Under individual lease programs you are assigned roommates, which gives you no control over who you live with. A joint lease will nearly always serve you well.Conduct a joint walk-through of the unit with your landlord, using the checklist as a guide. Customer: I live in Oakland, CA, I am the master tenant. I sublet a room and have a sublease. Some of our most Frequently Asked Questions are answered below. If your lease says that you need the approval of your landlord in writing or that the prospective tenant must fill out an application, you should comply. If both tenant and landlord have lost the apartment lease (Oakland, CA), does the landlord's lease with other tenants in the building prevail? However, individual leases can be more expensive than joint leases, since you'll be responsible for the entire rent payment. If your lease says that you need the approval of your landlord in writing or that the prospective tenant must fill out an application, you should comply.