Sublease agreements occur when a tenant leaves a rental property before the lease term ends and rents out the property to a third party. Sublease agreements are common in residential properties as a way to avoid the penalties that may result in terminating a lease early. Sublease agreements can be arranged for short periods of time, or they can be used for more long term living arrangements. A landlord must usually be notified before a sublease agreement can be made. The landlord may then take a set amount of time to decide to either consent to or deny the sublease, perhaps asking for additional information before making a decision. Sublease agreements are also common in commercial properties, where leases are generally much stricter and harder to terminate early. Businesses often move, close down, or become unable to live up to their financial responsibilities, and often choose to sublease all or a portion of their leased space.