A Home Away From Home

While some continue to live on campus or in their apartments, many students choose to sublet elsewhere for a few months.

Students who sign yearlong leases at the beginning of the year often leave their apartments for the summer, becoming a perfect match for those looking to sublet during that time.

Unfortunately, subletting is not always a foolproof plan.

Sara Davis lives off Ashley Forest Road with five other people. Her roommate Laurie is subletting for a month over the summer and has subsequently prepaid that month's rent, Davis said. Because the sublessor will only be staying in Laurie's room for three weeks, Laurie is already expecting to pay one week of rent herself, Davis said.

The sublessor still hasn't paid Laurie any of the rent money and has just realized that the lease to her new apartment begins in July instead of August, Davis said.

Because the sublessor wants to avoid paying rent in two places, she is faced with a financial dilemma. Laurie, on the other hand, is left in the lurch because she has no idea when the sublessor will pay her, Davis said.

Dwayne Deloatch is another college student who knows all too well about late payments. Attending N.C. Agricultural & Technical State University and living in Greensboro, Deloatch made the mistake of putting only his name on the lease to his apartment.

He was later taken to court by the landlord due to his roommate's refusal to pay rent for two months. Between this roommate and the next one, Deloatch had to pay $1,000 from his own pocket and had the gas and power cut off.

He said he also had to pay a $200 phone bill that was not his and that his roommates wore his clothes and took his CDs.

"Make sure that you always have a backup plan come any situation," Deloatch said. "You can always cover for yourself, but not the next person."

Because subletting can be so complicated, not all students choose to do so during the summer months. Some said the benefits of living in University housing outweighed the advantages of living somewhere else.

Gaurang Gala, a rising sophomore at UNC-Chapel Hill, said he is lucky to be living in Old West Residence Hall during the summer while he takes some classes.

Gala said he chose to live in Granville rather than a residence hall because Granville sent out its housing applications before the Department of Housing and Residential Education, but he said he enjoying his brief stay on campus and wished he could live here during the academic year.

Unfortunately for Gala, living at Granville means he has the least priority to get on-campus housing for the rest of his time at UNC-CH. "I can't get on campus," Gala said. "Plus most juniors and seniors get an apartment -- that's a rule."

Students are not the only ones who face the complications of subletting. If anyone knows best about sticky housing situations, it is the apartment managers themselves.

Some apartment managers and homeowners do not allow tenants to sublease at all. Obviously, this policy automatically eliminates any subletting-related complications.

At 82 Magnolia in Chapel Hill, tenants can sign a minimum six-month or maximum 15-month lease but are strictly prohibited from subletting.

Others allow subletting but require sublessors to sign leases of their own, holding them responsible for the duration of their stay.

Despite the perils of subletting, it remains a popular choice among students.

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.