Breaking a Harlington Realty Lease: Assignment or Sublet?

Step 1 · Permission

Ask Harlington for the assignment terms before you advertise.

Email leasing@harlington.com or contact the management office at 212-734-9500. Include the address, apartment, leaseholders, lease end date, and preferred move date.

If only one roommate is leaving, say so. Ask for a leaseholder change that names the departing person and explains what happens to their guarantor.

Step 2 · Written terms

Use management’s reply as the brief for your listing.

• Rent and dates: what the replacement will pay and how much of the lease they will take.
• Charges: any assignment charge, screening cost, and security payment.
• Application: the link, documents, and qualification requirements.
• Release: when your obligations end and what must happen first.

Harlington’s team also handles buildings under names including Clearwater Properties and Flagg Equities. Use the landlord named on your lease in the request so the team can identify the right file.

Assignment or sublet?

Choose the route that fits whether you are coming back.

New York law treats assignment and subletting differently. Ask for the correct written-consent procedure; a temporary sublet generally keeps you responsible for the lease.

Step 3 · Qualification

Check the applicant’s readiness before arranging the full application.

Ask Harlington for the apartment’s income, credit, and guarantor criteria. Check the candidate’s move date, household, and ability to supply the requested records. If their income is self-employed, irregular, or supported by assistance, ask which documents and lawful alternatives management accepts.

The application distinguishes leaseholders, guarantors, and occupants. Be clear about who will sign and who will live there. A stated share of rent on a form does not itself limit liability under the lease.

Step 4 · Application

Have the replacement prepare Harlington’s published checklist.

The application page asks for:

• A completed application.
• The two most recent paystubs.
• The balance page of a current bank statement.

The Credential Researchers application also asks for two years of residential and employment/income history. Have those details ready, along with the information for the people signing or guaranteeing the lease.

Use the apartment and link Harlington confirms for the replacement. A printable application is also available. Send financial records directly through management’s approved route, and ask the reviewer to confirm when the file is complete.

Step 5 · Find the replacement

Market the approved terms and make the apartment easy to show.

• Price: use management’s approved rent and disclose any recurring charges.
• Term: give the exact start and end dates; confirm any renewal language.
• Showings: agree on access and prepare clear photos of the occupied apartment.
• Condition: explain what stays, what goes, and what work must be completed.

Avoid promising an approval or move-in date before management has confirmed it. If you offer an incentive or leave furniture, put the amount, items, and payment conditions in writing.

Fees and security

Separate the application fee from the cost of leaving.

Harlington lists a $20 screening fee per tenant or guarantor. Ask management to quote any assignment charge separately and explain the outgoing and incoming security deposits.

Covered screening charges are limited by New York law to actual cost or $20, whichever is less, with report, receipt, and recent-report waiver requirements.

• Final rent: agree on the last day you owe rent and any mid-month proration.
• Security: confirm who receives or supplies each deposit and how deductions are handled.
• Brokerage: agree on the marketing work and fee in writing before it begins.

Approval and handoff

Finish the documents before handing over keys.

Work backward from the proposed move: complete applicant review, sign the assignment or replacement documents, settle the required payments, and confirm the release and possession dates.

• Check that the agreement addresses every departing tenant and guarantor.
• Photograph the apartment and record any furniture, repairs, or removal arrangements.
• Arrange keys, utilities, building access, and the move with management.
• Provide your forwarding address and keep the final ledger and security accounting.

An approved applicant is not the same as a completed assignment. Keep the signed agreement and confirmation that its conditions have been met.

Find a replacement renter

I can help turn management’s terms into a listing and a qualified applicant.

I prepare the listing, manage inquiries and showings, screen prospective renters, and help the selected applicant complete management’s requirements. Management makes the approval decision. My role and broker fee are agreed in writing before marketing starts.

Send the address, rent, lease end date, preferred move date, and management’s reply.

Discuss my lease

For the broader legal options, see the NYC lease-break guide.