Lease Transfer Process | Department of Resident Life

Lease Transfer is the official process of transferring responsibility of a South Campus Commons (Commons) or The Courtyards (Courtyards) lease to another eligible student (a re-lessor) before the lease end date. Students who need to vacate their apartment early—due to studying abroad, withdrawal from the University, graduation, or other circumstances—must complete this process to end their legal and financial obligations.

Once a lease is transferred, the original leaseholder forfeits all rights and responsibilities to the apartment. This formal process must be completed through both the Department of Resident Life (Resident Life) and the Commons/Courtyards Housing Office to be legally valid.

The Process

The information below outlines the Lease Transfer process, which allows a leaseholder to end their lease early by transferring it to another eligible student. Please review carefully, as the leaseholder remains legally and financially responsible for the apartment until the process is fully completed. Once a re-lessor is identified, the transfer typically takes 7 to 14 business days to finalize. We recommend beginning the search for a re-lessor as early as possible.

Step 1

The leaseholder is responsible for finding an eligible student, known as the re-lessor, who is interested in taking over their lease. We encourage leaseholders to advertise their vacancy on our Off-Campus Housing Database, a free resource available to University students for listing or searching housing opportunities within Commons or Courtyards. Alternatively, leaseholders may email the Commons Housing office at southcampuscommons@cocm.com or the Courtyards Housing Office at thecourtyards@cocm.com to request a list of students who have expressed interest in leasing at either site for the relevant leasing term.

Step 2

The re-lessor must complete the South Campus Commons/Courtyards Leasing Application for their intended leasing term. The application is available in their Housing Portal.

Step 3

The leaseholder and re-lessor must each complete the Commons/Courtyards Lease Transfer Form for their intended leasing term. This form is available in the Housing Portal. Once both forms are submitted, Resident Life will review the request. If the transfer is not approved, Resident Life will contact both parties to explain the decision and provide guidance. If approved, the Commons/Courtyards Housing Office will follow up with instructions to complete the process.

Step 4

The leaseholder and re-lessor are required to complete all lease transfer tasks assigned by the Commons/Courtyards Housing Office within the specified deadlines. Failure to comply may result in delays in the lease transfer process or cancellation of the transfer by the Commons/Courtyards Housing Office.

Eligibility

Resident Life determines a student’s eligibility to serve as a re-lessor and sign a lease in South Campus Commons (Commons) or The Courtyards (Courtyards). Eligibility is assessed after both the leaseholder and re-lessor complete the Commons/Courtyards Lease Transfer Form.

For questions related to student eligibility to lease in Commons or Courtyards, please email University Housing Partnerships Office at pppleasing@umd.edu. Please include the student’s full name and University ID Number (UID) in the message.

The student is a registered full-time undergraduate or graduate* student at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) and has completed at least one fall or spring semester prior to the lease start date.
The student is in good academic, administrative, and student conduct standing with the University.
The student must be the same gender as the leaseholder, unless the leaseholder is in an approved gender inclusive apartment.

*Graduate students are currently eligible to sign a lease in The Courtyards, limited to Building 6. This leasing option will be phased out following the conclusion of the 2025–2026 lease term. Beginning with the 2026–2027 lease term, graduate students will no longer be eligible to lease at The Courtyards.

Who is Eligible?	Fall	Spring	Summer
First-year undergraduate student who started at UMD in the fall semester	No	Yes	Yes
First-year undergraduate student who started at UMD in the spring semester	Not Applicable	No	Yes
Current undergraduate or graduate student who started at UMD in the fall semester	Yes	Yes	Yes
Current undergraduate or graduate student who started at UMD in the spring semester	Not Applicable	Yes	Yes
Current undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in summer courses only	No	No	Yes
Current undergraduate or graduate student returning to UMD from studying abroad	Yes	Yes	Yes
A Transfer Student to UMD**	Yes	Yes	Yes
Intern or working for a UMD Faculty/Staff Member	No	No	No
A non-UMD affiliated student who wants to live in Commons/Courtyards while interning or working at UMD	No	No	No

**Transfer students may sign a lease in Commons or Courtyards if the Department of Resident Life is able to verify their enrollment for the semester in which the lease begins.

