5 Reasons Subletting Your Apartment is a Bad Idea

Subletting your apartment is risky business. That risk is compounded when you sublet to strangers who respond to your ad on the Internet or locally. Some tenants want to sublet to avoid paying rent on a vacant apartment, or as a way to earn extra cash. However, there are 5 reasons why subletting your apartment is a bad idea.

1. Trashed Apartment

Even the best screening in the world won’t tell you whether the person you sublet to you will trash your apartment in the end. Many tenants have fallen prey to a decent sounding and looking stranger or friend, who agreed on paper not to damage the apartment. However, when that person moves out, they leave your apartment in a mess that must be cleaned up, out of spite or laziness. It’s not so bad when there’s only dirt to clean. It’s a problem when you have to pay for actual damages to appliances that belong to the landlord, fixtures, apartment walls and floors. Subletting any apartment has this risk associated with it, making it a bad idea in some cases.

2. Theft

You also risk your personal belongings being stolen from you while you’re away. Unless you’re willing to part ways with certain items, you should store those items in a self-storage facility, or somewhere else while you’re gone. However, you’ll have to pay for extra storage, and this may not make subletting worthwhile.

3. Apartment Takeover

Some people want to sublease in order to takeover an apartment. They find tenants who are subletting the apartment they want, sign a sublease agreement and find a way to take over the apartment while the tenant is gone. This practice is more common than you might think. It’s a form of theft that’s worse than stealing someone’s personal belongings. If you’re living close by to the apartment and can check in or keep in reasonable touch with the landlord, then this may not be an issue. However, if you’ve moved away to another country, then you’re at risk of losing your place to an apartment takeover.

4. Harmed Relationships with Neighbors

You really don’t know how subletting your apartment will work out in regards to its affects on your neighbors. If you’ve worked hard to build positive relationships with other tenants, and you want to keep it that way, subletting your apartment is a bad idea. The person you sublease to may be a noise nuisance, rude or engage in activities that puts everyone else on edge.

5. Non-Payment of Rent

There’s always the risk that the person you sublet to won’t pay any rent. Even friends fail to pay rent to one another in a sublease arrangement, but it’s a higher risk when you’re dealing with someone you don’t know. As a result, the landlord can file an evictions lawsuit against you, evict you, and sue you for back rent and legal fees.

Subletting your apartment can be a bad idea for these reasons.