Buyer Possession Before Closing

Janet Wickell is a mortgage and home loans expert who has written about topics including real estate/real estate resources and financing your home purchase. She co-owned a real-estate agency in North Carolina and is the author of "The Everything Real Estate Investing Book."

JeFreda R. Brown is a financial consultant, Certified Financial Education Instructor, and researcher who has assisted thousands of clients over a more than two-decade career. She is the CEO of Xaris Financial Enterprises and a course facilitator for Cornell University.

Possession of a home typically transfers from seller to buyer at the time of closing, but sometimes, a buyer will ask the seller to grant early possession before closing occurs. Buyers usually make this request because their apartment lease has ended or their old home has already sold, and they need a place to live immediately.

Sellers make the final decision as to whether an early possession makes sense for their transaction, but most listing agents discourage such situations, because too many things can go wrong.

Key Takeaways

• Homebuyers sometimes request to take early possession before closing, typically because their lease is ending or their old home has sold.
• Granting this request comes with significant risks, including the home sale falling through and the former buyers refusing to vacate.
• Early buyer possession should be handled with a written lease agreement that's separate from the purchase agreement.
• Sellers should run a thorough background check on their buyers before agreeing to early-possession terms.

Mortgage Underwriting Problems

The sale might end up falling through for some reason, often due to a mortgage underwriting problem. The homebuyers' loan might not be approved even after a thorough review of their documents.

Note

The listing agent is back to square one should this happen, trying to find another buyer for the home, but with an unwanted tenant in residence—the first buyer.

Ideally, the former buyers would voluntarily vacate, but some agents have found out the hard way that homeowners often have to take legal action to remove them from the premises after a sale falls through.

Unwanted 'Improvements'

The buyers might think that the house is already theirs, and they might begin to make changes that are unacceptable to the owner. Homeowners can be stuck with the improvements if the house doesn't close, or they'll have to spend money to put things back to the way they were before.

The Repair List Starts Growing

Buyers might start making lists of extra repairs they want to see completed before closing. Most often, these aren't genuinely necessary fixes but simply things they would like to see changed. It can be especially frustrating if the transaction has already gone through the inspection and repair processes. Sellers should be sure to stipulate—before the buyers move in early—that any and all repairs are spelled out in the contract and have already been agreed to.

Get a Written Agreement

Early buyer possession should be handled with a written lease agreement that's separate from, and in addition to, the purchase agreement.

The lease agreement should describe the duties and responsibilities of both parties. Real estate agents can provide a standard contract addendum that covers early buyer possession, but an attorney can draft the document if either party prefers that, and sometimes, having a separate lease may be preferable.

Note

It's typically much easier and less costly for sellers to evict a "tenant" under the terms of a lease than to evict a buyer in possession under the terms of a purchase agreement addendum.

Considerations for Early Buyer Possession Agreements

Wording should include details about what will happen if the sale doesn't close on time—​or if it never closes. Determine how much time the buyers have to vacate, and set forth what will happen if they don't.

Sellers can charge pro-rated rent for the days the buyers spend in residence before closing. They should state how much the buyers will pay and when they money is due. They should include terms for a security deposit, if applicable, and decide whether to include utilities in the rent, or whether the buyers will transfer the utility accounts to their own names.

Buyers should agree in writing that they won't modify the home without the consent of the owner, or if they do, that they'll pay to return the home to its former condition if closing doesn't take place.

Buyers are typically responsible for trash removal, and they should coordinate landscaping responsibilities with the seller if they're not provided by a homeowners' association.

The seller still owns the home, so insurance for the structure remains their responsibility. Buyers should insure their personal items, however.

Note

Buyers should not be allowed to sublet the house.

The Bottom Line

Many listing agents are vehemently opposed to early buyer possession, because it gives buyers too much time to poke around the house and rethink the purchase. They might notice things that they previously overlooked and they decide they can't live with.

These things are best discovered after closing the sale, not before. Buyers can often cancel before the sale closes.

Sellers should run a thorough background check on their buyers before agreeing to early possession, and both parties should consult with their attorneys before signing any binding agreements.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who is responsible for repairs if the buyer moves in before closing?

Repair responsibility should be covered in the agreement that you sign before the buyer takes possession of the home. If you're the seller, it's in your best interest to require the buyer to cover repairs, and you may also want the buyer to present proof of insurance on the move-in date.

What document do you use if the buyer wants to take possession of the home before the sale closes?

There isn't a specific form or document that you need to use to let the buyer take possession before closing. You only need a written agreement between the buyer and seller. These agreements can be specific and lengthy, or fairly informal and brief. To ensure that the document is legally binding and in your best interests, you may want to work with an attorney who specializes in real estate matters.

How many days before closing should the seller move out?

It's common for the seller to be given extra time to move out—as much as a week or so after the closing date rather than before it. However, if the buyer is asking for possession of the home before closing, they likely expect you to be out of the home as soon as possible or on the closing date at the latest.

The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. TMI Real Estate. "Agreement for Occupancy Prior to Closing."
2. Bernhardt Law Firm. "Pre-Occupancy Agreement (Daily Rent Required)."

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