Loans

How to evaluate rent-to-own homes and programs

The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice. See Lexington Law’s editorial disclosure for more information.

Purchasing your own home is a big milestone, but down payments, closing costs and less-than-stellar credit can make it a difficult one to achieve. However, there are other options that can be a good fit in some situations, such as looking for a rent-to-own home.

Learn how to find rent-to-own homes and what the process of renting to buy looks like in this guide.

What is a rent-to-own home?

A rent-to-own home is a house that you rent with the specific intention of buying after a certain amount of time. These are contractual agreements that usually have a certain portion of your rent going to the future purchase of the house.

Rent-to-own homes can be great choices for those who don’t have a lot saved up for a down payment or don’t have great credit to qualify for traditional financing. Rent-to-own situations come in two major varieties: lease-option and lease-purchase.

Lease-option is when you lease a house and will have the option to purchase it after a certain amount of time. With a lease-option, you don’t have to buy the house at the end of the lease period—you just get first dibs.

This makes it a more attractive rent-to-own option if your living situation and needs might change, or if you want to make sure you still like the area when that time comes.

With a lease-purchase, you’re expected to buy the house at the end of the lease period. If you’re sure the home is a good fit for your needs and you like the area, it can ensure that you have a home to purchase, but because you’re under contract, it can be a challenge if there are any financing issues later on.

Pros of rent-to-own

Some of the benefits of going with a rent-to-own house are:

At least part of your rent payments will be going to the purchase of the house, which means you can start building equity while you’re leasing.
You can go ahead and lock in the purchase price of the home, which can get you a good deal if property values in the area increase rapidly.
You don’t have to wait until your credit improves, you get financing or you’ve saved up a large down payment before you can move in.
If your rent-to-own is a lease-option agreement, you can still choose not to buy the home at the end of the lease period, so you keep your options open.

Cons of rent-to-own

While a rent-to-own opportunity can be very helpful, it’s also not suitable for every situation. Here are some potential pitfalls to be aware of before you sign:

If you go with a lease-purchase option, you’re contractually obligated to buy the house.
There’s no guarantee you’ll qualify for financing when it’s time to purchase the house.
If you decide not to buy the house, you can lose money even in a lease-option agreement because of the fees and rent credits involved.
You’ll need to be prepared for other potential fees and expenses, such as HOA fees, paying up the property taxes and maintenance fees.

Unfortunately, all rent-to-own opportunities aren’t created equally, so you’ll want to be sure to work with a well-known company to protect your investment.

Rent-to-own red flags to look out for

When you’re looking at potential rent-to-own opportunities, you’ll want to be sure to evaluate them and do your due diligence to ensure they’re good investments. Here are some red flags you might want to consider before enrolling:

A home that hasn’t been well taken care of and needs a lot of maintenance
A home that’s already in the process of foreclosure
Extra fees and payments that are put into the contract
A landlord who doesn’t want you to have your own home inspection done
A vague contract or one that seems too good to be true

You’ll also want to check the title report to ensure the landlord you’re entering into the rent-to-own agreement with is the real, legal owner of the land.

For more information on rent-to-own, examples of contracts, red flags to look out for and ways to shop for the best deal, download the Complete Rent-to-Own Guide for Prospective Homebuyers.

How to find a rent-to-own home

If you want to find a rent-to-own home, it can be a little harder than finding a house to purchase traditionally, but it’s not impossible. Check out the tips below.

Work with an experienced real estate agent

The best thing you can do when looking for a rent-to-own home is work with a professional, and that means working with an experienced real estate agent. An agent will have access to more opportunities to show you and can help you better evaluate the houses and the contracts.

Contact current property owners who are looking to sell

One of the best ways to find a rent-to-own house is to talk to homeowners who are already interested in selling. If you know someone personally, they may be more willing to work out a rent-to-own opportunity with you. Someone who’s had a house on the market for a while and is having trouble getting it sold may also be more willing to consider a rent-to-own.

If you choose this option, it’s still a good idea to work with a real estate agent who has experience with rent-to-own contracts to help you through the process.

Browse certain websites

There are specific real estate websites and apps that can help you find rent-to-own homes. Foreclosure.com and Renttoownlabs.com are two popular options, but you can also look for properties that might have an owner who would be interested in rent-to-own on Zillow, Realtor.com and other popular apps.

Work with a rent-to-own program

There are some specific private and government-funded programs that work with rent-to-own properties, and going directly through one of these can make it easier to find a house.

Home Partners is one option that can help you set up a rent-to-own contract on a property, but the safest programs are those that are sponsored through the government at the state or federal level. Your local HUD office may be able to give you more information.

Be careful and assess the risks

When it comes to how to find a rent-to-own home, locating the home is just the first step. A rent-to-own option requires just as big a decision as a traditional home purchase, and there are no guarantees in real estate. You’ll need to think through all of the options and carefully weigh what’s best for your situation.

Reviewed by Horacio Celaya, Associate Attorney at Lexington Law Firm. Written by Lexington Law.

Horacio Celaya was born in Tucson, Arizona but eventually moved with his family to Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. Mr. Celaya went on to graduate with Honors from the Autonomous University of Baja California Law School. Mr. Celaya is a graduate of the University of Arizona where he graduated from James E. Rogers College of Law. During law school, Mr. Celaya received his certificate in International Trade Law, completing his thesis on United States foreign direct investment in Latin America. Since graduating from law school, Mr. Celaya has worked in an immigration firm where he helped foreign investors organize their assets in order to apply for investment-based visas. He also has extensive experience in debt settlement negotiations on behalf of clients looking to achieve debt relief. Mr. Celaya is licensed to practice law in New Mexico. He is located in the Phoenix office.

Note: Articles have only been reviewed by the indicated attorney, not written by them. The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice; instead, it is for general informational purposes only. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client or fiduciary relationship between the reader, user, or browser and website owner, authors, reviewers, contributors, contributing firms, or their respective agents or employers.

Lexington Law is not an RTO company. Any content provided on this website regarding the topic of RTO is nothing more than a resource Lexington Law believes might be helpful to readers of its website. Lexington did not write this content. It was provided by a third party. The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice; instead, it is for general informational purposes only. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client or fiduciary relationship between the reader, user, or browser and website owner, authors, reviewers, contributors, contributing firms, or their respective agents or employers.

Lexington did not write this content. It was provided by a third party.

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