Which right allows the lessee to transfer the lease midway (subletting/novation)?

• A. Right to mortgage
• B. Right to re-entry
• C. Right to eviction
• D. Right to assign or sublet

Answer: (D)

The key idea here is that leases can be moved to another person through subletting or assignment (often with novation). Subletting lets the original lessee rent all or part of the space to someone else while the original lessee remains legally responsible under the lease. Assignment, sometimes with novation, transfers all rights and duties of the lease to the new tenant, potentially releasing the original lessee from future liability. This is exactly the mechanism by which a lease can be transferred midway to another party.

Other rights mentioned don’t address transferring the lease. The right to mortgage concerns using the property as security for a loan, the right of re-entry is the landlord’s power to reclaim possession, and the right to eviction is the process to remove a tenant. None of these describe the lessee’s ability to transfer the lease to someone else.