Going Abroad
Studying Abroad? What to Do with Your NYC Apartment
A semester abroad is about four months. If your lease keeps running, that is four months of rent for a room you are not in. You have four options.
Sublet Buddy Guides2 min read
Times Square. Photo: Sublet Buddy.
In This Guide 7 sections
1. Keep Paying and Leave It Empty
The simplest and the most expensive. At $1,850 a month, a four-month semester is $7,400. Some people accept that to keep their things in place. Most would rather not.
2. Break the Lease
Leases rarely let you leave early without a cost. You may owe rent until the landlord re-rents, or a fee the lease spells out. You also lose the apartment, which matters if you want it when you come back.
3. Hand the Lease to Someone Else
An assignment transfers the whole lease to a new tenant. In New York a landlord can refuse an assignment without giving a reason, though an unreasonable refusal generally lets you end the lease on 30 days’ notice. It fits if you are not coming back.
4. Sublet for the Semester
A sublet keeps the lease in your name and puts someone in your room for exactly the months you are away. You come back to your own apartment. It needs your landlord’s written approval: in buildings with four or more units, Real Property Law 226-b sets out how to ask (certified mail, 30 days to answer) and says consent may not be unreasonably withheld.
A Timeline That Works
Two months before you leave: read your lease and send your landlord the request. Six weeks before: list the place with your exact dates. A month before: talk to people, agree on dates and price, and put it in writing. Before you go: store valuables, take dated photos, and tell your roommates who is coming.
Questions
Can I sublet my room while I study abroad?
Usually, with your landlord’s written approval and your roommates on board. Check your lease first.
Is it better to sublet or break my lease?
If you want the apartment when you return, sublet. If you are not coming back, ask about an assignment or the rest-of-lease route.
More in Going Abroad
- Managing a Sublet from Abroad: Repairs, Rent and Time Zones4 min read
- Spring Semester Abroad: Sublet Your NYC Room January to May4 min read
- Fall Semester Abroad: Sublet Your NYC Room August to December4 min read
- Summer Internship Away: What to Do with Your NYC Apartment4 min read
- Coming Back from Abroad: Finding NYC Housing Mid-Year4 min read
- Co-Op Semester Housing: How to Handle a Six-Month Gap4 min read
- Leave of Absence: What to Do with Your Lease in NYC4 min read
- Lease Ends in August but You Leave in May: Your Options4 min read
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<a href="https://www.subletbuddy.com/guides/studying-abroad-what-to-do-with-my-apartment">Studying Abroad? What to Do with Your NYC Apartment</a> (Sublet Buddy Guides)This is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ by state, city, building and lease. Check your lease, get your landlord’s written approval before you sublet, and ask a local attorney about your situation.
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