Story County Recorder & Vital Records
The Recorder's Office keeps public records that include land transactions documenting title. It can be a starting point for recorded property documents.
Ames, IA · Story County · Tenant-occupied property
You're done — no turnover, no repairs, no more bad tenants.
Yes. You can sell your Ames house with tenants still living there. The sale itself does not cancel the lease or require tenants to move.
USA Home Buyers buys houses as-is in Ames and Story County, Iowa. Call 888-274-5006 now or use the form to talk through the lease, access, occupancy, and repairs.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Tell us the address and what is happening with the tenancy.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
What we do
We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us.
You don't need to evict to sell to us. We buy houses with tenants in place — we've done it many times, including cash-for-keys when that works better for everyone. Tell us about the property and tenancy.
If a conversation about a tenant moving could work better for everyone, tell us. Cash-for-keys is one option we have used; it is not a condition for starting a sale conversation.
Bring us the problem
Lease timing, limited access, repairs, tenant communication, or uncertainty about who is living there can make a rental sale hard to plan. Tell us what is going on, including what is unclear. You do not have to fix the house or resolve every tenancy question before calling.
Call 888-274-5006 now and talk through the Ames property and tenancy.
What happens next
1. Talk through the house and tenancy
Share the address, the lease and renewal status, who occupies the house, access limits, repairs, deposit records, and the timing you are considering. Start with what you know; nothing has to be perfectly organized before you call.
2. Review the written offer and terms
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours. Written offer and written terms before you commit; title-company closing.
Read the proposed price and terms before you commit. The written terms can reflect the house as it stands and the agreed plan for occupancy and access.
3. Work through the handoff and close
Discuss the lease, tenant notice, occupancy, and deposit records with the buyer and closing professionals so the handoff is documented. The sale closes through a title company.
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including Iowa real estate transfer tax. That does not include your mortgage, liens, back taxes, or your share of current property taxes.
Local Story County property-record help
These county offices can help with public ownership, deed, plat, and assessment records for a property in Story County. They do not decide lease terms, deposit handling, or tenant possession questions.
Story County Auditor — Real Estate & Property Records
The Auditor's Office maintains current property-ownership records, plat maps, and transfer books.
Story County Assessor — Functions & Services
The Assessor's Office handles real-property assessment functions. Check with the office about assessment-record questions for the address.
Iowa leases, possession, and security deposits
A sale does not by itself cancel a lease or require the tenant to move. Keep lease, occupancy, notice, and deposit questions separate: what happens to the lease is not the same question as how a deposit is transferred or returned.
The lease and tenant notice
Unless you agreed otherwise, after a good-faith sale you are relieved of lease obligations for events after the tenant receives written notice of the sale. The tenant does not have to move just because the property sold. Give the buyer the lease and tenant notices, and make sure the tenant receives the sale notice and the buyer's contact information.
Iowa Code §562A.16 addresses a landlord's liability after a good-faith sale; §562A.13 addresses landlord contact information.
You can sell without treating the sale as an eviction
Selling the house does not itself give the tenant a move-out date or end the lease. If you need the property vacant, the lease and the process that applies to that tenancy still matter; do not treat the sale as an eviction or as an order for possession.
Choose how to handle each security deposit
When your landlord interest ends, the buyer becomes the successor landlord and takes over the rights and obligations for the tenant's rental deposit. Within a reasonable time, you or your agent must either transfer each deposit, less any lawful deductions, to the buyer and notify the tenant of the transfer and the buyer's name and address, or return the deposit, less any lawful deductions, to the tenant. Either choice ends your deposit liability.
If the tenant does not object within 20 days after written notice of the amount transferred, the buyer's duty to return the deposit is limited to that amount. The notice must include a stamped envelope addressed to the buyer. See Iowa Code §562A.12(5)–(6).
What sellers say about USA Home Buyers
Ames tenant-occupied seller questions
Can I sell my Ames house while tenants are still living there?
Yes. You can sell with tenants in place. The sale alone does not cancel the lease or require the tenants to move, so share the lease, occupancy, and access details when we talk.
Do I have to evict before I contact you?
You don't need to evict to sell to us. We buy houses with tenants in place — we've done it many times, including cash-for-keys when that works better for everyone. Tell us about the property and tenancy.
What happens to the security deposit when I sell?
Within a reasonable time after your landlord interest ends, you or your agent must transfer the deposit to the buyer with written tenant notice, or return it to the tenant, less any lawful deductions. The Iowa section below explains the 20-day objection rule for a transferred deposit.
Does the tenant have to leave because the house sold?
No. A sale by itself does not end the lease or require the tenant to move. If possession is part of your plan, the lease and the process that applies to that tenancy still matter.
Ames seller tools and local pages
Ames home-sale net proceeds calculator →Compare your own sale price or written offer with costs and payoff amounts.Ames seller resources →Find the Ames market report, seller guide, process information, and other property-situation pages.Ames code-violation help →See the separate page for a house with a code notice or repair issue.How the Ames process works →Read about the path from property discussion to written terms and title-company closing.
Talk through the tenant situation
Call 888-274-5006 or use the form above to discuss the Ames house, lease, access, and deposit records.