Landlord consent to sublet in NYC: what the letter must say
A sublet consent request in New York must be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, and must state: the term of the sublease, the name of the proposed subtenant, the subtenant's business and permanent home address, the tenant's reason for subletting, the tenant's address for the term of the sublease, the written consent of any co-tenant or guarantor of the lease, and a copy of the proposed sublease with a copy of the tenant's lease attached, acknowledged by the tenant and subtenant. Send it at least 30 days before the sublet starts.
Reviewed October 28, 2026 by the SubletNY team against the sources listed at the end.
The checklist, item by item
Every item below comes from § 226-b(2)(b). A request missing one of them lets the landlord ask for it and restarts the clock, so include all of them the first time.
- The term of the sublease (start and end dates).
- The name of the proposed subtenant.
- The business and permanent home address of the proposed subtenant.
- The tenant's reason for subletting.
- The tenant's address for the term of the sublease.
- The written consent of any co-tenant or guarantor of the lease.
- A copy of the proposed sublease, with a copy of the tenant's own lease attached, acknowledged by both tenant and subtenant.
The two clocks
Within ten days of mailing, the landlord may ask for additional information, limited to what is reasonably needed to decide. Within thirty days of the mailing of the request or of the additional information, whichever is later, the landlord must send consent or a refusal with reasons. No answer within thirty days is deemed consent.
If the refusal is reasonable, the tenant may not sublet and may not be released from the lease. If it is unreasonable, the tenant may proceed with the sublet in accordance with the request, and the landlord may not sue to recover possession over it.
A template you can adapt
Date. Landlord name and address. "Re: Request for consent to sublet [apartment, address], pursuant to Real Property Law § 226-b. I am the tenant of record under a lease dated [date], which ends on [date]. I request your consent to sublet the apartment from [start] to [end] to [name], whose permanent home address is [address] and whose business address is [address]. My reason for subletting is [reason]. During the sublease my address will be [address]. [Co-tenant / guarantor name] consents in writing (attached). A copy of the proposed sublease, acknowledged by both of us, is attached, with a copy of my lease. Please reply within thirty days as the statute provides. Sincerely, [name]."
Send it certified mail with return receipt, keep the receipt and a copy of everything, and diarise day ten and day thirty.
Rent-stabilized tenants: two more lines
Add that the apartment will remain your primary residence and that you intend to return at the end of the sublease, and keep the sublet within two years in any four-year period. The subtenant's rent may not exceed the legal rent plus 10 percent for a furnished sublet. This guide is general information from public sources, not legal advice; for a dispute, speak to a tenant lawyer or a tenant association.
