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100 Questions to Ask Before Leasing a Group Home
The questions you do not ask before signing are the ones you argue about in year two. This is the full list, organized by where each one actually bites.
General education only, not legal advice. Lease terms, occupancy limits and permitted use vary by state and municipality — verify with local authorities and your own attorney.
What is in it
Six categories. One hundred questions. Every one of them verifiable.
None of these require special access. They require asking before you sign rather than after.
Permitted use & zoning
What the property is actually allowed to be used for, who confirms it, and what happens if someone later decides otherwise.
Sample questions
- What does the applicable zoning district permit for this property?
- Is a special-use or conditional-use permit required for this occupancy?
- Has the current use ever been the subject of a complaint or inspection?
Occupancy, code & safety
How many people can legally live here, under which code, verified by whom — and what the building itself requires at that count.
Sample questions
- What occupancy limit applies to this property and under which code?
- What are the egress, alarm and fire-separation requirements at that count?
- When was the property last inspected, and what was noted?
Economics & structure
Rent, escalation, deposit, who pays what, and the mechanics of every payment obligation over the length of the term.
Sample questions
- How is rent escalation handled, and on what formula?
- What security deposit is required and what are the conditions for release?
- Are there any fees, CAM charges or pass-throughs beyond base rent?
Maintenance & responsibility
The line between what the owner fixes and what you fix — which is where most long-term disputes actually originate.
Sample questions
- Who is responsible for the roof, HVAC, sewer line and structural systems?
- What is the response-time expectation for a habitability repair?
- Who pays for damage caused by a resident versus normal wear?
Insurance, HOA & restrictions
The layer of rules above the lease that can end an operation even when the lease itself is fine.
Sample questions
- Is the property subject to HOA covenants, and what do they restrict?
- What insurance does the owner carry, and what must you carry?
- Are there any deed restrictions or recorded conditions affecting use?
Term, renewal & exit
How the relationship ends, on what notice, and what you are left holding when it does.
Sample questions
- What are the renewal options and their notice mechanics?
- What happens to the residents if the lease terminates?
- Under what conditions can either party terminate early?
How to use it
Ask them in writing, and keep the answers.
A question asked in a phone call is a question you will have to ask again. A question asked in email — and answered in email — is a record you can rely on later.
- Send the list to the owner or their agent and ask for written responses
- Ask for copies of existing insurance certificates, not descriptions of them
- Request any HOA covenants and recorded restrictions in full, not summarized
- Ask the local planning department for zoning and permitted-use confirmation in writing
- Ask the building or code department for the applicable occupancy limit at your intended use
- Ask whether any prior complaint, inspection or violation exists for the property
- Have your attorney review the answers before you sign anything
- Confirm every answer again at renewal — codes and covenants change
The one that matters most
"What is this property legally permitted to be used for, and who is confirming that in writing?" If you get a confident verbal answer and no document, you have nothing. Get it in writing from the authority that actually enforces it — not from the owner, not from an agent, and not from a website.
Pair it with the numbers
A property can pass all one hundred questions and still not pencil. Run the capacity and cost assumptions through the Deal Analyzer™ before you make an offer.
Free download
Get the full 100-question list
All one hundred questions, organized by category, in a format you can send directly to an owner or their agent.
Go deeper
Questions protect you. Strategy gets you the property.
Knowing what to ask is the floor. Knowing which structure fits the owner in front of you is what actually gets the deal done.
Related reading
- Master Leases — the full guide
- Lease-Options explained
- Seller Financing explained
- Land Contracts and their state-law risks
- The Master Lease Landlord Proposal Kit™
Important disclaimer
Acquire Group Homes™ provides education, consulting, business systems and real-estate strategy. It does not provide legal advice, medical advice, clinical treatment, licensing determinations, tax advice or Medicaid eligibility determinations. Requirements vary by property, population, services, city, county and state — nothing on this page states or implies that any model is automatically legal in any jurisdiction.
Operators must verify zoning, licensing, occupancy, building/fire code, fair-housing obligations, insurance, resident-rights requirements and other applicable laws with qualified professionals before acquiring or operating a property. We do not promise "no license required," guaranteed Medicaid payment, guaranteed government contracts, guaranteed occupancy, "eviction-proof" agreements, or that any structure avoids zoning or lender requirements.
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