Apartment Acquisitions · Lawrence
Sell Your Commercial Property In Lawrence, KS
From Downtown Lawrence to West Lawrence, we buy Lawrence multifamily and commercial apartment properties of 5+ units in every condition. Owners and agents get a straight answer on fit, usually within two business days.
- Clear feedback on your deal, typically within 48 hours
- 5 to 100+ units, stabilized or distressed, listed or off-market
- Owners, agents, and brokers welcome — every conversation is confidential
We buy:Tired landlordsEstate & trust sales1031 exchangesDeferred maintenanceHigh vacancyPartnership splits
Lawrence Submarkets: Downtown Lawrence · Oread · West Lawrence · Eudora — Douglas County, KS
Why Lawrence
Why We Buy Multifamily In Lawrence
Lawrence, KS is a renter-majority college city, with 56.4% of households renting under the Census Bureau's ACS 2020-2024 estimates. Median gross rent is $1,091 a month, and rental vacancy is 5.8%.
This profile is for owners who want to sell commercial property in Lawrence, KS and need local figures before a buyer runs the numbers. It covers who rents, rents against HUD's FY2027 fair market rents, the 32.2% of homes in 5+ unit buildings and the Douglas County levy. It also names the demand behind those figures, from the University of Kansas to commuters bound for Johnson and Shawnee counties.
Each figure links to the Census Bureau, HUD, the Kansas statutes, the Douglas County levy sheet or a City of Lawrence page. The tax example uses a $2,000,000 building so you can scale it to your own value. Owners who sell multifamily property in Lawrence can use it to check a buyer's underwriting line by line.
University of Kansas enrollment
KU counted 27,212 students at its Lawrence and Edwards campuses in fall 2025, an all-time high. Total enrollment across its campuses reached 31,169, per KU's October 1, 2025 release.Commuters to Kansas City, Topeka
Douglas County residents held 7,088 jobs in Johnson County and 5,151 in Shawnee County, home of Topeka, per Census 2016-2020 commuting flows. Another 3,206 worked in Wyandotte or Jackson County.Large college-age renter base
In Lawrence, 23,554 residents are enrolled in college or graduate school under ACS 2020-2024. Renters head 56.4% of Lawrence households, against 32.8% across Kansas.Our Buy Box
What We Buy In Lawrence
Asset Type
Multifamily, 5+ Units
Apartment buildings and income-producing residential.
Size
5 – 100+ Units
Sweet spot: 15–25 units.
Condition
Stabilized To Distressed
Value-add, mismanaged, and high-vacancy properties welcome.
Deal Types
Listed Or Off-Market
Direct-to-owner, pocket listings, portfolios.
Local Market Data
Lawrence Apartment Market
Figures gathered October 2026 from public market data.
Who rents in Lawrence, KS
Renters head 56.4% of households in Lawrence, KS, or 23,198 of 41,129, per ACS 2020-2024 tenure data. The Kansas renter share is 32.8%, per the statewide tenure table. Owners hold the other 17,931 Lawrence households.
College enrollment shapes that renter base. In Lawrence, 23,554 residents are enrolled in college or graduate school, per ACS 2020-2024 school enrollment data. The University of Kansas counted 27,212 students at its Lawrence and Edwards campuses in fall 2025, per KU's enrollment release.
Commuters add a second tenant pool. Of 53,633 Lawrence workers, 10,498 work outside Douglas County, per ACS 2020-2024 place-of-work data. Douglas County residents held 7,088 jobs in Johnson County and 5,151 in Shawnee County, per Census 2016-2020 commuting flows.
Median household income in Lawrence is $65,009 under ACS 2020-2024, $9,266 below the Kansas median of $74,275. In Lawrence, 50.5% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, per rent-burden data. The Kansas share is 40.4%.
Rents and affordability in Lawrence, KS
Median gross rent in Lawrence is $1,091 a month under ACS 2020-2024. That is $31 above the Kansas median of $1,060. Over a year, it equals 20.1% of the Lawrence median household income.
Rental vacancy in Lawrence is 5.8% in ACS 2020-2024 table DP04. Douglas County reports 5.5%, and Kansas reports 6.2%. Buyers will compare your occupancy with those rates.