You can submit your Commons/Courtyards Lease Transfer Form at any time. Forms are reviewed on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays between the 1st and the 25th of each month. If a review day falls when the University is closed, it’ll be reviewed the next available review day after the University reopens.
If a lease transfer is not approved by Resident Life and processed by the Commons/Courtyards Housing Office office by the 25th of the month, the leaseholder will remain financially responsible for the next month’s installment payment.
Once the leaseholder and re-lessor have submitted their Commons/Courtyards Lease Transfer Form the lease transfer process typically takes 7 to 14 business days to finalize.

A leaseholder can advertise their vacancy on the University’s Off-Campus Housing Database, a free resource available to University students for listing or searching housing opportunities within South Campus Commons (Commons) or The Courtyards (Courtyards).
A re-lessor can add their name to the Commons/Courtyards Leasing Transfer Interest Form, which is used by Resident Life and the Commons/Courtyards Housing Office to connect students with current leaseholders seeking a re-lessor. The form is available in their Housing Portal.
Reach out to friends or classmates to see if they know of any students who are planning to move out of Commons or Courtyards, or who may be interested in taking over a lease.

Leaseholder

Payment of the $100 lease transfer fee is required through the Commons or Courtyards Resident Portal. This fee is waived for students graduating in December.
Installment payments are due on the 1st of each month. The leaseholder on that date is responsible for the full installment. Payments are not prorated, and the Commons/Courtyards Housing Office does not issue refunds for any period prior to an approved lease transfer. Any exchange of funds for partial payments or personal refunds is solely between the leaseholder and the re-lessor.

Re-lessor

A $300 lease reservation payment is required and must be paid through the Commons or Courtyards Resident Portal. This amount will be applied toward the first installment payment. Students currently living at Commons or Courtyards who are signing a new lease within or between these sites are exempt from this payment.
A valid Social Security Number (SSN) is required on the lease application. International students without an SSN should enter their University Identification Number (UID) instead.
The re-lessor’s guarantor must sign the lease, which the Commons or Courtyards Housing Office will send electronically. International students without a guarantor must email a copy of their I-20 form to the Commons or Courtyards Housing Office within 24 hours of signing the lease. Failure to submit the I-20 may result in the lease being voided.

Illegal Lease Transfers

Students are not permitted to complete a lease transfer at South Campus Commons or The Courtyards without prior approval from both the Department of Resident Life and the Commons/Courtyards Housing Office. Completing a lease transfer without this approval is considered an unauthorized action and a violation of leasing policy.

Students who engage in an unapproved lease transfer may be referred to the Resident Life Rights and Responsibilities Office or the Office of Student Conduct for potential violations of University policies. Additionally, the unauthorized student (re-lessor) may be required to vacate the apartment immediately. However, both the original leaseholder and the unauthorized re-lessor still have the option to complete the official lease transfer process through the proper channels.

Lease Transfer FAQs

“Subletting” refers to a leaseholder allowing another person to live in their apartment temporarily in exchange for payment, without formally transferring the lease. In this arrangement, the original leaseholder remains legally and financially responsible for the apartment, including any damages caused by the subtenant.

“Lease Transfer” is the official process of working with the property’s leasing office to transfer full legal and financial responsibility for the lease and apartment to another individual before the lease end date. Once the transfer is complete, the original leaseholder is no longer responsible for the lease and must move out by the agreed-upon date.

This process is required to protect all parties involved—the original leaseholder, the incoming student, and any remaining apartment occupants.

Please note that South Campus Commons and The Courtyards do not approve partial or short-term lease transfers.

To be eligible to take over someone's lease in South Campus Commons (Commons) or The Courtyards (Courtyards) through the lease transfer process, a student must meet the leasing eligibility requirements determined by the Department of Resident Life.

