Accountability

Humboldt State logo Chant'e Catt, Cal Poly Humboldt's Off-Campus housing Coordinator, says "The thought of taking over someone's lease leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I have seen some pretty inequitable practices where landlords have students sign on to ancient leases where students who were the original leaseholder are long gone. When this happens there is less accountability for the landlord, when it comes to proving damages. Many tenants get stuck with the bill for damage from another tenant who left years before them. I know of some landlords who would agree, taking over another lease can be messy."

Make sure there are clear terms on the deposit, from who and when a deposit would be returned.

There are times when taking over another lease makes sense though, and sometimes there is an emergency and you may have to move right away. You can ask your landlord if you can break your lease if you find a replacement tenant that qualifies. On the flip of that, a friend needs to move and you like their spot, and it's cheaper so it would make sense.

California state law requires that you must have permission from the landlord to take these steps. "How Do I Transfer My Apartment Lease?" breaks it down into three major steps:

Read your lease, there likely is a clause about how the landlord handles lease takeovers
Talk to the landlord
Get it in writing

Check these articles for more information: The Do’s and Don’ts of a Lease Takeover for an Apartment and How to Take Over Someone's Lease.