When you sign a year-long lease agreement, you can’t always predict when you’ll be away from your apartment, or for how long. Your job, travel, family needs, or education might lead you to be away from home for a temporary but extended period.

Whether the reason is a matter of choice or necessity, it can be hard to figure out how you’ll cover rent payments while you’re gone. In situations like these, some people choose to sublet their rentals to help make ends meet.

Still, it can be easier said than done. The stress of looking for a subletter in Seattle might leave you sleepless, but it doesn’t have to. To help you get started, here’s a rundown on what to know about subletting in Seattle from

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Is subletting legal in Seattle?

It depends. In Washington, laws regarding subletting are sparse, which essentially means whether you’re allowed to sublet comes down to what’s in your rental agreement.

It’s common for lease agreements to allow subletting, but only with landlord approval. If your lease agreement forbids subletting, you won’t be able to sublet. If your lease agreement says nothing about subletting, you might be able to assume they’re allowed, but it’s still a good idea to get your landlord’s permission first.

Can my landlord reject my sublet tenant?

Landlords can accept or decline subletting requests, but if they decline, there has to be a plausible, business-related reason for doing so. Examples of this might include financial risk if there’s little evidence to prove a subtenant’s financial responsibility or the nature of the space’s use during the term of the sublease.

It’s important to remember that the

Federal Fair Housing Act

applies here, meaning people seeking housing cannot be denied housing based on their race, skin color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability. If your landlord approved a sublease but rejected a subtenant for any of these factors, it likely wouldn’t hold up in court.

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How to sublet an apartment in Seattle

Here are some general steps you can take to make easier work of finding a subletter for your Seattle apartment.

Get your landlord’s approval

Even if it’s not required in your case, you’ll still ideally want your landlord’s approval to sublet in writing.

It’s a good idea to tell your landlord, in writing, why you’d like to sublet, as well as any relevant information about the sublease’s terms or potential subtenant. Here are some details you might want to include:

Sublease’s start and end dates

Sublease terms proposal

Name, address, and contact information for subletter(s)

References, proof of income, or any other relevant information

The best way to send your request is via certified mail. You’ll also want to save a copy of the letter for yourself. If your landlord approves, you’ll also want that in writing, too.

Pro-tip Don’t only get permission from your landlord. If you have roommates, your apartment is also their apartment, you should also have their approval(s) before seeking a sublease.

Find a subtenant

Once you’ve gotten approval, it’s time to seek out a suitable subtenant. If you don’t already have someone in mind, you can create sublease listings on relevant websites like anyplace.com, sublet.com, or Facebook Marketplace.

Important information to share in your listing might include:

Subleasing term

Photos of your apartment

Income requirements

Other important information to know about your apartment

Screen applicants’ backgrounds and incomes

You’ll be responsible for handling the sublease with your subtenant. If things go south, there’s a chance you could be financially or liable as a result of their actions, so you must pick someone you can feel confident about.

You can start by narrowing down candidates based on income and credit score. If your own apartment had minimum requirements when you signed your lease, you can use those as a baseline, or compare them with your own. You’ll also want your subtenant to provide proof of income.

You’ll additionally want to check the candidate’s background carefully. You can do so with a third-party service, by speaking with references they provided, and/or by looking at their online presence.

Create a sublease agreement and request approval in writing

You’ve found your subtenant! Now, it’s time for you both to sign your sublease agreement.

In the agreement, be sure to spell out the sublease’s terms and expectations clearly and precisely.

At the very least, the agreement should include:

Start and end dates of the sublease

Rent amount owed each month

How rent should be paid

Procedures if rent is unpaid

Once the agreement has been signed, you’ll also want to send a copy of it, as well as any other necessary documents, to your landlord.

Being clear and precise in this agreement should help you out in the future if things go south for some reason. If necessary, Washington state law allows tenants (but not landlords) to evict subtenants. Justifiable reasons for eviction could include:

Unpaid rent

Participating in illegal activity on the property

Otherwise violating sublease terms

Continue paying rent

Now that you’ve found a subletter, you’re essentially acting as their landlord. But don’t forget to keep paying your own rent! You’ll also still be responsible for the terms of the lease agreement you signed.

Unless you and your landlord agreed otherwise, you’ll still owe your regular

rent

amount to your landlord. All that’s changed now is that your subtenant is now making a rent payment to you (unless you’ve arranged for them to pay your landlord directly). If they don’t pay their rent, you’ll still owe rent to your landlord.

Key Takeaway Make sure you’ve clearly spelled out the terms and expectations in your sublease agreement, and that both you and the subtenant have signed it.

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How to find the best renters insurance

How to save on renters insurance in Seattle

Carefully choosing a subletter and signing a carefully-written sublease agreement are two important ways to better protect your liability. Having the right renters insurance policy is another.

If you’re looking to update your renters insurance policy,

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