Sell a House With Tenants in Charleston
Tired of being a landlord? We buy rental houses, duplexes and small multifamily properties across the Charleston area with the tenants still living there. No vacancy, no turnover repairs and no showings around a tenant's schedule.
Get My Cash Offer Call (727) 300-6656
Can you sell a house with tenants in it?
Yes. You can sell a rental while it's occupied, and that's how we often buy them. Leases usually transfer with the sale: the buyer takes the property subject to the existing lease, and a tenant's rights don't simply end because the owner changes.
Exactly how that works for your property, including the security deposit, prorated rent, any notice to the tenant and what happens at the end of the lease, depends on the lease terms and South Carolina law, so ask your attorney. The closing attorney handles the deed and the closing paperwork. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
What we can tell you is what changes for you: once we close, the rent, the repairs and the late-night calls are ours, not yours.
Why Charleston landlords sell
The Charleston area has a lot of rental housing. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates) shows 50.2% of occupied homes in North Charleston are renter-occupied, 44.4% in the City of Charleston and 43.1% in West Ashley's ZIP 29407, where the median home was built in 1971. Many of those rentals are older houses that need more upkeep every year.
The reasons landlords give us for selling:
- Turnover repairs and make-ready costs between tenants
- A tenant who pays late, or a lease that's ending and you don't want to start over
- Aging roofs, HVAC and plumbing on a 1960s or 1970s rental
- An inherited rental you never planned to manage
- Moving away and not wanting to be a long-distance landlord
- Flood or storm damage on a low-lying rental
- Wanting your equity out to simplify or retire
Rentals also carry a higher property tax assessment in South Carolina: 6% of fair market value, instead of the 4% ratio for an owner-occupied legal residence (§12-43-220). That's part of every year's holding cost, and taxes are prorated at closing.
Selling occupied vs. selling vacant
To sell a rental the usual way, many owners wait for the lease to end, let the house sit empty, repair and repaint it, and then list it. That means lost rent plus the time on market: a median of 55 days across the Charleston Trident region in September 2026, and often another month to close (Charleston Trident Association of Realtors MLS data, September 2026). Listing while it's occupied is possible, but showings depend on the tenant's cooperation and on how they keep the house.
When we buy, the tenant can stay put. We usually need one walkthrough, scheduled with the notice your lease calls for. We don't need the house empty, cleaned or repaired, and we don't ask you to remove anyone. Before you sign, we'll talk through the lease, the deposit and what we expect to do with the property after closing, so you can tell your tenant plainly what's happening.
What to have ready
- Copies of current leases and any renewals or amendments
- A simple rent roll: monthly rent, due dates and who is current
- Security deposits you're holding
- Open repair requests or notices from tenants
- Who pays which utilities, and any HOA details
Disclosure still applies to rentals. South Carolina's condition disclosure statement covers residential property with one to four units, so a duplex counts; you complete it or we both agree in writing to waive it. Rentals built before 1978 also need the federal lead-based paint disclosure. Our guide to selling a house with tenants in South Carolina goes deeper.
The honest price trade-off
Our cash offer will usually be less than what you might get listing with an agent after repairs. That's the trade for speed, certainty, no repairs and no fees. Use our cash offer vs. listing calculator to compare, and feel free to get an agent's opinion too.
For a rental, we price the house as-is, estimate the repairs, check comparable sales, account for the existing lease and figure in what we need to resell. We'll show you how we got the number; see how cash offers are calculated.
How selling a rental with tenants works
Tell us about the house
Use the form or call. Share what you know about the house and your timing; you don't need contractor quotes or a cleaned-up house.
Get a written cash offer
We'll send a written cash offer within 24–48 hours of seeing the house or getting the details we need, with an explanation of how we got there.
Lease details and walkthrough
Send copies of the leases and the rent roll. We schedule one walkthrough with proper notice to your tenant, and the closing attorney starts the title search.
Close on your date
We can close in as little as 7–14 days when the title is clear, at a South Carolina attorney's office, or later if that suits you. No fees or commissions, and we pay the closing costs.
See every step on how it works.
Rentals we buy across the Charleston area
We buy occupied and vacant rentals in neighborhoods across the area, including:
Related situations: selling a house that needs repairs and selling because you're relocating. Inherited a rental? See selling an inherited house.
Frequently asked questions
What happens to tenants when you sell a house?
Leases usually transfer with the sale, so the tenant generally keeps living there under the existing lease and the new owner steps into the landlord's role. How security deposits, prorated rent and any notice to the tenant are handled depends on your lease and South Carolina law, so ask your attorney. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is it harder to sell a house with tenants?
It can be when you list. Showings depend on the tenant's schedule and cooperation, the house may not show well, and many buyers want it vacant. Selling to us avoids most of that: one scheduled walkthrough, no repairs or cleaning, and no waiting for the lease to end. You choose the closing date, and we pay the closing costs.
Do I need my tenant to move out before I sell?
No. We buy rental houses and duplexes with tenants in place. You don't need to end a lease early, wait for it to expire or carry a vacancy. If your tenant already plans to leave, or the lease is month-to-month, tell us and we'll plan around it. Ask your attorney before you give a tenant any notice.
Do you buy duplexes and small multifamily rentals?
Yes. We buy single-family rentals, duplexes and small multifamily properties across the Charleston area, occupied or vacant, in as-is condition. South Carolina's disclosure statement covers residential property with one to four units, so plan to complete it or agree with us in writing to waive it. Sending the leases and rent roll speeds up the offer.
Will a cash offer on a rental be lower than listing it?
Usually, yes. Our cash offer will usually be less than what you might get listing after repairs, because we take on the repairs, the existing lease and the resale risk. In exchange you avoid vacancy, make-ready costs, commissions and closing costs. Our calculator helps you estimate a listing net so you can compare the two numbers.
Ready for a no-obligation cash offer?
Tell us about the house. We usually reply the same day, and you choose the closing date.