Rent-back
When the seller stays in the home after closing for an agreed number of days, paying rent to the buyer. Common when the seller's next home isn't ready yet.
Your Room opens on going under contract and closing, with the offer and everything before it already ticked.
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See how it worksWhere this comes up in a sale, and what follows
- Loan underwriting (comes before)
Part 1 of 4
Why a seller cares
A rent-back lets you stay after closing while your next home is finished. It is common, it is negotiated as part of the offer, and it comes with a written agreement, a daily rate and usually a deposit.
Part 2 of 4
A simple example
Closing is May 30 and your new home is ready June 12. The buyer agrees to a 14-day rent-back at $75 a day, with a $1,500 deposit held by the title company.
| The term | In this rent-back |
|---|---|
| Length | 14 days, ending June 12 |
| Rent | $75 a day, about the buyer's carrying cost |
| Deposit | $1,500 held until you are out and the home is as agreed |
| Insurance | You keep renter's coverage; the buyer insures the home |
After closing you are the buyer's tenant, and the agreement says what kind.
Part 3 of 4
What people get wrong
That a rent-back is a favor that needs no paperwork. It is a lease, and the buyer's lender usually caps it at around 60 days.
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
In your Room, this word explains itself where it appears.
Your Room defines rent-back in the step you meet it in, beside the document or the date it belongs to. Free to set up, with an agent or on your own.
Organize my saleFree to set up. Pay once when you list: $89 or $189. 7-day refund.