What is an assignment and how does it differ from a subletting?
Assignments and sublettings both occur when the tenant gives his/her rights under the tenancy agreement to a third party. The landlord typically cannot block an assignment or subletting without a valid reason. An assignment occurs when the tenant gives to a third party all of his/her remaining rights under a tenancy agreement for the entire term of the tenancy agreement. The original tenant no longer has any rights in or claims to the property. If a tenant assigns property, he can no longer be sued by the landlord, and cannot sue the landlord as all his/her rights are transferred to the third party. In a subletting the tenant can transfer a portion of the let space (e.g. a room in a house) or a portion of the tenancy (e.g. for 5 of the remaining 6 months of the tenancy agreement) to a third party. The original tenant retains his/her rights in the property. The original tenant can still sue and be sued by the landlord for tenancy agreement violations.
