Home > Student Life > Students leaving Duluth for the summer causes lack of subleasees
Students leaving Duluth for the summer causes lack of subleasees
BY CARLY McLAIN
STATESMAN STAFF WRITER
ISSUE: 78/27
With the end of the school year approaching, more stress than just finals weighs on the minds of many students. Due to the lack of college students remaining in Duluth for the summer, subleasees are often hard to find. “I am a little nervous,” said sophomore Nick Coty, who needs to sublease since being accepted to a study abroad program. “Coming up with $2,500 [the total rent that he would have to pay through December] is not something that I want to do.”
Students take a number of different approaches in finding subleasees; however, the task is rarely easy. Conversation is the technique that senior Martina Mellang used to let people know about her open room. “The only people [who have called or looked at the place] have been from word of mouth and friends of friends,” she said.
Junior Danielle Morem, who is going home for the summer, is worried that, with it already being mid-April, she won’t find a subleasee. “I decided to sublease before I signed [my lease],” said Morem. “I’ll try to find one as long as I am [in Duluth], otherwise I will have to pay to stay there [through the summer].”
Landlord Daryn Moline said in the 15 years that he has been a landlord, subleasing has been very infrequent, but it has happened. “My tenants normally find their own subleasers,” said Moline. “Though, if someone calls me from one of my other tenants or some advertising that I have done, I will refer them to one of my tenants, but that happens very infrequently. ”
Not all students, however, are facing difficulty, perhaps because of their search methods. Junior Adam Junker’s more traditional approaches have left him successful.When he decided that he was going to sublease, he took the common ground. “I put up a couple of posters and used Craigslist,” said Junker. Junker wasn’t worried about finding a tenant. It had only been a few weeks, since he began his search. “Just last night I got an e-mail about a [subleasee],” he said. “So it was fairly fast.”
On the other hand, for those students who will be in Duluth for the summer, campus housing is a source that some rely on when they would rather not go through the stress of a summer rental. John Wieske, administrative director of UMD Housing, said that summer housing on campus is very different from student housing during the school year. “Our summertime operation is more like off-campus [housing],” said Wieske.
It is not like a sublease, though. There is still only one leaseholder, even if they find roommates, which differs from a sublease, where the subleasee temporarily takes over the contract, according to Wieske. Wieske gave advice to those who do plan to live on campus over the summer. “The best thing is to let the summer-housing office know [if you are looking for a roommate] and leave your name and contact information,” said Wieske. “Though, there is no matching of roommates [as there is during school session], it is more like a referral.”
Leaseholders don’t sign contracts until they check in on campus. If they can’t find roommates before they sign in, they can decide to become a roommate rather than a leaseholder, according to Wieske. Also, if you are a roommate, a great way to find leaseholders is to go to the information session to meet them. The information sessions are on Wednesday, April 23 at 2 p.m. and Tuesday, April 29 at 11 a.m., located in the East Griggs conference room.
