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What is a Lease Transfer?
Sometimes circumstances change and you may need to leave South Campus Commons or the Courtyards before your lease ends. If that happens, you may be able to transfer your lease to another eligible UMD student. A lease transfer is different than subletting, and it is important to understand the difference before making arrangements with another student.
Subletting means allowing someone else to live in your apartment for a period of time in exchange for payment while your lease remains in your name. With a sublet, you are still financially responsible for the apartment and any damages that occur during the sublet period. Subletting is not allowed at South Campus Commons or the Courtyards.
Lease Transfer is the official process for transferring your lease and its financial responsibility to another eligible student before your lease ends. Once the transfer is fully completed and approved, your lease is formally ended. You are no longer responsible for future payments, and no longer have access to the apartment or community services.
Students who need to leave because they are studying abroad, graduating, withdrawing from the University, or experiencing financial circumstances that require them to leave their apartment should use the Lease Transfer Process. Additional information can be found on the UMD Department of Resident Life webpage.
You can submit a Lease Transfer Form at any time. Lease Transfer Forms are reviewed weekly on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, between the 1st and 25th of each month. Please note that Lease Transfer Forms are not reviewed or processed during University and/or Commons/Courtyards Leasing Office closures.
Steps in the Lease Transfer Process
The leaseholder is responsible for finding a student who is interested in taking over the lease. Because finding a re-lessor can take some time, we recommend starting your search as early as possible and submitting your Lease Transfer Request about 2-3 weeks before your desired transfer date.
Find a Re-Lessor
The current leaseholder is responsible for finding an eligible student who is interest in taking over the lease.
The Re-Lessor Applies
The prospectuve re-lessor must complete a Commons/Courtyards Leasing Application on their StarRez housing portal.
Both Students Complete the Lease Transfer Form
The current leaseholder and the prospective re-lessor must each submit the Commons/Courtyards Lease Transfer Form through their StarRez housing portal.
Once the re-lessor is approved:
The current leaseholder will be prompted to complete their lease transfer paperwork, including the Lease Transfer Agreement.
The re-lessor will then be contacted by the Leasing Office to complete their new lease, guarantor form, and confirmation page. The re-lessor must complete this paperwork within 48 hours of being contacted.
The lease transfer is not complete until the entire process has been finalized. If the re-lessor does not complete their paperwork by the deadline, the original leaseholder remains responsible for the apartment, and the process will need to be restarted. Once both the leaseholder and re-lessor have submitted their Lease Transfer Forms, the processing typically takes 7-14 business days to finalize.
Who Can Take Over a Lease?
Who Can Take Over a Lease?
The University of Maryland's Department of Resident Life determines lease transfer eligibility. In general, the re-lessor must:
Be a registered full-time undergraduate or graduate student at UMD and have completed at least one fall or spring semester before the lease start date.
Be in good academic, administrative, and student conduct standing with the University.
Be the same gender as the current leaseholder, unless the apartment is an approved gender-inclusive apartment.
For specific questions about eligibility, contact the Coordinator for Housing Partnerships with the Department of Resident Life at pppleasing@umd.edu or visit the Resident Life Lease Transfer Process page.
How Do I Find a Re-Lessor?
How Do I Find a Re-Lessor?
Finding someone to take over your lease is the responsibility of the current leaseholder. You may want to start with people you already know, but there are also several resources available to help connect leaseholders with prospective re-lessors:
OCH Database: A Resident Life resource where leaseholders can post available spaces and prospective re-lessors can search for housing.
Maryland Community Housing Facebook Group: A housing resource available to students with a UMD email address.
Commons/Courtyards Lease Transfer Interest List: Prospective re-lessors can complete a Commons/Courtyards Leasing Application and add their information to the Interest List. Leaseholders can request this list from the site Leasing Office to connect with students who have expressed interest in taking over a lease.
Word of Mouth: Ask friends, classmates, or other UMD students if they know someone looking for an apartment at Commons or the Courtyards.
How Much Does a Lease Transfer Cost?
How Much Does a Lease Transfer Cost?
For the current leaseholder, costs that you should be aware of are as follows.
A $100 lease transfer fee must be paid through the Commons or Courtyards Resident Portal. This fee is waived for students graduating in December once proof of confirmed graduation status is provided.
Installment payments are due on the 1st of each month, and the leaseholder on that date is responsible for the full installment. Installments are not prorated, and sites do not issue refunds for time before an approved lease transfer.
Please note, any arrangement for a partial payment or reimbursement between the leaseholder and re-lessor is a private agreement between the two students, and cannot be enforced by site Leasing Offices.
For the re-lessor, costs that you should be aware of are as follows.
A $300 lease reservation payment is required through the Commons or Courtyards Resident Portal. This payment is applied towards the re-lessor's first installment. Students who currently live at Commons or the Courtyards and are signing a new lease within or between these communities are exempt from the lease reservation payment.
If I Complete a Lease Transfer, When Can I Move In/Out?
If I Complete a Lease Transfer, When Can I Move In/Out?
As part of the Lease Transfer Form, the current leaseholder will select their move-out date. The re-lessor's move-in date will be assigned at least two business days after the current resident's move-out date.
Before moving out, the current resident must remove all personal belongings from the apartment. This applies even if you are studying abroad and plan to return to Commons or Courtyards in the future.
Once the lease transfer has been fully completed, the original leaseholder will no longer have access to the apartment or community services.
What is an Unauthorized Lease Transfer?
What is an Unauthorized Lease Transfer?
A lease cannot be transferred informally or without prior approval. Both the Department of Resident Life and the Commons/Courtyards Leasing Office must approve the lease transfer before another student takes over the apartment. Allowing another student to move into your apartment or take over your lease without completing the official process is an unauthorized lease transfer and a violation of leasing policy.
Students involved in an unauthorized lease transfer may be referred to the Department of Resident Life Rights and Responsibilities Office or the Office of Student Conduct for potential violations of University policies. An unauthorized re-lessor may also be required to vacate the apartment immediately. If an unauthorized transfer has already occured, the original leaseholder and the unauthorized re-lessor may still have the option to complete the official Lease Transfer process through the appropriate channels.
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