Land lease and leasehold homes: cheaper up front, different later
Doorvia Guides · May 30, 2026
You own the home but rent the land, so financing, fees and resale all behave differently from freehold.
In a land lease community you own the dwelling and lease the land underneath it, paying a monthly land rent plus your own utilities and taxes. These communities are common in Ontario's adult-lifestyle and recreational markets.
The appeal is a lower purchase price. The trade-offs are ongoing land rent that can increase, a shorter list of lenders willing to finance, and resale that depends on the remaining lease term and community rules.
Read the lease itself, not the brochure: term remaining, how rent increases are set, what the fee covers, transfer rules on resale, and any approval the landlord has over a buyer. Have a lawyer review it before you commit.
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