Subletting in Alberta sits in a middle ground, it is allowed in principle, but requires written consent. The "cannot be unreasonably withheld" standard is well-established and gives tenants real leverage when a landlord refuses without cause.
Sublet vs. assignment
A sublet creates a temporary new tenancy between the original tenant and the subtenant; the original tenant stays on the hook to the landlord. An assignment transfers the entire lease to the new tenant; the original tenant is released. Both require written landlord consent in Alberta, but assignment is the cleaner break.
What is a "reasonable" reason to refuse?
- Proposed subtenant has poor credit or unverifiable income.
- Proposed subtenant has a history of evictions.
- Proposed subtenant fails standard tenant screening criteria the landlord applies to all applicants.
- Sublet term exceeds the remaining lease.
What is NOT a reasonable reason
- The landlord simply prefers to find their own tenant.
- The landlord wants to raise the rent above the current lease rate.
- Discrimination on a protected ground under the Alberta Human Rights Act.
How UrbanLease handles sublet requests
We treat sublet candidates exactly like new tenant applicants, credit, employment, references, rental history. If they pass, we approve in writing within 5 business days. If they fail, we provide a written reason. This keeps everything defensible if the original tenant escalates.
Sources: Service Alberta, Residential Tenancies Act; Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS); CMHC Rental Market Report. This article is general information, not legal advice.
VG
Vishnu Gabbula is an Associate Broker at PREP Realty, a RECA-licensed Alberta brokerage, and the founder of UrbanLease (a Calgary property management website operated by 14463137 Canada Inc.). His practice covers residential real estate, commercial real estate, rural properties, and property management across Calgary, Alberta. He runs Calgary House Rentals Group (105,000+ members) and Edmonton House Rentals Group (65,000+ members), two of Western Canada's largest rental communities on Facebook. He writes on Alberta tenancy law, the Residential Tenancies Act, CMHC MLI Select multi-unit financing, tenant screening, and rental market data, built on day-to-day experience managing rentals across Calgary and surrounding cities.
Published May 1, 2026 · Updated May 15, 2026
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