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Tired of renting it out

Sell the rental, tenants and all

No more 2 am calls. Sell with tenants or without. We buy rentals as they are, lease and all.

What selling a rental property with tenants usually looks like

A rental that made sense five years ago can quietly turn into a second job: repairs between tenants, rent that arrives when it arrives, and a property you drive past with your stomach tight.

Selling the usual way makes it worse. Showings with tenants in place are hard on everyone, and most buyers want the house empty and refreshed before they will even look.

How we handle it

Tenants can stay put

We buy with the lease in place and take over as owner. Your tenants do not have to move out for the sale.

No turn, no refresh

Skip the between-tenant repaint and repairs. We buy the property exactly as it performs today.

A clean exit

One closing, the deposits transfer, and the 2 am calls ring somewhere else from then on.

How selling a tenant-occupied house works in Arkansas

Selling a house with a tenant in it is a normal transaction in Arkansas. It just has a few extra moving parts. The lease, the security deposit, and the notice rules all follow the property to the next owner. Here is how each piece works, in plain terms.

  1. The lease goes with the house

    A lease does not end because the house changes hands. The Arkansas Court of Appeals has held that when a landlord sells property subject to an unfulfilled lease, the buyer takes the property subject to the terms of that lease. The same opinion notes that a tenant holds a right of possession good against the whole world, including the owner. Under Ark. Code Ann. 18-17-301 a landlord is the owner or lessor of the premises, so at closing the buyer simply steps into your place.

  2. Find out what kind of tenancy you have

    Read the lease and find the end date. A fixed term runs to that date and carries over to the new owner. If the tenancy is month to month, Ark. Code Ann. 18-17-704 says either side may end it by written notice given at least thirty days before the termination date named in the notice. A week to week tenancy takes seven days' written notice under that same section.

  3. Gather the paperwork before anything else

    Pull together the signed lease, any amendments, the rent record, the security deposit records, and any written notices either side has sent. Write down who actually collects the rent, because a third party managing for a fee changes which deposit rules apply to you. A buyer needs to see what they are taking on, and so does the attorney handling your closing.

  4. Check whether the Security Deposit Act applies to you

    It does not cover every Arkansas landlord. Under Ark. Code Ann. 18-16-303 the Act does not apply to an owner who, together with a spouse, minor children, and related rental entities, owns five or fewer dwelling units. That exemption goes away if a third party handles management, including rent collection, for a fee. Where the Act does apply, the deposit cannot be more than two months' periodic rent under 18-16-304, and it must be returned within sixty days of the end of the tenancy with any deductions itemized in a written notice to the tenant under 18-16-305.

  5. Know the quality standards that run with the tenancy

    Act 1052 of 2021, now at Ark. Code Ann. 18-17-502, set minimum standards for leases entered into or renewed after November 1, 2021. They cover hot and cold running water, electricity, potable drinking water, a sanitary sewer and code-conforming plumbing, a functioning roof and building envelope, and a functioning heating and air conditioning system to the extent one served the place at the start. If a tenant gives written notice of a problem, the landlord has thirty calendar days to correct it, and the tenant's only remedy is to end the lease without penalty and get the deposit back. Arkansas law does not let a tenant hold back rent or take repairs out of the rent.

  6. Sort out access and showings

    Arkansas does not set a statewide notice period for entering a rental. You will see a twenty-four hour rule repeated online, but that comes from lease language, not from the Arkansas Residential Landlord-Tenant Act. Check what your lease actually says about entry and about showing the property. If the lease is silent, access comes down to what your tenant is willing to agree to.

Your options with a tenant in place

There is no single right answer. The best move depends on your lease, your tenant, and how much time and money you want to put in. Here are the paths owners usually weigh.

Sell on the open market with the tenant in place

You sell to someone who wants a rental, and the lease goes with the house. A paying tenant, a signed lease, and clean records can make the property more attractive to that kind of buyer. The tradeoff is a smaller pool of buyers, and access for inspections and appraisals still depends on your lease and your tenant.

