“It’s hard because last year we had people come look (at our apartment), and they seemed like a sure thing,” Calleja said. “Then they never got back to me, and when I texted them, they would say, ‘Sorry, we found someone else.’”

Calleja is one of the many MSU students trying to sublease their apartment each summer, as only about half of students stay in East Lansing to take classes.

DTN Management Co. leasing manager Robert Gheniuk said about 20 percent of DTN customers try to sublease their apartments in the summer with a 90 percent success rate.

“It’s pretty easy to find somebody as long as you are actively looking,” Gheniuk said. “Of course, there are those one or two incidents where it doesn’t work out, but I’d say overall it’s successful.”

Although leasing companies don’t actively help in the search for a sublease, Gheniuk said DTN, like other businesses, has lists in their leasing offices of people looking to sublet. But many students, such as Calleja, who have posted ads on allMSU and Craigslist, go through a lot to find someone to take their spot.

What has become normal in East Lansing is for residents to charge less per month for a summer sublease, Gheniuk said.

“I’ll tell people they should take off $10 to $50 a month, just so they can find somebody,” he said.

However, many students such as Calleja find themselves chopping off more than just $10 a month for rent. Calleja said she and her four roommates currently pay $368 but are offering a $100 discount.
Still, Gheniuk said a lot of students find the subleasing process to be fair and acceptable.

Packaging senior Megan Nakkula, who has a house on Durand Street, said she pays about $500 a month but is willing to settle for $200 a month. Nakkula said if she doesn’t find anyone, she’s fine with paying the rent herself because it’s something she expected to happen.

“I know there’s a lot of supply and not a lot of demand,” Nakkula said.

“I’m not that upset. I just kind of assumed I’d have to pay for the summer.”