In general, student eligibility is based on the following criteria::

The student is a registered full-time undergraduate or graduate* student at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) and has completed at least one fall or spring semester prior to the lease start date.
The student is in good academic, administrative, and student conduct standing with the University.
The student must be the same gender as the leaseholder, unless the leaseholder is in an approved gender inclusive apartment.

It’s important to remember that:

Incoming first-year students and students enrolled at other institutions are not eligible.
Transfer students who have confirmed their enrollment may be asked to provide additional documentation to determine their eligibility.
Graduate students are only eligible to sign a lease in The Courtyards Building 6.
Living off-campus or in a residence hall previously does not affect a student’s eligibility to take over a lease, though it may impact their selection priority order during apartment selection periods.

For questions related to student eligibility to lease in Commons or Courtyards, please email University Housing Partnerships Office at pppleasing@umd.edu. Please include the student’s full name and University ID Number (UID) in the message.

For students that are searching for a leaseholder, it is encouraged that you start as early as possible. If you're hoping to move-in for the fall semester (August), begin your search in late May. For the spring semester (January), start searching in September.

There are two main ways to find leaseholders interested in transferring their leases.

Search the University’s Off-Campus Housing Database for current lease transfer or vacancy announcements.
Add your name to the Commons/Courtyards Lease Transfer Interest Form located in your Housing Portal. This allows Resident Life and the Commons/Courtyards Housing Office to share your email address with leaseholders who request it.

Once you have connected with a leaseholder, ask questions about the current living environment to ensure it aligns with your housing preferences. If both parties agree on a move-in and out timeline, you must complete the official Commons/Courtyards Lease Transfer Form process together. Instructions on the lease transfer process are available on this website. It typically takes 7 to 14 business days to finalize.

Yes. Residence hall students may participate in the lease transfer process and sign a lease in South Campus Commons (Commons) or The Courtyards (Courtyards) as long as they meet the leasing eligibility requirements.

If a student signs a lease, they must submit a request to cancel their Residence Hall Housing and Dining Agreement in their Housing Portal. Students should contact the Department of Resident Life's Assignments and Public Inquiry at 301-314-2100 with any questions about the cancellation process.

There is no financial penalty for canceling, as moving to South Campus Commons or The Courtyards is considered a valid reason due to their affiliation with the University student housing program.

Maybe. Whether you can renew a lease after taking over someone else’s (as a re-lessor) depends on when you assume the lease and the status of the original leaseholder’s renewal decision.

Lease Transfer Before the Renewal Period:

If you take over the lease before the renewal period begins, you may be eligible to renew the lease for the following lease term—as long as you meet the leasing eligibility requirements. The lease renewal period typically begins in late fall and ends in early January.

Lease Transfer During or After the Renewal Period:

If you sign the lease during or after the renewal period, the original leaseholder retains the right to renew the lease. If the original leaseholder chooses not to renew, you (as the re-lessor) may then have the option to renew once you become the new leaseholder—if you meet the leasing eligibility criteria.

Lease Transfer Over the Summer:

If you take over a lease in the summer, your renewal eligibility depends on whether the original leaseholder renewed their lease for the same apartment for the upcoming lease term, or transferred to a different apartment.

If the original leaseholder renewed or transferred, you may have the option to take over that lease for the new lease term. However, if they transferred to a new apartment, you would be required to move out at the end of the current lease term and then move into the new apartment at the start of the next lease term.

If the original leaseholder did not renew at all, you will be required to move out at the end of the current lease term.

We understand that the lease transfer and renewal process can be complex. Please contact the Commons or Courtyards Housing Office during your lease transfer process to discuss your specific renewal options.

Failure to check in or out at your designated South Campus Commons Service Desk or The Courtyards Clubhouse may result in a $150 improper check-in/out fee.

Additionally, current students who do not return their keys directly to a Commons/Courtyards Housing Office staff member at the designated location may be charged lock core replacement fees for both the front and bedroom doors. In such cases, only legal leaseholders will be permitted to sign out replacement keys.