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Glite Dictionary
subtenant

subtenant

6.4
A person who rents a room or home from the main renter instead of the owner
  • noun
  • /ˈsʌbˌtɛnənt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : subarrendatario
  • Even if the subleasing option is available, the original tenant can be held responsible if the subtenant fails to pay the rent.

Examples

  • Subleasing can work out quite well, providing the tenant finds a responsible subtenant.

    Academic text (1991)

  • Subleases do put immediate downward pressure on rents, but they have to be the right fit, or the procuring subtenant will have to make capital improvements.

    Blog text (4)

  • The village consisted of 20 farms, 34 cottagers' houses—six of these with land—and ten subtenant households.

    Academic text (1995)

  • The tenant was relieved to find a reliable subtenant who would pay rent on time.

  • To avoid issues down the line, it's important for the tenant to check the references of any potential subtenant.

  • As a subtenant, she enjoyed the benefits of living in the apartment without the responsibilities of the lease.

Synonyms

tenant
vssubtenant
248 3.0

A person who rents a house or apartment from a landlord

rents from someone who holds the original lease rather than from owner
renter
vssubtenant
41 1.8

A person who pays to use a house, car, or other property owned by someone else

pays to use property generally, not specifically from a current leaseholder
subletter
vssubtenant
1 4.4

A person who rents a room or home from the current tenant

is the exact same role but called by a different name
leaser
vssubtenant
  • Archaic
5.3

A person or company that pays to use property for a set time

usually takes a lease directly from the owner rather than via an intermediate person

Surface Forms

subtenant singular
subtenants plural

Morphology

subtenant = tenant (transparent) = sub + tenant

Meaning is directly derived from the productive prefix 'sub-' (under, secondary) + 'tenant'—a person who rents from a tenant rather than the owner.

Etymology

The word subtenant comes from sub- and tenant: sub- means 'under', like in submarine, and tenant means 'someone who lives in a place'. So a subtenant is a person who rents 'under' the main tenant and pays rent to that tenant rather than to the owner.