As per California law, leases can indeed require tenants to obtain permission from their landlords before subletting the rental property. California law requires tenants to seek explicit, written permission from their landlords to sublet if it is not already allowed in the lease.You can, but it's not a good idea. Most leases prohibit subletting, or only allow it with permission. If you have a lease for a set term, like one year, you can sublet with or without your landlord's permission, unless they prohibit this in the written lease. So the answer to your question is no; CA law doesn't require a co-tenant to have permission to sublease. Subletting a rental is permitted in California if the landlord doesn't expressly prohibit it in the lease agreement. Need to sublease your rented apartment? Here's why you should obtain your landlord's consent first. If your rental agreement prohibits subleases or assignments, you must get your landlord's permission before you sublease or assign the rental unit.