What does subletting mean?
Subletting is the act of renting out space or property that you are yourself renting. A tenant might sublet an apartment during a long absence, or rent out a spare room while continuing to live there. This creates an additional agreement: the original tenant becomes a sublessor, while the person receiving the space becomes a subtenant. The arrangement is commonly governed by the original lease, which may require the landlord’s permission and can limit the subtenant’s rights. In informal contexts, “sublet” is also often used as a verb for the same process: “They sublet the room for the summer.” The word is useful because it distinguishes renting out a property you do not own from the ordinary act of letting property to a tenant. Legal requirements vary by jurisdiction and by the terms of the relevant lease.
verbTo rent out a property or part of a property that one is already renting under a lease. The person doing this is a sublessor, and the person receiving the sublease is a subtenant.
- To rent out property that the speaker is already entitled to occupy under a lease.
"She sublet her apartment for the summer while she was working abroad."
"They sublet the spare room to a visiting researcher."
"The tenant asked the landlord for permission to sublet the flat."
Subletting turns a temporary tenant into a temporary landlord, creating a second rental arrangement beneath the original lease.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does subletting come from?
Subletting is formed from the prefix sub-, meaning under or beneath, and let, in the sense of renting property. The underlying verb let comes from Old English lǣtan, meaning to leave or permit, and developed into the modern sense of granting temporary use in return for payment. The prefixed form sublet arose as a way of describing an arrangement made by someone who was not the property’s owner but held a lease on it.
Related word forms
How subletting is actually used
In legal and tenancy contexts, subletting may require the landlord's written consent, depending on the lease and local law. The term is also used more broadly for transferring temporary use of space, such as a desk or room.
Easily confused with subletting
Letting generally means renting a property to a tenant, whereas subletting means renting out property that the landlord has already leased to you.