Sell Your Rental Property: Tenants and All
Reviewed by Eric Roebuck & Carson Whaley · Updated August 25, 2026
You don't need to evict anyone, finish a lease, or renovate a unit to sell a rental. We buy occupied properties directly from landlords who are done being landlords.
You'll work directly with Eric and Carson, the owners, not a call center.
You can sell a rental property at any time, with tenants in place, mid-lease, or even mid-eviction: the lease and security deposit transfer to the buyer at closing, and no eviction is required first. We buy occupied rentals directly from landlords, with a written offer about 24 hours after one scheduled walkthrough (which satisfies the 24-48 hour entry notice most states require) and a closing that can be timed to fit a 1031 exchange.
The Tired Landlord Math
Rentals look good on a spreadsheet until the spreadsheet meets reality: a roof and a furnace in the same year, a three-month vacancy, an eviction that costs thousands in legal fees and lost rent, 2 a.m. maintenance calls, and rising property taxes and insurance quietly eating the margin. If you're keeping a rental mostly because selling it seems complicated, it's worth knowing the complications are mostly solvable.
Yes, You Can Sell With Tenants In Place
A lease survives the sale, the buyer inherits it, along with the security deposit and the tenants. That kills most retail sales (owner-occupant buyers want the house empty, and showings with uncooperative tenants are miserable), but it's routine for us:
- Good tenants, active lease? Great, we're buying an income property, and your tenants keep their home. Often we never need to disturb them beyond one scheduled walkthrough. (Full detail on tenant rights and notice rules in our occupied-rental guide.)
- Month-to-month? We take over the tenancy as-is and handle any transition afterward, following the notice periods in that state.
- Behind on rent, hostile, or mid-eviction? We buy those too. You stop the bleeding at closing; the eviction or negotiation becomes our problem, handled lawfully.
- Trashed unit after a move-out? No cleanout, no turnover renovation, sell it exactly as they left it.
One honest note: tenant situation affects price. A well-kept unit with paying tenants is worth more than a mid-eviction unit with damage, and our written offer will show how we account for it.
What About Showings and Tenant Rights?
States require notice before entry (commonly 24–48 hours), and difficult tenants can refuse cooperation in ways that stall a listed sale for months. With us there are no repeated showings, one scheduled visit, or in some cases an exterior-plus-photos evaluation, keeps you compliant with notice laws and keeps tenants undisturbed.
The Tax Question Every Landlord Should Ask Before Closing Anything
Selling a rental triggers capital gains tax plus depreciation recapture, the IRS taxes the depreciation you've deducted over the years (currently at up to 25%), which surprises many landlords at filing time. Two things worth knowing before you sell to anyone:
- A 1031 exchange lets you defer taxes by rolling proceeds into another investment property under strict deadlines (45 days to identify, 180 to close). We can structure closings to fit exchange timelines.
- Selling in a low-income year, or offsetting with other losses, can substantially change the bill.
We're not tax advisors, run your numbers with a CPA before deciding. We're happy to hold an offer open while you do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to wait for the lease to end before selling?
No. The lease transfers with the property, we buy subject to it and honor its terms. You don't need tenant permission to sell, only to follow your state's notice rules for any entry, which one scheduled walkthrough satisfies.
My tenants haven't paid rent in months. Can I still sell?
Yes, and this is one of the most common calls we get. We buy properties with delinquent tenants and even mid-eviction. The unpaid rent history is factored into the offer, and after closing the situation is ours to resolve, lawfully, through the proper process, not through pressure tactics.
Should I renovate the unit before selling?
Almost never, for a rental. Turnover renovations are priced for future rent, not resale, and money spent rarely comes back dollar-for-dollar in a sale, especially with tenants still in place. Sell it as-is and let the next owner make renovation decisions on their own budget.
What happens to the security deposit?
It transfers to the buyer at closing (usually as a credit on the settlement statement), and the buyer takes on the legal obligation to return it to the tenant per state law. Your obligations to that deposit end at closing, cleanly and on paper.
Do you buy multi-unit buildings or just single-family rentals?
Both, single-family rentals, duplexes, triplexes, and small multifamily buildings, occupied or vacant. Portfolio sales (several properties at once) are welcome too; retiring landlords often sell us the whole set in one coordinated closing, which also simplifies 1031 exchange timing if you're rolling into a different investment.
The EZ Time Standard
Six promises we make on every transaction, in every market. Not marketing lines, operating policy.
Every offer in writing, math included
The after-repair value, repair estimate, and our margin, line by line. If a number moves, you see why.
Both options in one conversation
The fast cash offer and the Retail Buyer Program number, side by side, so the trade-off is concrete before you decide anything.
No fees or commissions, either path
Your number is your number. Typical seller closing costs are on us, and nothing is deducted later.
Licensed title company closings, always
Funds and documents go through a neutral title company or closing attorney on every transaction. No exceptions.
No pressure, by policy
Our offers don't expire in 24 hours, and "let me think about it" is a perfectly good answer. Take the offer to your attorney.
Straight answers about our role
If a vetted local partner will be the closing buyer on your property rather than us directly, you'll know before you sign anything.
These promises have names attached. Meet Eric and Carson, the people who answer when you call.
Related Guides
Ready to see both of your numbers?
Tell us about your property once and get a written cash offer, plus what our Retail Buyer Program could net you instead. No repairs, no fees, no pressure to accept.