NIU students heading home for the summer who have a 12 month lease are responsible for finding a subleasee for the summer.

Student Legal Assistance Director Don Henderson said students ask for advice about subleasing their apartment for the summer. He said usual problems, such as landlord/tenant disputes, are not associated with summer subleasing.

“We (legal assistance) counsel students about subleasing frequently and explain the laws associated with it,” Henderson said.

He said sublease agreements between the summer leasee and the resident can be signed at the legal assistance office and some apartment management offer agreements as well.

Greg Lee, leasing manager for Suburban Apartments, Twombly Road, said they do not have summer leases, but residents are allowed to sublease. The resident is responisble for finding a summer leasee, but the office will assist if a person is having trouble finding a subleasee, he said.

An agreement is signed by all three parties—resident, subleasee and Suburban Apartments, Lee said. The subleasee is responsible to the resident, and the resident is responsible to the office, Lee said.

The majority of the problems with summer leasees is collecting the rent, Lee said. If summer rent is not paid, the office tries to contact the subleasee rather than the resident, he said.

“It is up to the resident to find someone by themselves (for the summer),” said Amy Zail, rental agent for Varsity Square Apartments, 1212 Varsity Blvd.

She said an agreement is signed between the subleasee and the office, and a security deposit also is paid to the office.

Monique Brown, office manager for University Heights Apartments, 1110 Varsity Blvd., said summer leases are not available, but residents can find someone for the summer to sublease.

An agreement between the office and the subleasee or resident is not signed. The subleasee has the option to pay rent to the resident or to the office, Brown said.

Henderson said problems with landlords in the summer have not been as prevalent as problems during the fall and spring semesters.

NIU Ombudsman Bertrand Simpson said this semester students’ problems with off-campus housing, such as landlord/tenant disputes, have not been brought to his attention as in the fall semester.

He said because he is unaware of any problems, this does not mean they are nonexistent.

“I have a suspicion students bring problems to Don Henderson in the legal assistance,” Simpson said.

Henderson said, “There are landlord/tenant problems throughout the year.” The peak time for disputes is in the fall after people have moved out, he said.

Problems emerge with security deposit returns and when new tenants sign the lease, Henderson said.

He said another peak time for problems is early in the spring semester when students move out of the residence halls and into apartments.

Tim Goebel, Student Association Tenant Union adviser, said students have not come to him with any problems about subleasing.