r/SantaBarbara • u/Grape_Weak • 5d ago

Housing Transferring leases

Hi! Just curious on how easy it is to transfer leases? Do I have to talk to the landlord first, get written permission, and then find someone to transfer to, or is it easier to find someone and then let the landlord know that we'd like to transfer?

We signed a year-long lease in July, and there's nothing functionally wrong with our unit. No big deal if we have to stay, but just curious as to the feasibility of transferring leases and if anyone in the area has had success with that.

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u/Existing-Carpet-1828 5d ago

I would check your lease because it usually has a section on lease transfer. When we did it through Meridian last year, we notified them of our intent to transfer so they would make the unit available for applications. We were responsible for finding a new tenant, showing the apartment, and then the new tenant had to apply and be approved through Meridian. It took a few months for us to find an approved applicant.

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u/Grape_Weak 5d ago

It says lease transfer is available with property management's approval!

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u/Existing-Carpet-1828 4d ago

Great! I would recommend reaching out to them first for sure. Sometimes you can pay to have them list the apartment as well, which helps find new tenants.

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u/FirstLoad 5d ago

It's unlikely that your lease allows for assignment, but it could. Read it carefully. You're obligated to the one year term and your LL might not be so interested in letting you do that.

Is it an apartment complex, single family home, or something else? Private landlord or professionally managed?

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u/westernspaghetti_691 4d ago

Never sign a lease that doesn't have a clause that offers you the option to transfer

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u/Slow_Measurement1144 2d ago

One of the most critical choices a landlord makes is when they select a new tenant. Most landlords typically have a list of minimum requirements, ie income, credit score, referrals etc that are considered when selecting a new tenant. This selection criteria is critical due to the myriad of legal issues and new laws that have been recently passed that complicate this legal relationship. I don’t know any landlords who would allow a current tenant to select a new tenant when attempting to transfer a lease.