When Anja Puumala graduates in May, she will switch area codes and move to Ohio, but she fears she could get stuck paying her lease for a house in East Lansing.
The audiology and speech sciences senior decided to look for a subleaser for her house on M.A.C. Avenue by posting an ad on 
www.subleaser.com.
"I didn't realize how many people don't live here over the summer," Puumala said.
Puumala said she is concerned she won't find a subleaser because she watched other people slash their monthly rent in order to attract subleasers and knows friends who could not find anyone.
After placing an ad on www.allmsu.com and www.subleaser.com, Puumala finally found one student interested in looking at her room.
Justin Baldwin created the Web site www.subleaser.com in order to help students such as Puumala find someone to take over their leases after his experience at the University of Alabama.
"I was in the process of getting out of a lease before heading home for summer," Baldwin, a 2003 graduate, said.
The idea for the Web site came to Baldwin after he wanted to look for a subleaser but couldn't think of a good way to advertise other than hanging up notices with pull-off tabs.
"I just got to thinking there had to be a better way than that," he said.
Baldwin checked online but still didn't see alternative ways for students to find subleasers — so he decided to create his own.
Baldwin purchased a domain name for $5, marking the beginnings of www.subleaser.com.
After hiring a company to develop the Web site, Baldwin launched it in March 2005.
It is free, although he said by next spring he might charge students to leave posts. Baldwin said he plans to leave the search option free.
By searching different subleases available at MSU, students can ask for a certain rent price, type of building and number of bedrooms or bathrooms.
Puumala, who explored the site, said she liked the fact that students could search for specific details. Students can limit their searches to find leases that allow pets and have commodities such as dishwashers, balconies or air conditioning.
Baldwin estimated nearly 3,000 college students have submitted posts looking for subleasers.
"It ranges from colleges across the country — large and small," Baldwin said.
About 15 MSU students have already advertised for subleasers on the site.
Although MSU alumnus Nick Helmholdt posted an ad when he wanted to move out of East Lansing, he found his subleaser by a more unusual way.
Helmholdt said he heard about an MSU student who was evicted from the dorms. He figured the student would need a new place to live and e-mailed him.
