I always liked Temple University a lot, but I thought PSU was a better school. Now I’m realizing I made a mistake. I’m currently in the process of assembling roommates for an apartment next year (deposits are due mid October I believe), but what happens if I’m at a different school when the lease kicks in? Can someone else fill in? Thanks in advance.
You will have to find someone to take your share of the lease – those conditions and any fines or penalties will be slightly different depending on the lease. Most all of the major property mgmt firms here have answers for this. But you will have to pay any rent until and unless you find someone to take your lease. If you list the sublet on Craigslist (or through the property mgmt if they do that, many do) you shouldn’t have a problem finding a subletter next August. You may want to sweeten the deal by paying the first month’s rent or otherwise incentivize the sublet, since the market floods with them in late summer.
Why would you be getting roommates together for next year at Penn State if you plan to be at Temple? It’s not really fair to your roommates, especially if you do a group lease as many places do. That means, if you don’t pay your lease your roommates get stuck with the higher rent until you fill the space. If I were you, I’d figure out what you want to do and not sign any leases until you do. You are responsible for the lease and you will have to pay it whether you are a student at PSU or not.
Agree, you are screwing your roommates. I would not sign a lease if you plan to transfer.
A lease is a legal document. You would be 100% responsible for your share of the payments if you sign a lease for next year. In order to sublet your share of the apartment if you transfer you would likely need the approval of both the landlord and your roommates. This is not something to take lightly.
OP probably isn’t sure about transferring, and in any case isn’t guaranteed an offer. I think it’s fair as long as the roommates know, and most of the major buildings only do separate leases so it would only effect the OP. But yes, Op is responsible for the rent until the lease is transferred. It really isn’t uncommon in the fall to see all sorts of sublets be offered as plans change, friendships collapse, and students transferred–