Lease-option

A lease option (more formally Lease With the Option to Purchase) is a type of contract used in both residential and commercial real estate. In a lease-option, a property owner and tenant agree that, at the end of a specified rental period for a given property, the renter has the option of purchasing the property. A lease option is different from a lease purchase contract, in that a lease purchase binds both parties to the sale, whereas in a lease-option the buyer has the option but the seller does not. Residential example The example below describes a typical lease-option for residential properties; commercial lease-options are typically more complicated. The contract is typically between two parties: the tenant (also called the lessee or tenant-buyer), and the landlord (lessor), who owns or has the right to lease or dispose of the property.