Sublets
What should I check before paying for a sublet?
Updated By the Housing Rocket moderators
Short answer
Confirm the person actually lives there and is allowed to sublet: see the place in person or on a live video call, check that their name matches the lease or a utility bill, ask whether the landlord approved it, and get a signed sublease. Pay only after all of that, with a traceable method.
Sublets carry an extra risk: the person may be a real tenant who is not allowed to sublet, or not the tenant at all. Work through this before paying:
- View the place, in person if you are local or on a live video call with the person inside the unit. Ask them to show the view from a window or the mailbox with their name.
- Ask to see the first page of their lease or a recent bill at that address, with personal details covered except the name and address.
- Ask whether the landlord has approved the sublet, and whether you will be asked to apply.
- Search the listing photos and the address. If the same photos appear under another name or city, stop.
- Read and sign the sublease before paying.
Pay with a method that leaves a record and ties to a real name. Never wire money, pay with gift cards or crypto, or pay a deposit for a place you have not seen.
Walk away if someone says they are out of the country and will mail the keys, pressures you to pay today, or will not do a live video call. In our groups, moderators remove listings that ask for money before a viewing, and you can report a suspicious post with Facebook's report button. Our rental scams answers go deeper on spotting fake listings.
Want the whole picture? Read How to Find a Sublet or Roommate on Facebook Safely.