Reletting and apartment lease glossary

Reletting is renting an apartment again when the current tenant leaves, through a new lease or an approved transfer. This glossary explains the words you may see when leaving or taking over a privately rented apartment lease. Start with a definition, then read the linked guide and check your own lease: the landlord must approve transfers, and the documents determine fees and responsibility.

• Duty to mitigate

  A landlord’s legal duty, where applicable, to make reasonable efforts to reduce avoidable rent losses after an early departure.

• Early termination fee

  A lease-based charge for an agreed early end to the lease; paying a fee alone does not necessarily end liability.

• Guarantor / co-signer

  A person who agrees to cover specified lease obligations if the renter does not, under the signed contract.

• Lease assignment

  A transfer of lease rights and duties to another renter; a release determines whether the original tenant remains liable.

• Lease takeover

  An arrangement where a replacement renter takes over an existing apartment lease with landlord approval.

• Relet fee / reletting fee

  A lease-based charge for work involved in renting the apartment again before the original lease ends.

• Reletting

  Renting the apartment to a replacement through a new lease or an approved takeover before the original lease ends.

• Sublease / sublet

  Renting your leased apartment to another renter while you usually remain responsible under your original lease.

• Written release

  A written agreement stating which lease obligations end, for whom, and on what date.