial obligation comes in several ways. In general terms, the meaning of liability refers to the amount of money an individual or company owes to a lender. We define the party holding ...

(1) Distribution channel through which originating mortgage lenders distribute mortgages to the Secondary Mortgage Market. Those purchasing mortgages distributed through the conduit ...

Method of constructing a brick, block, or stone wall using mortar in various overlapping patterns. The brick pattern is extremely important in terms of adding strength and stability to the ...

The two terms used to describe professionals in the real estate industry are “realtor” and “real estate agent”. These two terms are used interchangeably or as ...

Popular Real Estate Questions