Wait for the tenancy to end, then sell empty

If the tenancy is month to month, Ark. Code Ann. 18-17-704 lets you end it with at least thirty days' written notice. A fixed term runs to its end date unless you and the tenant agree otherwise. You end up with an empty house that shows well, but you carry the mortgage, taxes, insurance, and utilities through the vacancy and through any repairs.

Keep the property and fix what is not working

Selling is not the only answer to a rental that has gotten hard to manage. You can adjust rent at renewal, hand the property to a management company, or renegotiate the lease. Just note that paying a third party to manage and collect rent means the Security Deposit Act applies to you even if you own five or fewer units.

Sell to us for cash

We buy the house as it stands, tenant included, so there are no showings, no open houses, and no repairs. You get a guaranteed cash offer within 24 hours and you can sell in less than 10 days. The honest tradeoff is price, because a cash offer on an as-is house is usually less than a repaired, empty house would bring on the open market after months of work.

Same promise as every house we buy.

A guaranteed cash offer within 24 hours. No repairs, no showings, no fees. Close in less than 10 days, or on your timeline. See the whole process.

Get my cash offer

Questions sellers ask us

Can I sell my house in Arkansas if a tenant is still living there?

Yes. The lease does not end because you sell. Arkansas appellate case law holds that a buyer takes property subject to an unfulfilled lease, and that a tenant has a right of possession good against the whole world, including the owner. The buyer becomes the landlord and takes the lease as written.

Do I have to tell my tenant that I am selling?

The notice rules in Ark. Code Ann. 18-17-704 are about ending a tenancy, not about selling the property. Your lease may have its own language about a sale, so read it before you do anything. Telling your tenant early is usually the smoother path, since the new owner is the person they will be paying rent to.

What happens to the security deposit when the house sells?

It follows the house. Under Ark. Code Ann. 18-16-302, whoever holds the landlord's interest when the tenancy ends is bound by the Security Deposit Act, and after closing that is the buyer. Deposits are normally credited to the buyer at closing so the money is there when the tenant moves out. Get it in writing: 18-16-306 lets a tenant recover twice any amount wrongfully withheld, plus costs and attorney's fees.

Does my tenant have to let buyers walk through the house?

Arkansas has no statute setting notice before entry, so this is a lease question rather than a state law question. If your lease grants entry to show the property, follow it exactly. If it does not, you need your tenant's cooperation. This is one reason owners with a strained tenant relationship look at a cash sale, since we do not need showings or open houses.

My tenant stopped paying rent. Should I use the failure to vacate law before I sell?

Probably not. Ark. Code Ann. 18-16-101, the criminal failure to vacate statute, requires ten days' written notice and sets a fine of one to twenty-five dollars, with each day of willful holdover a separate offense. Enforcement varies widely by county, and the Pulaski County circuit court has held the statute unconstitutional. Do not build a plan around it. Talk to a lawyer about what fits your situation.

Do I have to make repairs before I sell a rental?

Not to sell it to us. While the tenancy is running, Ark. Code Ann. 18-17-502 sets six minimum quality standards for leases entered into or renewed after November 1, 2021, and gives the landlord thirty calendar days after written notice to correct a problem. That duty follows the property to whoever owns it next. If you would rather not spend money on a house you are leaving, an as-is cash sale hands the repairs to the buyer.

Do you really buy houses in any condition?

Yes. We buy houses with bad roofs, foundation problems, fire or water damage, and houses full of belongings. You do not need to repair, clean, or clear anything out.

How do you decide what to offer?

We look at your house's condition, the repairs it needs, and what similar Central Arkansas homes have sold for. Then we walk you through the numbers. No games, no last-minute price drops.

Are there any fees or commissions?

No. There are no agent commissions and no service fees, and we cover the typical closing costs, meaning the title work. The offer we make is the cash you receive at closing.

We buy houses, we are not attorneys, so please have a lawyer review your lease and anything specific to your situation before you decide.

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