subtenant

A subtenant, or sublessee, is a person who rents all or part of a property from the original tenant rather than directly from the property owner. This arrangement, called subleasing or a sublease, creates a separate agreement between the subtenant and the original tenant. The subtenant does not have a legal contract with the landlord. Whether subleasing is allowed or not depends on the terms of the original lease and applicable state laws.

See also: landlord-tenant law

[Last reviewed in July of 2025 by the Wex Definitions Team

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