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:

Residential Ground Lease Brochure

Restricted Residential Ground Lease Brochure

To view on and off-campus ground leased properties available for sale, please visit our Homes for Sale page.