Subletting offers students housing flexibility

For those who might be afflicted by not having housing for the summer, sublet apartments are becoming increasingly available. For many students who have decided to go home or are working, but have a 12-month lease to worry about, subletting offers a solution for their problem. \n"It works well," said Monroe County Apartment Association President Linda Brown, who thinks subletting has been very successful and has provided people with rental opportunities they didn't have before. "The fact that the properties that we have are moderately priced and in good shape makes it not hard for us to sell sublets."\nSublets are standard agreements between someone who is already in a long-term housing contract and someone who is searching for living accommodations for a limited amount of time. The tenant becomes the landlord as the potential short-term resident rents directly from the tenant and has to abide by the latter's standards and regulations as well as by those of the housing corporation. \nThe Monroe County Apartment Association advertises for landlords and searches for potential locations for renters and suggests that sublets offer a good alternative to standard housing agreements. \nBrown also said while many corporations do not allow for subleasing, those who do often perform a credit check to protect the tenant from particular legal issues. While the person subletting signs the lease and agrees to pay the rent, it is ultimately the tenant's responsibility to ensure the completion of the lease.\nSioux Hill is the founder of rentbloomington.net, a Web site devoted to helping people find rental options around town. With more than 26 years of real-estate experience, she knows subletting can be a very popular pick as a housing option, especially when school is out, she said. \n"I just think people during the summer will (use) it more then during the year," Hill said. \nFinding someone to sublet can pose more problems than many imagine.\n"When subletting there are many more factors involved," said Melinda Richards, a School of Public and Environmental Affairs graduate student currently trying to find someone to sublet her studio at the Bicycle Apartments in downtown Bloomington.\nRichards, who is looking for monthly rent payments comparable to the $375 per month she currently pays, said it is hard to find potential renters because of her landlord's unique leasing agreement.\nCFC Incorporated is responsible for the creation and maintenance of complexes like the Bicycle Apartments and luxury student buildings like The Kirkwood. According to a representative of CFC, a 1995 agreement with the city of Bloomington banned residents at the Bicycle Apartments from having cars in Bloomington -- a pact made to alleviate parking and traffic problems. \nDespite the setback of not having as many people available to rent as she would have liked, Richards said she knows what type of person she is looking for when selecting the best possible candidate to sublet her studio. \n"I am interested in people visiting IU for the first time, like people studying at the IU language program," Richards said. \nHowever, in the future, she doesn't look forward to finding someone to fill her apartment again. \n"One thing I am looking for next year is somewhere with a 10-month lease," Richards said.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Drew Smith at asmithii@indiana.edu.