What is a "sublease"?

A sublease is a specific arrangement in which the original tenant leases all or part of the rental property to a new tenant, meaning the new tenant pays rent to the original tenant rather than directly to the landlord. This allows the original tenant to maintain some rights over the property and usually keeps them responsible to the landlord for the terms of the original lease.

In this scenario, the original tenant retains the lease agreement with the landlord while also transferring certain rights to the new tenant. This flexibility can be beneficial for the original tenant, especially if they need to move temporarily or take a break from the lease obligations while finding someone else to occupy the space.

The other options detail different types of rental agreements that do not accurately describe a sublease. For instance, the first choice eliminates the landlord's involvement altogether, which is not true for a sublease, as the landlord must typically be aware of and approve the subleasing arrangement. The second option describes an assignment of the lease rather than a sublease, where the new tenant fully takes over the original lease. Lastly, the fourth option refers to a short-term agreement directly between the landlord and tenant, which does not incorporate the original tenant leasing to another tenant in the context of a sublease.