how does rent to own work for multi family properties,
For duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes, so long as the owner lives in one of the units, the whole property is eligible for the owner occupant exemption.
I also wouldn’t want to completely deincentivize renting because there are situations where it’s a better fit for people as long as they are not getting gouged or kicked out needlessly.
Land contracts will replace rental agreements.
A land contract is (initially) a rental agreement. The rent price is the monthly rate of a 30-year mortgage. The agreement is recorded with the county, like a deed, and for our purposes, this tenant would be considered the owner.
If you walk away in the first three years, the contract never becomes anything more than a rental agreement. You forfeit any equity you would have built, but you can walk away without additional repercussion.
If you stay for three years, your previous “rental” payments convert to “mortgage” payments, and you gain equity in the home. That equity becomes your down payment on the mortgage, and the agreement converts to a purchase contract with a private mortgage from your landlord, with 27 years left on the mortgage.
With the tax system I described, landlords will be fighting tooth and nail to convert tenants to buyers under land contracts. Short-term tenants won’t see any significant difference, but long term tenants are helped into home ownership.
