Tired of being a landlord? How to sell a rental house in Louisiana

Can I sell a rental house with the tenant still in it?

Yes. You can sell a rental with a tenant in place, and many investors, including us, buy that way. Ending the lease is not required. A buyer who takes the house with the tenant takes over as landlord after closing.

Some owners come to us tired of the calls, the repairs and the late rent. Some have a tenant who has stopped paying, or a house that has sat empty and needs work. Each of those can be sold as it sits. If you are done managing the house, our page for tired landlords walks through selling with a tenant in place or with the house empty.

What happens to the lease when a rental is sold?

In general, a lease for a set term is something the buyer has to deal with, and the sale does not wipe it out. Louisiana law on leases and on what a new owner must honor has details that depend on the lease and on whether it was recorded. We keep this general on purpose. If your tenant has a written lease, give a copy to the title company and to your attorney, and ask them how it works on your sale.

A few plain points:

• Tell your tenant. Rent and who to pay change at closing. A short written notice with the new owner's name and contact details avoids confusion.
• Don't promise the tenant anything the lease doesn't say. Keep it in writing.
• Month-to-month tenants can usually be handled by notice under Louisiana law. The notice periods are set by the Louisiana Civil Code, so ask a lawyer about your case.
• If you are trying to end a lease early, talk to a Louisiana attorney first. Evictions in Louisiana go through the courts, and a sale does not skip that.

What about the security deposit?

The deposit generally goes with the house. Louisiana's deposit law says that when a landlord transfers the property, the deposit is passed to the new owner, who is then responsible for returning it when the lease ends, under R.S. 9:3251. In practice, the title company shows the deposit as a credit to the buyer on the closing statement. Gather your tenant's deposit record before closing.

Also gather any prepaid rent. Rent collected for a month that runs past the closing date is usually split, the same way property taxes are.

What should I get ready before I sell a rental?

Gather the paperwork first, because it speeds everything up. A buyer and a title company will want to see it.

• The lease, with the start date, the end date and the rent amount.
• The deposit record, showing how much you hold and when it was paid.
• The rent history, so everyone knows what is current and what is owed.
• Your loan information, if there is a mortgage, and your latest property tax bill.
• A list of repairs and problems you know about. Tell us up front. It saves time and keeps the offer honest.

You do not need to repair anything on that list. We just want the full picture before we make an offer.

Selling a rental as-is

You don't need to fix a rental to sell it. We buy rentals in any condition: dated, worn, damaged by a tenant, or empty and in need of work. You don't clean out the house, repaint, or make repairs.

Some situations where an as-is sale tends to fit:

• A tenant who is behind or causing damage. You can sell without having to see the case through.
• An empty house that needs work. You stop paying taxes and insurance on a house that earns nothing.
• Repairs that keep coming. A roof, plumbing or an air conditioner that costs more than the rent covers.
• A rental you inherited. See inherited houses for how a succession can affect a sale.
• Out-of-town ownership. You don't want to manage a house from far away.

The trade is the same as any as-is sale: the price is lower than a fixed-up, retail sale, in exchange for speed, certainty, no repairs and no showings. See selling as-is in Shreveport-Bossier for the honest side of that trade.

Cash or taking over payments

We may pay cash at closing, or we may take over payments or pay you over time. It depends on the house and on what works for you, and we don't promise either one up front. If there is a loan on the rental, a local title company handles the payoff or the take-over terms, and we put them in writing.

What about taxes when I sell a rental?

Selling a rental can have tax consequences, and they are different from selling a house you lived in. We aren't tax advisors, so this is a list of things to ask your CPA, not advice.

• Capital gains. A profit on the sale may be taxed. See the IRS page on capital gains and losses.
• Depreciation recapture. If you took depreciation on the rental, or could have, part of your gain may be treated differently. See IRS Publication 544, Sales and Other Dispositions of Assets.
• A 1031 exchange. In some cases, an owner can defer tax by rolling the proceeds into another investment property. It has strict rules and deadlines, and it has to be set up before closing. The IRS covers like-kind exchanges in the same Publication 544.
• Louisiana income tax. The state may also have its own treatment.

Talk to your CPA before you sign a contract, not after. That is when it can still change the plan.

How selling a rental to us works

• You call Charlie at (318) 714-4321 or send the form. Tell us the address and whether a tenant is in the house.
• We look at the house and the numbers. We ask about the lease, the deposit, any loan and any back taxes.
• We give you a written offer, with what you would net. You can say no.
• A local title company handles the closing. It handles the payoff, the taxes and the deposit.
• We take over the tenant after closing. You are no longer the landlord. You pick the closing date.

We buy rentals in Shreveport, Bossier City, Benton, Haughton, Keithville, Greenwood, Blanchard and DeSoto Parish. For what comes out of a sale, see Louisiana seller closing costs.

Updated November 2, 2026