What is a sublease?

A sublease refers to a contract that allows a lessee to lease part or all of an asset to another party, which is also known as a sublessee. This arrangement enables the original lessee to remain responsible for the terms of the original lease while transferring some or all of their rights and obligations regarding the asset to someone else. The sublessee effectively becomes a tenant of the original lessee, but the original lessee still retains liability to the lessor (the entity that owns the asset). This concept is particularly useful when the lessee no longer needs the asset for the duration of the original lease but does not want to relinquish those lease rights completely.

In contrast, the other options do not accurately capture the essence of a sublease. A lease between two parties simply describes a general lease agreement and does not specify the relationship or roles involved in a sublease scenario. A new lease contract for an asset implies a fresh agreement that does not reflect the layered relationship inherent to subleasing. Lastly, the termination of the original lease completely changes the relationship and obligations of the parties involved and does not allow for the rights of a lessee to be shared or transferred, which is the key feature of a sublease.