Resources
Straight-talking guides to subletting housing in Ann Arbor, written for U of M students, by people who get the drill.
Live data
Median asking rents by bedroom count and neighborhood, computed from the active listings on Wroomly, not last year’s survey.
See the numbersLeaving for the summer, a co-op, or study abroad? Here's how to sublet your Ann Arbor place without losing money or breaking your lease.
When to start looking, what summer rent really costs, and the neighborhoods worth targeting for a May–August sublet.
Wired a deposit and never heard back? Here are the scam patterns that hit Ann Arbor students every year, and how to dodge them.
How much is normal, what Michigan law says, and the move-in photos that get your deposit back without a fight.
Eleven neighborhoods, one honest comparison: where to live based on your program, budget, and how much quiet you actually want.
Ann Arbor leases sign absurdly early. The month-by-month calendar, and what to do if you've already missed the wave.
Sublet, sublease, relet, lease takeover, assignment. People use them interchangeably; they mean legally different things. Here is who's on the lease, who holds the risk, and which to pick.
Signing a lease from another continent, sight-unseen, in a market you've never set foot in. Here's how to do it without getting burned.
You want quiet, a reasonable commute to your lab, and neighbors who sleep at night. The grad-student map of Ann Arbor.
Everyone writes about summer. But December graduations and spring study-abroad create a real January market. Here's how it works.
The math nobody does: every month your room sits empty costs more than the discount that would have filled it.
The unglamorous 90 minutes of move-in day that saves your deposit, your Wi-Fi, and your relationship with your roommates.
The city keeps a public record of every legal rental in Ann Arbor. Most students never check it. Here is how — and exactly what it does and doesn’t prove.
Wroomly is for University of Michigan students. Students who sign in with their UMich Google account are verified and carry a blue check on their profile and their listings, so you can tell at a glance who is a confirmed U of M student rather than an anonymous account.
Students who verify with their UMich Google login carry a blue check, so you can see which listings and inquiries come from confirmed University of Michigan students. From there, Wroomly pushes both sides toward the safe path: see the place live, put the agreement in writing, and never pay by wire, gift card, or crypto.
Wroomly is free. Listing your place is free, browsing is free, and there are no service fees or monthly charges. Rent and any deposit are arranged directly between you and the other student.
No. Wroomly connects verified U of M students and you arrange rent and any deposit directly with the other person. Use a traceable payment method, get the terms in writing before money moves, and never pay by wire, gift card, or crypto.
Document the place with timestamped photos when you move in and again when you move out, and get the deposit terms in writing before you pay. Under Michigan law, a deposit must be returned (or an itemized list of damages sent) within 30 days of the lease ending.
Most Ann Arbor leases allow subletting but require written landlord approval, and some charge a small fee. Always check your lease and get approval in writing before you sublet your place.