Selling property using a rent to own agreement is becoming increasingly popular with homeowners in the Charleston area!
The process is underutilized and can be beneficial for both the buyer and seller when structured properly. Learn more about how to do it in our latest post!
Renting to Own
While a rent to own sale may not be the first thing you think of when selling your house in Charleston, it can be a beneficial option in the right situations! If you want to open the door to a whole new market of buyers, consider the many benefits a rent to own agreement can offer you!
How Exactly Does It Work?
When a tenant or buyer enters into a rent to own agreement, they are agreeing to pay (an often increased) rent each month for a specific period of time. There will likely be a down payment made to the owner in order to secure the contract. Once the rental period has elapsed, the tenant will need to either obtain a loan to purchase the property outright from the buyer or walk away from the deal, thus losing and deposit money they had invested.
Terms of The Contract
When a homeowner and a tenant enter into a rent to own agreement, there are a number of terms that will need to be agreed upon before the contract is signed. Here’s an overview of some common terms:
Lease Term
How long will the tenant be able to rent the property before a purchase? Typically, the rental period will last 1-2 years.
Down Payment
In many cases, a tenant will make a down payment to the homeowner to secure the contract and to show good faith. While this amount won’t be as high as the down payment for a traditional bank loan, it should be enough to keep the potential buyer from easily backing out.
Monthly Rent
To some extent, the seller is doing the buyer a favor by allowing them to rent before actually buying. While the process has many benefits for the seller, a rent to own agreement will open the door to home ownership for people who likely wouldn’t have been able to do it otherwise.
Property Maintenance
Typically, the tenant will handle the maintenance of the property during the rental period. This could include repairs, landscaping, and more. This should be discussed between the buyer and seller and detailed within the contract.
Real Property Taxes
The tenant will also likely take on the property tax payments. This alleviates a large cost for you as a homeowner.
Credit
With the deposit from the prospective buyer and the increased rent each month, many agreements will state that a portion of this money goes toward the down payment on a traditional loan.
What Are The Benefits of Rent to Own?
There’s many reasons homeowners choose to go this route. Here’s a few common benefits of using a rent to own contract.
You Get Your Asking Price
When you use a rent to own contract to sell your house in Charleston, you will open the property up for many more potential buyers. As such, there will be more interest, giving you the opportunity to easily secure asking price within the terms of the loan.
Collect Higher Rent
Houses under a rent to own agreement often collect a higher rent each month. While some of these funds may be used toward the tenant’s down payment on the home, you will still be able to see great profits, as well as the security of having a tenant in place throughout the duration of the lease term.
Deposit
If the tenant defaults on the agreement, the deposit and the amount paid in rent, is yours to keep. You might be back where you started, but you will be there with more cash in your pocket.
How Do I Get Started?
To get started you will want to find the right tenants to enter into the agreement with. Draw up a contract detailing every aspect of the agreement as mentioned above.
Have your lawyer review the contract to ensure everything is in order. D Gilpin Properties can make the entire process of offering your property via a rent to own agreement simple and profitable.
