What is a sublease agreement?
A sublease lets a tenant rent out the place they rent — the whole of it while they travel or work away, or a room to cover part of the rent. The tenant stays on the hook to the landlord under the original lease, so a good sublease does two jobs: it makes the subtenant follow the original lease's rules, and it records the landlord's consent, which most leases require before any subletting.
This template is signed by three people. The tenant and subtenant agree what is sublet (the whole property or a described part), the furnishing and a condition record at the start, dates that finish before the original lease does, the rent and whether it is paid to the tenant or straight to the landlord, an optional deposit, and the bills. The subtenant agrees to follow the original lease's rules on use, pets, noise and access, and not to sublet further. A separate landlord's consent section, with its own signature, confirms the landlord agrees while making clear the tenant remains responsible and no direct tenancy is created unless the law says otherwise.
- Best for
- Tenants subletting a home, room or business premises with the landlord's consent
- Signed by
- The tenant and the subtenant, plus the landlord to consent
- Rent paid
- To the tenant, or directly to the landlord on the tenant's behalf
- Length
- About 3 pages, initialled by tenant and subtenant
When to Use a sublease agreement
- Subletting an apartment for a summer or a work placement abroad
- Renting a spare room to cover part of the rent
- A student subletting over the holidays
- A business subletting part of its office space to another company
- Covering the last months of a lease after moving out early
What You Fill In
23 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: tenant, subtenant, landlord.
1 The parties
- Date of the agreement*
- Tenant*
- Tenant's address or email for notices*
- Subtenant*
- Landlord*
2 The property
- Address of the property*
- What is sublet* the whole property · part of the property, described below
- Which part
- Furnishing* furnished, with the Tenant's furniture listed in the attached inventory · part-furnished · unfurnished
3 The original lease
- Date of the original lease*
- Original lease ends*
4 Term
- Sublease starts*
- Sublease ends*
5 Rent and deposit
- Currency*
- Rent*
- Rent period* per month · per week
- Rent is due on*
- Who receives the rent* to the Tenant · directly to the Landlord, on the Tenant's behalf
- Payment method
- Deposit paid by the Subtenant
6 Bills and rules
- Bills*
- Other terms
- Governing law*
7 Who signs
- Tenant signature and date, initials on every page · The current tenant under the original lease, who is subletting.
- Subtenant signature and date, initials on every page · The person or business moving in under the sublease.
- Landlord signature and date, job title, initials on every page · The owner under the original lease, who signs to consent.
What the sublease agreement Covers
- What is sublet
- Term
- Rent
- Deposit
- Bills
- The Original Lease
- Ending the sublease
- General
- Landlord's consent
Using the sublease agreement, step by step
1 Name all three parties
Enter the tenant, subtenant and landlord, and an address or email where the subtenant can reach the tenant once they have moved out.
2 Describe what is sublet
Choose the whole property or part of it and describe the part, such as the back bedroom with shared use of the kitchen. Enter the date and end date of the original lease — the sublease must end before it does.
3 Set the term, rent and deposit
Enter the sublease dates, the rent and when it is due, and whether the subtenant pays you or the landlord directly. Add a deposit if you take one, and describe how bills are shared.
4 Send to all three signers
Add any other terms, such as house rules, the governing law, and the subtenant's and landlord's emails. The tenant and subtenant sign the sublease and the landlord signs the consent section below it.
Tips Before You Send It
- Read your own lease first: most require the landlord's written consent to sublet, and subletting without it can be a breach.
- Give the subtenant a copy of the original lease — you may hide the financial details.
- Take dated photos of the property and your belongings before the subtenant moves in.
- Keep paying your own rent on time; you remain responsible to the landlord whatever the subtenant does.
Sign It Online In Minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. VergeHR builds the PDF with every signature, date and initials box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in Files and emailed to everyone.
Sublease agreement: frequently asked questions
Is a sublease the same as a lease assignment?
No. In a sublease the original tenant keeps the lease and becomes a kind of landlord to the subtenant for part of the term. In an assignment the tenant hands the whole lease to someone else and steps out. If you are leaving for good, a lease assignment is usually the better fit.
Does the landlord's consent release the tenant?
No. The consent section says the tenant stays fully responsible under the original lease, including for the rent and the subtenant's conduct, and that no direct tenancy between the landlord and subtenant is created unless the law provides otherwise.
What happens if the original lease ends early?
The sublease ends at the same time. The tenant must tell the subtenant as soon as they know.
Is an electronically signed sublease valid?
Electronic signatures are generally valid for ordinary rental agreements in the US (ESIGN Act and UETA), the UK, the EU (eIDAS) and Canada. VergeHR collects all three signatures and keeps an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion with the signed PDF.