Catawba County
The Clerk of Court is at 100 Government Drive, Department A, Newton. The Register of Deeds is at 100 Government Drive, Department C, Newton; contact it about recorded lease documents.
Hickory, NC seller help · Tenant-occupied property
Can I Sell My Hickory House With Tenants Still Living There?
You're done — no turnover, no repairs, no more bad tenants.
Yes. USA Home Buyers buys houses as-is in Hickory, North Carolina, and Burke, Catawba, and Caldwell counties, including houses with tenants still living there. A sale does not end the lease; the buyer generally takes over as landlord.
Call 888-274-5006 or use the form below to talk through the lease, occupancy, access, or repairs.
Talk through your tenant-occupied house
Share the address and what you know about the lease, rent, deposit, access, condition, and timing.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Share the address, occupancy, lease details, and what needs attention.
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 always 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.
The lease and what the tenants need can shape the handoff. We can talk through whether an occupied sale or a move-out plan fits the situation better.
Bring us the problem
A difficult lease, limited access, repairs piling up, or uncertainty about the next step? Tell us what is happening with the house and tenancy.
Call 888-274-5006 to start the conversation. You do not have to resolve the tenancy before you call.
What happens next
1. We discuss the house and tenancy
Tell us who lives there, what the lease says, how access works, what rent and deposits are involved, and what repairs concern you. Copies of leases and deposit records can help with the handoff; start with what you know.
2. You get a written offer and terms
We discuss the house as it stands, the occupancy, and the timing you have in mind. We give written cash offers in 24 hours. You can read the offer and written terms before you decide.
Written offer and written terms before you commit; title-company closing.
3. The title company coordinates closing
The title company reviews ownership and closing documents. The lease and deposit details can be included in the handoff, and you review the written settlement figures before closing.
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including North Carolina's excise tax on conveyances. Your mortgage, liens, back taxes, and share of current property taxes are separate.
Local county offices for a Hickory rental
Hickory intersects Burke, Catawba, and Caldwell counties. Confirm which county the specific parcel is in before using a court or Register of Deeds; a city or postal address alone does not assign the parcel to a county office.
Burke County
Use the North Carolina Judicial Branch's Burke County court directory for court contacts and routing. The Register of Deeds is at 201 South Green Street, Morganton.
Caldwell County
Use the North Carolina Judicial Branch's Caldwell County court directory for court contacts and routing. The county directory lists the Register of Deeds at 905 West Ave, Lenoir.
These offices provide county routing and recorded-document information; confirm the right office and process for the property or case directly.
North Carolina lease, notice, possession, and deposit rules
A sale does not cancel a tenant's lease. The actual lease, rent period, deposit records, and occupancy determine which steps apply to a particular tenancy.
Leases longer than three years
You can sell a house with a lease in place, and the buyer generally takes over as landlord. A lease for more than three years must be recorded with the county Register of Deeds to bind a buyer.
Security deposits when the house is sold
North Carolina's Tenant Security Deposit Act covers residential deposits. Within 30 days after the sale, you must either transfer the deposit, minus lawful deductions, to the buyer and mail the tenant the buyer's name and address, or return the deposit, minus lawful deductions, to the tenant. Either step relieves you of further responsibility for that deposit.
Notice for a tenancy with no set end date
If you choose to end a tenancy that has no fixed end date, the notice depends on the rent period: month-to-month needs at least seven days before the end of the month; week-to-week needs two days before the end of the week; year-to-year needs one month or more before the end of the year. A rented manufactured-home space needs 60 days. Check the lease too; it may require more notice.
If a tenant will not leave
A notice does not itself remove a tenant. If a tenant will not leave, you can recover possession only through the court process; do not change locks or remove the tenant yourself.
More Hickory seller resources
Hickory home-sale net proceeds calculator →Compare your own sale numbers and costs in the shared calculator.Hickory seller resources →Find the market report, process information, and other seller situations.Inherited property help →Read about estate and signing-authority questions for a Hickory house.Foreclosure questions →Review North Carolina foreclosure steps and local resources.
Testimonials are real, from our transactions, verified and approved by our attorneys. Any seller location shown with a review is that seller's location.
What sellers say about USA Home Buyers
Hickory tenant-occupied seller questions
Can I sell my Hickory house while tenants are still living there?
Yes. You can start a sale conversation with tenants in place. A sale does not end the lease; the buyer generally takes over as landlord, so the lease and occupancy are part of the handoff.
Do I have to evict the tenants before I call?
No. You can call and discuss the house and tenancy before deciding what to do about possession. If a tenant will not leave, removal has to go through the court process; a sale alone does not authorize a lockout.
What happens to the security deposit when I sell?
Within 30 days after the sale, North Carolina law lets you transfer the deposit, less lawful deductions, to the buyer and mail the tenant the buyer’s name and address, or return the deposit, less lawful deductions, to the tenant. Either option ends your further responsibility for that deposit.
How much notice is needed to end a tenancy with no set end date?
The notice depends on the rent period: at least seven days before the end of a monthly period for month-to-month, two days before the end of the week for week-to-week, one month or more before the end of the year for year-to-year, and 60 days for a rented manufactured-home space. Check the lease too; it may require more notice.
What should I have ready before we talk?
Nothing has to be perfect. If available, have the address, lease, rent and deposit records, occupancy and access details, repair concerns, and any written tenant communications nearby.
Talk through the tenant situation
Call 888-274-5006 or return to the form above. Tell us what is happening with the lease, access, or repairs.