Summer plans vary for every student. The three-month period of freedom from academic responsibility is usually replaced by work, travel or complete relaxation. For convenience purposes, the students who plan on leaving town for the break should not be afraid to consider subletting their apartment to save some money.
Some college students decide to leave town for the summer to visit their family, study abroad or travel. Instead of continuing to pay for a place that will remain dark and empty while gone, they should consider the possibility of subletting their space.
Subleasing an apartment is proven to have many benefits, making it worth the extra work. One of the main benefits eliminates the load of paying for an unoccupied space.
According to market trends, the average rent for an apartment of any given size in San Marcos is $1,429. The price of rent varies for location, layout and size. Rent is just one of the many expenses that creates an unhealthy dent in college students’ bank accounts every month.
In subletting an apartment or room for the summer, someone else will be paying 70-80 percent of the rent while the original renter is away, which is more than ideal.
In addition to extra rent money, subleasing an apartment could genuinely help a person in need of a place to stay. Understandably, the idea of letting a stranger live unsupervised in a personal and private space may seem scary, but ultimately the rewards can balance out the risks and serve as an opportunity to help someone temporarily displaced.
For example, freshman students on campus must move out of the dorms 24 hours after their last final exam. Unless these students plan on going back home immediately, they may have no where to live and will have to sublease an apartment or find other accommodations.
The process for subleasing an apartment is tedious and requires genuine time and attention. Depending on whether there are other roommates to consider in the decision, the first thing needing to be done is advertise the property. Chances are, finding the ideal subtenant will be the longest part of the process.
Social media is a great source for sharing sublease information to local students or residents. Twitter and Facebook currently have public accounts for sharing available apartment subleases to the San Marcos area and Texas State students.
Additionally, creating fliers to post around town is a fast and convenient way to get all the specifics of the subleased apartment into someone’s hands. Otherwise, there are various ways to list an apartment online to a broader audience.
Trusting a stranger to respect an environment not their own can be a difficult concept, but it should not be the main reason preventing someone from subleasing. Asking friends and close connections if they know of anyone looking for a temporary place to stay should be a priority so the chances of the subtenant being a complete stranger are minimized.
Although there are benefits to college students subleasing rooms for the summer, many risks and concerns may be involved. There is the possibility of the subtenant damaging property, stealing or breaking terms of the agreement. The temporary renter could miss payment deadlines or not pay at all.
There are many possible dangers in subleasing, but can be prevented by conducting a thorough interview with the subtenant and regularly checking in during their stay.
Subleasing an apartment is not comparable to letting a friend borrow a prized possession. It is a serious decision and should be approached with knowledge, permission and precaution.
College students struggle the most with financially stability, so this alternative to paying the rent for an unused apartment is worth considering.
Subleasing an apartment for the summer is not guaranteed to run smoothly and the process can be time consuming. However, students who may need the extra help with rent money should feel encouraged to take on the risk.