Landlord-tenant
Sublease / assignment request letter
By Justin Winter · Updated August 22, 2026
The short answer
Some leases and state laws treat consent as given if the landlord misses a response deadline, so the date you asked matters. Send it Certified, $12.99 all-in: USPS records when it was mailed and tracks it to delivery. Preview the exact pages free. Check your lease and state law; this template is not legal advice.
The math
The math on one certified letter.
| Option | Cost | Your time |
|---|---|---|
| paperplane, Certified Mail | $12.99, all in | About two minutes |
| At the counter | USPS fees, plus printing, an envelope and the trip | About ten minutes at the counter, plus the drive and the line |
USPS charges the same fees whoever hands the letter over. The difference is the trip, the form and the slip you keep for a year.
Most leases require the landlord's written consent before you sublease a room or assign the lease to someone else — and most also give the landlord a window to respond. Asking by email or text does not start that clock in any way you can prove later. A dated letter does.
Why a dated written request matters
Many leases include language like "consent not to be unreasonably withheld," and some state landlord-tenant statutes go further, treating a landlord's silence past a set number of days as consent by default. Either way, the date your request was actually received is what starts that window. A text message or a verbal ask leaves you with nothing to point to if your landlord later claims they never heard from you, or if you need to argue that the response deadline has already passed.
What to include
Name the proposed subtenant or assignee, the effective date, and offer to provide whatever your landlord typically asks for — an application, references, proof of income. Landlords are more likely to respond quickly to a request that already anticipates their questions. Keep the letter itself short; the goal is a clear, timestamped record of the ask, not a negotiation.
How it works
- Open the template and fill in your landlord, the proposed subtenant or assignee, and the effective date.
- Pay $12.99 (Certified Mail, all-in) — mailed the next business day, tracked with a mailing receipt.
- Keep the receipt and tracking number; they establish exactly when your landlord received the request.
This template is a tool, not legal advice. Whether your landlord can refuse, how long they have to respond, and what happens if they say nothing all depend on your lease terms and your state's landlord-tenant law — read yours, or talk to a local tenant attorney or legal aid office, before relying on any deadline.
Keep reading
Questions before you send
Why not go to the post office myself?
You can, and if your time is free it costs less. USPS charges the same fees whoever hands the letter over; paperplane does not replace the post office, it replaces the trip. The mailing record comes from USPS, not from us. $12.99 covers the printing, the envelope, PS Form 3800, a USPS address check before you pay and a handoff the next business day. For a letter you already know how to send, the counter is a fine choice.
What if they refuse the letter?
USPS tracking records what happened to it, including refused or unclaimed. You still have the mailing record. Rules on what that means vary, so check with your court or an attorney if a deadline depends on it.
If something goes wrong, do I pay?
If we cannot mail the letter, the hold on your card is released and you are not charged. If a letter fails after your card is charged, you are refunded automatically and in full.
Does my landlord have to say yes?
It depends on your lease and state law — some leases require consent "not to be unreasonably withheld," which can matter if a dispute arises over a refusal.
Why does the mailed date matter?
Some states or leases treat a landlord's silence past a certain window as consent. A dated, trackable request is what establishes that window started.
Is this legal advice?
No — it is a template. Subleasing and assignment rights vary significantly by lease and state law.