Rental property, tenants in place
Sell Your Tenant-Occupied House in Washington for Cash
You do not have to empty a rental to sell it. We buy occupied houses and small multifamily properties across Puget Sound, honor the existing lease, and close without a single showing. Tired of being a landlord is reason enough.
How it works
How selling a rental with tenants works in Washington
In Washington the tenancy survives the sale. Whoever buys the property steps into your place as landlord, the lease continues on its existing terms, and the tenant’s security deposit transfers to the new owner’s trust account with written notice to the tenant (RCW 59.18.270). Under the state’s just-cause rules, a landlord who wants a tenant to leave in order to sell a single-family house must give at least 90 days’ written notice, and Seattle’s ordinances add further protections and relocation rules on top of state law. None of that is required when the buyer simply keeps the tenant.
That is the core of what we offer. Because we buy to hold or to resell to another investor, an occupied house is not a problem to solve, it is what we expect. There are no showings to schedule around your tenant, no notices to serve, no vacancy period where you carry the mortgage without rent, and no repairs to make between tenants. Rent is prorated at closing, the deposit is transferred, and the tenant gets a letter introducing the new owner and where to pay.
We ask for the lease, the rent roll, and honest notes on the tenant and the property, including anything behind on rent or in need of repair. We send a written cash offer within 24 hours and close in as few as 10 days through an independent escrow company. We are a buyer, not your attorney; if you are mid-dispute with a tenant, a landlord-tenant attorney should be part of the conversation before you sign with anyone.
Who this is for
We buy from Washington landlords who are
- Done managing and would rather have one check than another year of calls, turnovers, and repairs.
- Carrying a tenant who is behind on rent or a unit that has become more work than it returns.
- Holding a rental that needs major work a roof, a sewer line, a foundation, that a listing would demand be fixed first.
- Managing from out of state or from across the Sound, and ready to simplify.
- Facing rising costs and new regulations and want a clean exit that keeps the tenant housed.
- Selling a duplex, triplex, or small portfolio and want a single buyer for all of it.
Your options
Your options with a tenant in place (selling to us is one of them)
Helpful resources
The process
Three steps. No surprises.
Tell us about the house
Address, condition, timeline, and what is going on. Nothing to clean or fix first.
Written offer within 24 hours
Comparable sales, repair scope, our costs, and our margin, all on paper.
Close on your date
A licensed Washington escrow company handles closing; funds are wired at recording.
Questions
What people ask about tenant-occupied or tired landlord.
Do I have to evict or give notice to my tenant to sell?
No. In Washington the lease and tenancy transfer to the new owner, so a sale to a buyer who keeps the tenant requires no notice to end the tenancy. Notice rules (90 days to end a tenancy so the owner can sell a single-family home, plus Seattle’s additional requirements) only come into play if the buyer wants the house empty, which we do not.
What happens to the security deposit when I sell?
State law requires the deposit to move to the successor landlord’s trust account at the transfer, and the new landlord must promptly tell the tenant where it is held (RCW 59.18.270). We handle this through escrow and send the tenant the required notice with our contact and payment information.
My tenant is behind on rent. Will you still buy?
Yes, and we will factor it into the offer rather than refuse. Tell us what is owed and what has happened so far. If there is an active eviction case, we will want your attorney involved so the sale does not create problems for either side.
Do you buy duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes?
Yes. Small multifamily is a regular part of what we buy across Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, and the surrounding cities. Seattle’s Notice of Intent to Sell rules apply to buildings with two or more rental units, and we work within them.
Will you keep my tenant or turn them out after closing?
Our default is to keep good tenants in place; a paying tenant is an asset to us. If we ever needed possession we would follow Washington’s just-cause law and any local ordinance to the letter, with the full notice periods. We will be straight with you about our plan for the property before you sign.
Get an offer on your rental, tenant and all
A written cash offer within 24 hours, the math shown, no obligation. If listing would net you more, we will say so.
Sound Home Offer is a professional home-buying company, not a real estate brokerage, attorney, or financial advisor, and we do not act as your agent or in a fiduciary capacity. We may purchase your property directly, purchase and resell it, or, where disclosed in writing, assign our purchase contract to another buyer. An investor offer is typically below full retail market value in exchange for speed, certainty, and buying as-is. Selling to us is one option among several; you are encouraged to seek independent legal, tax, and financial advice before signing anything. Read our full disclosures.