A sublease agreement in Ohio is a legal document that establishes the agreement between the tenant on the original lease agreement and the new tenant to whom the rental property is being sublet. Typically, the tenant on the original lease will request written permission from the landlord via certified mail before such a contract can be established.
The document will set out several essential aspects of the new lease agreement, such as the start and end dates, the lease term, rent expectations, etc. Until the lease term end, the new tenant will assume the responsibilities of caring for the property and paying the utilities and rent. Note, however, that original tenants must ensure that the landlord is paid.
Sublease Agreements
Put simply, the sublease agreement will be a contract established between a subtenant and an existing tenant on a property. It is mandatory if the tenant on the original lease wishes to sublet the property to another party.
This will apply regardless of whether the original tenants will continue to be on the property or not.
What To Include
It's essential to take a meticulous approach to the creation of this agreement as it must cover all bases effectively just as an agreement between a landlord and the original tenant would. The items you want to include are:
- A copy of the original lease for the new tenant
- Security deposit expectations
- Names of both the new and original tenants
- Sublease arrangement date
- Rent amount and where it should be delivered monthly
- Address of the property
- Utilities to be paid
- Names followed by an area to be signed by both parties
How To Write One
Essentially, you want your Ohio sublease agreement to be written in a way that the state, parties involved, and the landlord will be satisfied with. Therefore, there is some groundwork to be done before any signoff happens including the following information:
- Set a defined lease period
- Establish the rent amount
- Decide on the security deposit
- Ensure all required legal clauses are present
- State restrictions clearly
- Ensure the original agreement is present as landlord-imposed requirements will stand
- Identify are areas the new tenant is responsible for
Special Laws
Ohio is not a state with stringent laws that the tenant and landlord would need to follow to establish a subletting agreement. Any policies around a sublease are usually governed by whatever a landlord would've put into the original rental document.
Therefore, the absence of any specific verbiage means the sublease should be accepted. However, the initial tenant is responsible for ensuring that a permission request is submitted no less than 30 days before the sublease becomes effective. It's essential to address this to the landlord via certified mail so confirmation can be received.
A lack of response constitutes consent to subletting of the space.
Sublessors
As a sublessor, there's a requirement to abide by all principles established by Ohio law, such as following eviction procedures, deposit returns, notice requirements, etc.
Build Your Own
DoorLoop takes the hassle out of the process of writing a sublease contract in Ohio by allowing you to build your own from scratch. If not, you can take advantage of the following free templates:
eSignature
Lease signing is your biggest opportunity to lay the foundation for a pleasant tenant experience, and that relies on making the process as easy and efficient as possible.
With DoorLoop, you can get your subleases eSigned in a few seconds. You can also get to the eSignature step much more easily by creating reusable sublease templates that are autofilled with tenants' information.
DoorLoop also makes it so simple to find the best tenants in the first place by syndicating your lisitngs on popular websites Zillow, Trulia, Hotpads, Apartments.com, and more. You can also make sure you're bringing in the best tenants by screening your prospects in seconds through DoorLoop.
For more information about DoorLoop, learn more or schedule a free demo.
The Bottom Line
While the principle of an Ohio sublease is straightforward, it's essential to bear the guiding principles above in mind to ensure that there are no legal or other challenges during the rental tenure.
FAQs
Are There Laws Prohibiting Subleasing in Ohio?
Ohio has no specific sublease litigation, which means the process is guided by the presence or absence of stipulations in the initial rental agreement.
Is It Necessary for the Original Tenant to Obtain Permission Before Subleasing to a New Tenant in Ohio?
While it is legal to sublet, a tenant should address a permission request to the landlord, who has 30 days to respond.
What if the Landlord Doesn't Respond to the Written Permission Request to Establish a Sublease Agreement?
Should the landlord fail to respond after 30 days, consent is implied.