HUD's FY2027 two-bedroom fair market rent for the Lawrence, KS MSA is $1,272, effective October 1, 2026, per HUD fair market rents. That sits $181 above the Lawrence median gross rent. Owners who plan to sell commercial property in Lawrence, KS can present that spread as rent upside.
| Unit size | HUD FY2027 FMR, Lawrence, KS MSA |
|---|---|
| Efficiency | $961 |
| One-bedroom | $1,103 |
| Two-bedroom | $1,272 |
| Three-bedroom | $1,761 |
| Four-bedroom | $2,126 |
Apartment stock in Lawrence, KS
Buildings with five or more units hold 14,191 of 44,098 homes in Lawrence, or 32.2%, per ACS 2020-2024 units-in-structure data. The Kansas share is 13.0%. Buildings of 10 to 19 units hold 4,930 Lawrence homes, and 5 to 9 unit buildings hold 3,792. Buildings of 20 to 49 units hold 3,206, and those with 50 or more hold 2,263.
The stock is younger than the state's. In Lawrence, 39.4% of homes were built before 1980, per ACS 2020-2024 year-built data, against 55.9% statewide. Another 15.6% date from 2010 or later, and the median year built is 1988, per table B25035.
Home prices run high for Kansas. The Lawrence median home value is $292,700 under ACS 2020-2024, 34.8% above the Kansas median of $217,200. Owners who sell commercial real estate in Lawrence, KS can cite that gap when buyers ask why renters keep renting.
Property taxes in Douglas County
A $2,000,000 apartment building in Lawrence owes about $29,492 a year at the 2025 levy. Kansas assesses residential property, including multi-family residential property, at 11.5% of value under K.S.A. 79-1439. Commercial and industrial property is assessed at 25%.
The 2025 Douglas County tax levy sheet puts Tax Unit 041, City of Lawrence, at 128.226 mills. That total includes 1.500 mills for the State of Kansas and 40.669 for Douglas County. It adds 33.712 for the City of Lawrence and 52.345 for USD 497.
The math: $2,000,000 x 11.5% = $230,000 assessed value. Then $230,000 x 128.226 / 1,000 = $29,491.98, or 1.47% of value.
The tax unit matters. Tax Unit 048, North Lawrence, levies 128.940 mills, or $29,656.20 on the same building. Tax Unit 020, City of Eudora, levies 155.423 mills, or $35,747.29. Anyone selling commercial property in Lawrence should confirm the unit on the latest bill before quoting expenses.
The City of Lawrence property tax page lists a 2026 city mill rate of 33.712, which includes a library levy. Owners may appeal a valuation within 30 days of the notice's mailing under K.S.A. 79-1448. The levy sheet sets due dates of December 22 for the first half and May 11 for the second.
Landlord rules in Lawrence, KS
Kansas caps deposits at one month's rent for an unfurnished unit and bars local rent control. These state rules apply in Lawrence:
- Deposit cap: one month's rent unfurnished, 1.5 months furnished, plus up to half a month for pets, per K.S.A. 58-2550.
- Deposit return: within 14 days of setting deductions, and no later than 30 days after the tenancy ends, possession returns and the tenant asks.
- Unpaid rent: three days' written notice of nonpayment before the agreement terminates, counted as three 24-hour periods, per K.S.A. 58-2564.
- Month-to-month termination: written notice ending on a rent-paying date at least 30 days after receipt, per K.S.A. 58-2570.
- Rent control: K.S.A. 12-16,120 bars any county, municipality or township from controlling the amount of rent.
Lawrence licenses rental dwelling units under Chapter 6, Article 13 of its city code. Ordinance No. 9876, effective January 1, 2022, set the license fee at $15 per dwelling unit. Inspections sample 20% of the units on an owner's license, capped at 25 units.
New construction or major reconstruction is exempt from those inspections for up to ten years after final inspection. A licensee with no more than three violations per inspected unit earns a six-year exemption. Under K.S.A. 12-16,138, periodic interior inspections require the occupant's consent.
What it means for an owner in Lawrence, KS
Lawrence pairs a 56.4% renter share with 5.8% rental vacancy and a $1,091 median rent. Buyers will set those against the $29,492 tax example, license records and the age of your systems. Only 39.4% of Lawrence homes predate 1980, yet buyers still price roofs, boilers and plumbing into every offer.
If you plan to sell your apartment building in Lawrence, run your numbers through the cap rate calculator first. Skyline Capital Investments buys apartment buildings with five or more units, from Downtown Lawrence and Oread to West Lawrence and Eudora.
