2 Reasons Why You May Not Be Able to Sell and Rent Back

1. If your property has a high value

 It is often difficult to sell and rent back (called sale and leaseback in the US) if you have a property of a high value. A high value in this case is difficult to quantify due to the differences in property prices nationwide but anything over about £250K outside of London may not work as a rent back.

This is due to the fact that the monthly rent for higher valued properties is often low compared to the properties price. This means that the rent back company would not be able to receive enough rent to cover the financing required to buy such an expensive house. Therefore, the only option for the rent back company would be to buy the property at a lower price so that the rent covered the cost in buying it. 

This is very mush dependant on the area you live in so please contact the rent back company to discuss. Once again, you should never pay them anything upfront so any advice they give is free and without obligation. It is therefore always worth asking questions.

2. If you plan to use Housing Benefit to pay your rent

If you sell your property and receive a cash lump sum as a result of this sale, any housing benefit you were previously entitled to may be reduced or taken away altogether. As far as the council are concerned, they will not keep paying the rent if that person has a lot of money in the bank. Different councils have different rules on this so you need to check before you do the deal if you plan to claim housing benefit after you sell and rent back. For example, some councils have a higher threshold than others (i.e. some will reduce housing benefit for any savings over £8,000, some will be higher and some lower).

 Some councils also stipulate that previous house owners are not entitled to claim Housing Benefit for a property they have owned in the past 5 years. This could leave you unable to pay your rent and in danger of being asked to vacate your property. Councils will often waive this rule if you are in danger of repossession and can prove you had no choice but to sell your home. However, once again it is important you check this before entering any agreement. A good sale and rent back specialist will be able to help you in this as it is in their interest to know their future tenant will be able to pay the rent.