Rental houses
Sell a North Carolina rental home with the tenant still living there.
We buy rental houses throughout North Carolina in their current condition, with a tenant living there or with the house empty. You skip the make-ready work and the showings, and the closing date is your call.
Who sells to us
Landlords ready to stop managing a rental.
Some owners have rented out a house for years and are tired of the late-night repair calls. Others ended up with a rental through an inheritance, or bought one that never earned what they expected.
If a parent left you the rental, the estate side is covered on our page about selling an inherited home. If the house needs more than fresh paint and new carpet, see selling a house with major repairs.
- The lease ends soon and you would rather not renew it
- The tenant is late on rent or has caused damage
- The house is empty and needs make-ready work
- You run it from out of town
- The rent no longer covers the mortgage and the other costs
North Carolina rental rules
Where the lease and the tenant stand after a sale.
Selling the house does not end the tenancy. This is how the sale and the lease fit together under North Carolina law.
The lease stays in place
The buyer steps in as the landlord under the existing lease. We go through the lease terms, the monthly rent and the household with you before we plan anything else.
Two choices for the deposit
Under the North Carolina Tenant Security Deposit Act, a landlord who sells must either move the deposits to the new owner and tell the tenant in writing the new owner's name and address, or refund the deposits to the tenants. File the deposit paperwork with the lease so it is easy to find at closing.
Evictions go through the court
In North Carolina, a residential tenant can be removed only through the eviction process set out in state law, which runs through the court. Changing the locks is not an option, so let a North Carolina attorney handle any eviction.
Schedule the walk-through with care
A house with someone living in it takes more planning for our visit. Look at the lease for any notice rules before you set a time.
This is general information, and a North Carolina attorney can tell you how these rules apply to your lease.
Keep it or sell it
Rent it out again, or sell the North Carolina rental to us.
Find the next tenant
What another lease cycle tends to involve
- Make-ready work such as paint, floors and cleaning
- Vacant months with no rent coming in
- Listing, showing and screening for a new tenant
- Service calls on an older roof and HVAC system
- The mortgage, taxes and insurance, month after month
Sell to Barrington
What a sale to us involves
- No repairs or make-ready work
- The tenant can stay in place
- No fees and no commission
- A single visit in place of showings
- A closing date about a week out, or further out to fit the lease
From other landlords
Rental owners who sold to Barrington.
I can’t put it into words how happy we are that you guys bought our duplexes and took them off our hands. We’ve owned them for so long and we know a lot of work is needed. You all were very helpful, and we appreciate you so much!! We have another 4 unit building we’d love to sell you once all this mess with the election settles down. Thank you again to you and your team.
Thank you Parker and Christian for the great job of buying my old rental property. The closing went smoothly. Thank you very much!
Questions from landlords
Selling a rental in North Carolina.
We buy rental houses and duplexes throughout North Carolina, from Charlotte and the Triad to the Triangle and the coast. Our how we buy houses page lays out each step of the sale.
Can I sell while the tenant still lives in the house?
Yes. We buy houses with tenants in them, student rentals included. The lease and the tenant's rights carry over to the buyer, so we review the lease and the household with you first and plan from there.
Who keeps the tenant's security deposit?
North Carolina gives a selling landlord two choices. You can transfer the deposit to the new owner and let the tenant know in writing the new owner's name and address, or you can refund the deposit to the tenant. Ask the closing attorney to account for the deposits in the closing paperwork.
Can I sell if the tenant is behind on rent?
Yes. We still make offers on houses with unpaid rent or tenant damage, though both can affect the price. Removing a tenant and collecting what is owed are separate legal matters, so get advice from a North Carolina attorney before telling anyone when they will need to move out.
Should I fix the house up between tenants?
There is no need. We buy rentals as they are, so you can skip the paint, the carpet and the cleaning. We factor the repairs into the offer and do the work after we close.
What kinds of rentals do you buy?
We make offers on duplexes, townhomes, mobile homes and single-family houses, whether a tenant lives there or not.
Tell us where the rental is.
A specialist will phone you to go over the house, the lease and the people living there.
Ready to stop being a landlord
Ask for a cash offer before you sign another lease.
We buy with the tenant in place or with the house empty. You make no repairs and pay no fees, and one visit takes the place of showings.