Duplex
One building split into two separate units, each with its own entrance. Small investors often live in one side and rent the other, which is called house hacking.
Every term like this one lights up in the step you're on.
Free to set up. No credit card.Part 1 of 4
Why a seller cares
A duplex draws two kinds of buyers: owner-occupants who will live in one side and investors who will rent both. Leases in place, rent history and separate utilities are what both groups ask about first.
Part 2 of 4
A simple example
Your duplex has a tenant on one side at $1,100 a month and you on the other. Offers come from a young couple and a local investor.
| The buyer | What they want to know |
|---|---|
| An owner-occupant | When your side is vacant and how good the tenant is |
| An investor | Both rents, the lease terms, and the expense history |
| Either | Whether the utilities are split and who pays what |
A duplex sells on its numbers as much as its rooms.
Part 3 of 4
What people get wrong
That a tenant is a problem for the sale. A paying tenant on a lease is part of what an investor is buying.
Part 4 of 4 · where to read next
Where it appears in the sale
What a definition is, and what it isn't
Keighbor is a software company, not a law firm, brokerage, or tax adviser. This is general information, not legal, tax, financial, or real estate advice about your sale. Your situation may differ. Before acting on a contract, disclosure, title, tax, or pricing question, ask an appropriately licensed professional in your state.
Written and researched by Keighbor Research · drawn from the reference glossary · how we research and check what we publish
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