Landlord: Marcus – Manages a 3-Unit Home in a University Town
Challenge:
Midway through the lease, one of Marcus’s tenants, Alex, reached out to say he was taking a work placement out of town—and wanted to sublease his room.
Marcus’s stomach dropped. The last time this happened, it ended in unreported damage, unpaid rent, and a screaming match over garbage bags.
He’d already approved the original roommates through traditional screening—but this subtenant, Jamie, was a total unknown.
The Solution: A Sublease... with Insight
Instead of relying on gut instinct (or ignoring his anxiety), Marcus asked Jamie to complete the Tenant Behavior Assessment before the sublease was finalized.
Here’s what he learned:
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Jamie was respectful and friendly—but avoided conflict at all costs
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They tended to "go with the flow" to avoid tension... even when it led to resentment
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Their previous living situation ended poorly due to mismatched cleanliness standards—but Jamie hadn’t voiced concerns until it was too late
That insight changed everything.
The Onboarding Pivot:
Marcus didn’t say “no” to the sublease. Instead, he created a custom onboarding kit for Jamie and a roommate alignment session using the behavior insights:
✅ A simple “Shared Space Expectations” checklist
✅ A quiet hours agreement
✅ A communication protocol (texts, not notes on the fridge!)
✅ A clause addendum explaining who to contact for what during the sublease
The Result:
Jamie and the remaining roommate, Jules, had open conversations from day one
When a kitchen issue came up, it was addressed within hours, not weeks
Marcus got peace of mind knowing everyone was on the same page
Bonus: Jules later told Marcus this was the first roommate experience that didn’t feel like walking on eggshells.
“I’ve had subleases go nuclear. This time, the whole vibe was different. They weren’t just roommates—they were prepared roommates.” – Marcus