Two bedroom near Figueroa and Adams
The student sublease market, a little less guesswork.
Find a place for next semester, or pass yours on instead of paying for months you cannot use.
- Campus email verified
- Free to list and browse
- Live at USC, more campuses soon
A real look at browsing near USC. Every place on it was posted by a student. Open the app
Both sides win
One lease. Two students. Nobody overpays.
The same room, counted twice. Here is the math on a $1,500 lease with three months left on it.
You are leaving
Stop paying for months you cannot use.
Free to list. Handoff makes the introduction, you and your landlord keep the lease.
List your placeYou are moving in
Pay less than the lease asks.
A sunny room near campus
The savings tag is the gap between the original lease and what the student is asking. Sample listing, real prices come from students.
See what places go forHow it works
Three steps, either direction.
Handoff makes the introduction. You handle the lease and payments directly.
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Step 01
Pick your campus and your dates.
Filter by budget, rooms, and the months you actually need. Listing instead? Add your rent, dates, and photos.
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Step 02
Compare them on the map.
Price and the walk to campus in the same view, so a good deal three blocks further out is easy to spot.
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Step 03
Send a request, then talk.
Your email stays private until the listing owner accepts. After that you both see it and take it from there.
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Students only Sign up with the email that matches your campus and verify it once.
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Free, both ways Browsing, listing, and requests cost nothing. Handoff never touches rent or deposits.
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Private until accepted Contact details are revealed to both students only once a request is accepted.
How Handoff compares
Built for one job the others were never built for.
Students sublease in group chats, on classifieds, and on rental sites meant for twelve month leases. Here is what changes when the product is built for a semester handoff.
| Feature | HandoffThat is us | Facebook groupsand Marketplace | Craigslistsublets, temporary | Big listing sitesZillow, Apartments.com | Sublet startupsLeasebreak, Sublet.com, Snag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student email verified | Some check ID, not a campus email | ||||
| Shows what the original lease costs, so the saving is on the card | A few show a market comparison | ||||
| Map with walk and drive time from campus, plus the campus safety zone | Maps, but no campus layer | ||||
| Free to list, browse and message, with no cut of your rent | Paid to post in a few cities | Free to browse, sublets often refused | Some charge, or take a share of rent | ||
| Contact shared only after a handoff request is accepted | Some put messaging behind a fee | ||||
| Built for semester timing, dates first | Short term, not semester shaped |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Grouped by where students actually look, with plain names and no logos. The comparison reflects public product pages and help centers as of September 2026, and it is generous where a competitor genuinely does the thing. Products change, so check theirs before you decide.
"I was paying for an empty room from May to August. Someone took it over in nine days and I only lost one month."
Start with your campus
Live at USC, more campuses soon.
One campus at a time, so every map is dense enough to be worth opening.
Good questions
A few things you might be wondering.
A clearer picture before you make your move.
Take a look aroundChoose your campus and sign up with its matching school email address. We will send a verification link. Verify your email before you list a place or send a handoff request.
Verification confirms access to that email. It does not verify a person's identity, enrollment, property, or lease.
Yes. Browsing, posting listings, and sending requests are free to use. Handoff does not collect rent or deposits. You and the other student arrange the lease and any payments directly.
Your email is not shown on public listings or pending requests. When a listing owner accepts a request, both students can see each other's email in the app. Keep contact details out of your listing and introduction if you want them to stay private until then.
Yes. Choose a private room, shared room, or entire place. Include clear photos, accurate dates, and the details someone would want to know about roommates, shared spaces, utilities, and lease requirements.
Handoff is live at USC, with more campuses soon. Listings are added by students, so availability moves with the semester. If your campus is not open yet, tell us and your place could be the first one on it.
Arrange a visit, check the property and lease details, and confirm any required landlord approval. Agree on the terms directly. Handoff connects students and does not inspect properties, sign leases, process payments, or resolve lease disputes.
Here is to what is next
Your next chapter needs a place.
Find yours. Or help another student find theirs.