I like the general idea but how does rent to own work for multi family properties, especially in larger apartment buildings?
You get the reduced tax rate if you live inside the building. If the owner of an apartment building has to live inside the apartment building then the overall quality of the facilities is going to be better maintained.
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That does nothing to answer the question of how a single building with multiple occupied units could be converted into a rent to own property.
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In most states that have a program like this the property tax exemption is laughable compared to the average annual income from owning an apartment building with 10+ units. For example, in California you get $7000 towards your annual property taxes for living on property. The average rent for an apartment in San Francisco is right around $3500/month.
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Condos are deeded properties. Convert the building from apartments to condominiums, and use land contracts instead of rental agreements. Anyone who stays longer than the initial period of the land contract begins to gain equity in their property.
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The “stick” is the massively increased property taxes on residential properties, so that the exemption can be larger. I would say that San Francisco is an outlier, and should not be used as an example when considering a general rule. They will require special consideration.
Apartments get converted to condos all of the time. I don’t necessarily agree about a rent to own mandate, but long term renters ought to see something back.
In the system we have right now the owners take the profit, keep the equity, and have very few (if any) constraints on how much they can charge. Modern software allows even small landlords to collude and price fix just like the big guys.