Owners ready to sell commercial property in Lawrence, KS can request an offer on the sell my apartment building page. Bring a rent roll, twelve months of expenses, rental license records and your latest Douglas County tax bill.
Local Knowledge
Selling In Lawrence
More about selling in Kansas →Investing in Lawrence? See apartment syndications in Lawrence →
- Lawrence apartments fall in the 11.5% residential class under K.S.A. 79-1439, which names multi-family residential real property; commercial and industrial property is assessed at 25%.
- Tax Unit 041, City of Lawrence, carries 128.226 mills for 2025, down 0.077 from 128.303 in 2024, per the Douglas County levy sheet.
- To sell commercial real estate in Lawrence, KS, keep rental license records ready: Ordinance No. 9876 set a $15 rental license fee per dwelling unit from January 1, 2022.
- Kansas bars local rent control under K.S.A. 12-16,120, so Lawrence cannot cap rents or limit increases on privately owned apartment buildings.
Seller Guides
Selling A Building In Lawrence
Learn More
Taxes & Rules For Lawrence Property
The Kansas rules that shape any deal in Lawrence: what a sale costs in tax, how buildings are taxed, what landlords must follow, and how to defer gains.
Lawrence Seller FAQ
What should I know before I sell commercial property in Lawrence, KS?
Start with the numbers buyers check first. Lawrence has a 56.4% renter share, 5.8% rental vacancy and a $1,091 median gross rent under ACS 2020-2024. Tax Unit 041 carries 128.226 mills, so a $2,000,000 building owes about $29,492 a year. Buyers will also ask for rental license records under Chapter 6, Article 13 of the city code. Skyline Capital Investments buys buildings with five or more units.
How do buyers value apartments when I sell commercial real estate in Lawrence, KS?
Buyers start with rent and occupancy. They compare your rents with the Lawrence median gross rent of $1,091 and HUD's FY2027 two-bedroom fair market rent of $1,272. They test occupancy against 5.8% rental vacancy. Then they rebuild taxes at 11.5% assessment times your tax unit's mill levy. A clean rent roll and twelve months of expenses shorten that review.
How much property tax does a $2 million apartment building pay in Lawrence?
Kansas assesses multi-family residential property at 11.5% of value, so $2,000,000 becomes $230,000 assessed. Douglas County's 2025 levy sheet puts Tax Unit 041, City of Lawrence, at 128.226 mills. The tax is $29,491.98, about 1.47% of value. North Lawrence, Tax Unit 048, runs 128.940 mills, or $29,656.20. If you plan to sell your apartment building in Lawrence, confirm the exact tax unit first.
Does Lawrence have rent control?
No. K.S.A. 12-16,120 bars any county, municipality or township from enacting, maintaining or enforcing an ordinance that controls rent on privately owned residential or commercial property. Lawrence therefore cannot cap rents or limit increases. The statute still lets an owner make a voluntary agreement with a political subdivision in return for grants or incentives. Outside such an agreement, rents follow the market and your leases.
How does Lawrence license and inspect rental properties?
Lawrence licenses rental dwelling units under Chapter 6, Article 13 of its city code. Ordinance No. 9876, effective January 1, 2022, set the fee at $15 per dwelling unit. Inspections sample 20% of the units on an owner's license, capped at 25. Under K.S.A. 12-16,138, periodic interior inspections require the occupant's consent. New construction or major reconstruction is exempt from sampling for up to ten years.
What if my Lawrence building has vacancies or deferred maintenance?
That is often where we add the most value. We buy buildings that need renovation, new management, or lease-up, and we account for that in our offer.
Can I sell my Lawrence apartment building off-market?
Yes. We work directly with owners and through listing agents. Off-market conversations are confidential, and we coordinate tours so tenants and staff are not disrupted.
Can I sell rental property in Lawrence with tenants in place?
Yes. We buy apartment buildings with tenants in place and keep existing leases intact. As a commercial real estate buyer focused on 5+ unit properties, we underwrite the current rent roll as it stands.
How fast can I sell my apartment building in Lawrence?
Most owners get clear feedback within 48 hours of sending the address, unit count, and a rent roll. Closing is typically set around your timeline, including extra time for a 1031 exchange.
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Have A Property In Lawrence?
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