Sublets and lease transfers

Sublets

Moving out before your rental agreement ends, or taking over someone else's? Start here.

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Take over

Sublets available now

Taking over the rest of someone else's rental agreement needs the consent of the rental provider or agent.

There are no sublets available right now

Leave your request and we'll let you know as soon as a new one comes up.

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Transfer out

Leaving before your rental agreement ends? Yeeliving helps you find someone to take over

Lease transfer: a new renter takes over your rental agreement (often called a lease) and you step out.

  1. Tell us about your rental agreement

    Tell us where the property is, how long is left and the weekly rent.

  2. Yeeliving finds someone to take over

    An adviser helps you find a new renter who is willing to take over.

  3. We help you submit the transfer request, then hand over once the rental provider agrees

    Hand over the keys only after you have the rental provider's written consent.

This is a paid service. An adviser explains the fee before the service starts.
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Before you transfer

4 things to know before you transfer

Based on official Victorian Government pages. “Rental provider” means the property owner, or the agent who manages the property for them.

  1. A transfer needs the rental provider's written consent. They can't refuse without a good reason.If you think the refusal is unfair, you can apply to VCAT (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal).
  2. The rental provider can't charge a fee for giving consent, but can ask for the reasonable cost of preparing a new rental agreement.About A$250–300 is common in practice, but it is not an official figure. The rental provider's quote applies.
  3. When a new renter takes over the rental agreement, the bond is changed to their name at the RTBA (Residential Tenancies Bond Authority).The RTBA is the Victorian Government body that holds rental bonds. The rental provider must notify it within 5 days of the transfer taking effect.
  4. Transferring or subletting privately is risky. Without written consent, the rental provider can ask the people living there to leave within 14 days.Ask in writing first, and hand over the keys only after you have consent.

If you leave a fixed-term rental agreement early there is no penalty, but you may have to cover the costs the rental provider ends up with, such as rent until the property is re-let and the cost of re-advertising and finding a new renter. Your rental agreement may also list fees for breaking it, so check what it says.

SourcesChecked 5 Oct 2026

This applies to standard residential rental agreements in Victoria. For student accommodation, the contract set by each residence applies. Compiled from official public information. This is not legal advice.

FAQ

Start with these questions

Have another question? Ask an adviser directly.

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What do I pay if I take over?
  • Rent: you pay as set out in the rental agreement once you take over.
  • Bond: the amount stays the same and is only changed to your name at the RTBA. Sometimes the person taking over pays the outgoing renter their share of the bond. This is a private agreement and is not compulsory.
  • Reasonable cost of preparing a new rental agreement: about A$250–300 is common (not an official figure). The rental provider's quote applies. The official page says the rental provider can ask the renter who is transferring to pay it, so agree who actually pays before you go ahead.

For Yeeliving's service fee, see “Does Yeeliving charge a fee?” below.

How long does a transfer out take?

There is no set time. It depends on two things: how long it takes to find someone to take over, and how long the rental provider takes to give written consent.

The CAV transfer page doesn't say how many days the rental provider has to reply, so ask early.

You keep paying rent until the new renter takes over, so the sooner you start the better. An adviser can tell you more about timing.

Does Yeeliving charge a fee?

Yes. Finding someone to take over and helping you submit the transfer request are paid services, and so is taking over a sublet. An adviser explains the fee before the service starts.

Our service is free for student accommodation. Private rentals are a paid service, and an adviser also explains the fee before the service starts.

How is this different from subletting a room to someone?

Lease transfer: the new renter takes over your rental agreement and all its responsibilities, such as paying rent, and you leave.

Subletting a room to someone: your name stays on the rental agreement and someone rents all or part of the property from you, so you take on the responsibilities of a rental provider towards them. You also need to ask in writing first and get the rental provider's written permission.

If you want to move out for good, use a lease transfer.

Prices are subject to each building's final quote. Photos come from the buildings. Distances are measured in a straight line.

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