Sublease / assignment request letter

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Most leases require the landlord's written consent before you sublease a room or assign the lease to someone else — and most also give the landlord a window to respond. Asking by email or text does not start that clock in any way you can prove later. A dated letter does.

Why a dated written request matters

Many leases include language like "consent not to be unreasonably withheld," and some state landlord-tenant statutes go further, treating a landlord's silence past a set number of days as consent by default. Either way, the date your request was actually received is what starts that window. A text message or a verbal ask leaves you with nothing to point to if your landlord later claims they never heard from you, or if you need to argue that the response deadline has already passed.

What to include

Name the proposed subtenant or assignee, the effective date, and offer to provide whatever your landlord typically asks for — an application, references, proof of income. Landlords are more likely to respond quickly to a request that already anticipates their questions. Keep the letter itself short; the goal is a clear, timestamped record of the ask, not a negotiation.

How it works

• Open the template and fill in your landlord, the proposed subtenant or assignee, and the effective date.
• Pay $12.99 (Certified Mail, all-in) — mailed the next business day, tracked with a mailing receipt.
• Keep the receipt and tracking number; they establish exactly when your landlord received the request.

This template is a tool, not legal advice. Whether your landlord can refuse, how long they have to respond, and what happens if they say nothing all depend on your lease terms and your state's landlord-tenant law — read yours, or talk to a local tenant attorney or legal aid office, before relying on any deadline.