When Leland and Jane Stanford founded the University, they specified that campus lands could never be sold. The Stanfords' intention was to ensure that the land endowment to the University would exist in perpetuity. The Stanfords were also committed to creating a residential community of scholars on the campus and authorized the Board of Trustees to lease parcels of University land to faculty members for their homes. 

Today, there is a mix of residential leasehold single-family homes, townhouses, and condominiums, located both on-campus and off-campus, available to purchase. Stanford offers two forms of the ground lease: the residential ground lease and the restricted residential ground lease. The residential ground lease is offered to those who purchase properties on-campus at Stanford, while the restricted ground lease is a unique affordability product offered for the purchase of specific on or off-campus properties sold by Stanford.

Eligibility for the purchase of a lease product is described in the following document Eligible Persons. To learn more about each lease product, please download the following brochures:

Please note that the lease product has changed over the years. To answer specific questions about your ground lease, please refer to your lease document as that will be the governing document.

To view on and off-campus ground leased properties available for sale, please visit our Homes for Sale page. If you are interested in selling or renting out your home, please visit Sell or Rent Your Home.

Here are some additional resources for ground lease-holders:

  • Insurance Requirements - Lease-holders are required to maintain insurance coverage on their homes during the term of the lease. The University’s insurance requirements are explained in the linked brochure.
  • Lease Actions - This page contains information about assigning a lease to a trust, extending a ground lease, and other lease actions.
  • Utilities - This is a list of utility providers for on-campus homes. For off-campus ground lease-holders, please refer to your city's guidelines or contact us.
  • Retirement & Beyond - Please follow the link for information and resources that apply to the loans and ground leases upon retirement & beyond.

For additional questions about your ground lease or general ground lease questions, please feel free to contact our office.