Maine’s sublease laws indicate that a sublessor must have the landlord’s permission before entering into a sublease agreement. Most likely a residential lease agreement will indicate that the tenant must have the landlord’s permission before subletting the apartment.
A sublease is an agreement between the original tenant (sublessor or sublandlord) under a lease agreement for a rental unit and a new individual (sublessee or subtenant) who does not have a direct connection with the original lease agreement. The sublease agreement is tied to and incorporates the original (master) lease. In Maine, if the original lease does not contain language giving permission for the tenant to enter into a sublease, the original tenant (sublessor) must obtain written permission from the landlord to do so. The original tenant (sublessor) is still bound by all the requirements/obligations under the original (master) lease agreement.
A Maine sublease agreement should include the following sections: