What to include in a sublet listing
A sublet listing that gets messages states the exact dates, the monthly price and what it includes, whether it is a private room or the whole apartment, the bedroom and bathroom count, the nearest subway and the walk to it, and the building type; shows daylight photos of every room and the view; and states the house rules. Renters skip listings with one photo, "price negotiable", vague dates or no neighbourhood.
Reviewed October 28, 2026 by the SubletNY team against the sources listed at the end.
The facts, in this order
Renters scan in a fixed order, so put the facts in that order.
- Dates: available from and until, or "month to month from [date]"; say if the dates are flexible by a week.
- Price: per month, and what it includes (utilities, internet, linens, cleaning); say if a deposit is one month.
- What it is: private room in a shared apartment (with how many flatmates), studio, or whole apartment with bedroom and bathroom count.
- Where: the neighbourhood, the nearest subway lines and the minutes on foot to them. No street address until a viewing is booked.
- The building: walk-up or elevator, floor, laundry in building, doorman, outdoor space.
- The furniture: bed size, desk, closet space, kitchen equipment; what you are leaving and what you are taking.
- House rules: pets, smoking, guests, quiet hours, cleaning expectations.
- Who you are: one line, with why you are away and whether you will be reachable.
Photos
Daylight, curtains open, lights on, bed made, counters clear. One photo per room plus the bathroom, the kitchen, the view from the main window and the building entrance. Landscape orientation. No filters, no stock images, no photos of the apartment before you moved in if it looks different now.
The description
Two short paragraphs. The first says what the renter gets and for whom it suits (a nurse on nights, a summer intern, a couple relocating). The second says the practical things: subway, groceries, laundry, noise, what is included. Write the price and dates in the fields, not only in the text, so the search filters find you.
Before you publish
Check the neighbourhood page for what similar listings ask, confirm you are allowed to sublet (consent requested, rent-stabilized limits respected), and decide how you will screen and what agreement you will use. Then answer messages within a day; listings that reply fast fill first.
