subtenant
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subtenant
A person who rents part of an apartment or a room not from the owner, but from the main tenant.
Der neue Untermieter zieht nächste Woche in das freie Zimmer ein.
The new subtenant is moving into the empty room next week.
The word is made up of 'unter' (under) and 'Mieter' (tenant). So a 'Untermieter' (subtenant) is literally a person who stands 'under' the main tenant in the rental hierarchy and rents from them.
Als Student hat er lange als Untermieter in einer WG gewohnt.
As a student, he lived for a long time as a subtenant in a shared apartment.
A 'Untermieter' (subtenant) rents from a 'Hauptmieter' (main tenant). The 'Hauptmieter' in turn rents the apartment from the 'Vermieter' (landlord/owner). So the word describes a specific position in a rental chain.
Der Hauptmieter muss den Vermieter um Erlaubnis fragen, bevor er einen Untermieter aufnimmt.
The main tenant must ask the landlord for permission before taking in a subtenant.
Common verbs used in connection with this word are 'einen Untermieter suchen' (to look for a subtenant), 'einen Untermieter aufnehmen' (to take in a subtenant), or 'als Untermieter wohnen' (to live as a subtenant).
Wir suchen einen neuen Untermieter für das freie Zimmer.
We are looking for a new subtenant for the empty room.
roommate
A Mitbewohner lives with other people in the same apartment or house. An Untermieter, on the other hand, rents part of an apartment or a room from the main tenant. Mitbewohner is the right term for living together; Untermieter is more precise when referring to this specific rental arrangement.
Mein Untermieter und ich teilen uns die Küche in meiner Wohnung.
My subtenant and I share the kitchen in my apartment.
Mein Mitbewohner und ich teilen uns die Küche in unserer Wohnung.
My roommate and I share the kitchen in our apartment.
